[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Shawnski

Do you honestly think that given the population of Alberta that there would not be an equal, if not greater amount of quality submissions than that? And again, at no cost to the taxpayer.

Quantity does not equal quality. A single Monet will always be worth more than 1000 mediocre paintings.

And again, at no cost to the taxpayer.

Why do you expect the creative community to work for free? Do you expect your accountant to work for free? Does your lawyer work on spec?

With your way, basically 1 out of 200 people gets paid while the rest wasted their time. Would you be ok with that type of setup at your place of work? I sure hope you're at the top .5% of your field, otherwise you're just a waste of space.

The funny thing is that a lot of people like yourself seem to think that the Creative community is still stuck in the 60s, where we all have drum circles and paint our feelings. When in reality we are just as integrated into the economy as any other industry, and there is serious $ to be made off of these skills.

The truth is that Design can be an extremely powerful (and lucrative) tool in a company's arsenal. If you look at leading company in its segment, you'll find that most of them have a very strong basis in good design. Do you think Apple would get where they are without good design? What do you think separates a company like Target from Kmart...lower prices? Ikea, IBM, Audi, GE, Hyundai/Kia...all these companies put a strong focus on design. Do you think these companies got to where they are by holding condescending design contests for their logos?

You and Jaydorn seem to be implying protectionism. We already have way too much of that, and it isn't beneficial to the average Joe.

The average Joe benefits more from good design than they do from mediocre design.

As far as protectionism, I'm concerned about protecting the integrity of the my industry, and ensuring it gets the respect it deserves, so that my students don't have to keep moving away from Alberta, and instead can work their talents here instead.

I would tell my students to screw the contest and work on something that will give them professional opportunity, and compensate them for what their worth (which at the start of their career isn't much, but it sure beats $0). There's some serious money to be made in this business...you don't need to waste it on silly things that devalue the industry.

Anthony has provided us with jaw dropping and at times tear invoking videos that more often than not surpass anything we see from the pros.

AC is a very talented guy. If he's spending the majority of his time on free projects for people who make money off his work, than honestly he's wasting his talent and his earning potential. Those kinds of skills can be quite valuable in the marketplace.

I am pretty sure a few toddlers are adept enough with a computer to come up with an acceptable license plate design.

So you're one of those guys who thinks that design is just about having the right software, huh? If that's the case, I think the distance where you stand and where I stand will never be covered.