In the words of the great Kanye West, Simon “Imma let you finish” but I just want everyone to know that I had one of the best DemoCampGuelph (DCG) presentations of ALL TIME. Let’s be honest here, what I brought to the table that night was nothing short of spectacular, a masterpiece for the ages and it’s not only upsetting but straight up wrong that I didn’t get to take home the crowie.

Don’t get me wrong, what I think Simon did with the Diyode crew in developing the CodeShield is great. It allows people of all ages and ability to get up and running with an Arduino in a matter minutes. It really is an amazing product and the fact that it came out of the maker community right here in Guelph fills my heart with pride. I mean, just think of the impact the CodeShield could have on our future generation of makers; give a child with a burgeoning interest in electronics two potatoes, some leads and digital display and you may hold their interest for an hour. Give that same child an Arduino with a CodeShield and they will spend hours enjoying its spinning cross thingie and blinking light.

The purpose of my writing today is not to take anything from Simon or his “win” that night at DCG, think of it more like a wake up call for the jokers that call themselves judges. If Simon had shown the CodeShield at any other DCG I’m sure he would have deserved his win, but that night he and the other presenters started at a disadvantage, I was presenting as well. That’s the way life is sometimes, it’s like bringing a professional athlete to a game of pickup, it’s not his fault that he was born with natural athletic talent, just as it’s not everyone else’s fault they weren’t. I’ve been silent for some time now, determined to be the better man and to not voice my disappointment at the “judges” decision that night but I cannot, will not, remain silent any longer. I demand that these judges be stripped of their positions and never allowed to make any decisions regarding anything ever again. If they got something so simple as who won the crowie wrong then just think of the disasters they could cause in other areas.

• “The sign says STOP so surely everyone else will STOP and I can continue on my merry, ignorant way.”
• “Washing my hands is just a hassle and I’ve already been sick with the flu this year, what’s the worst that could happen?”
• “There’s no chocolate left in this box of Neapolitan and all I ever eat is chocolate, time for another box of Neapolitan.”

My call to action isn’t for my own satisfaction in seeing these people held accountable for their misguided misinformed decision, it’s a public service to save the community.

Has anyone ever wondered just how the DCG judgement is rendered? I wouldn’t be surprised if these dullards read tea leaves or goat entrails. How can we stand idly by as our fate as presenters is held hostage by such savage devices. It’s time we took control and push back against this oppression. “Seize the day” they say, well I say why stop there? We must seize the crowie, release it from the clutches of evil and allow it to be given to the rightful winner. The presenter who truly owned the stage, captivated the audience and presented the most amazing, mind bending application or device. The writing is on the wall, the winner of DCG shouldn’t be decided by judges who are apparently completely out of touch but by the audience, that’s who we’re here for anyways.