Subject:
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Who Does Lego Like the Most?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.ambassadors
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Date:
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Fri, 2 Mar 2007 02:52:49 GMT
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So the 5th cycle of ambassadors was just announced, and I’d like to take some
time to reflect on the state of the Ambassador program. 5 half-years in, and I’m
still unsure of the goals, effects, and unintended consequences of the program.
The Ambassador program is tremendously opaque. Every bit of info seems to need
to be squeezed out of the system (like Legofan.org crashing), and besides that
there are no formal announcements about concrete accomplishments. Or when
something new is announced, it is unclear what role the Ambassadors had in it. I
mean, even the secretive Bush Administration has a State of the Union, right?
Perhaps the corporate culture is stifling communication? (For instance, I have
no doubt that even the terms of the NDA are subject to the NDA.)
Given the Lego scene’s lack of any serious journalism, I am forced to merely
speculate as to the intentions of Lego and their degree of success with the
program. After all, on first glance it appears to be ethically dubious on both
sides of the fence and looks to be more trouble than it’s worth, unless most of
the benefits to the company are invisible, in which case it merely smacks of
corporate co-optation of the fanbase to clamp down on leaks.
So here’s my hypothesis: Since it doesn’t lead to significant increases in
sales, and perhaps actively bogs down the productivity of both the company and
the AFOL participants, I can only conclude that the program is implemented
because of LOVE. Yes, the Lego Company has feelings too, and they wuv their
fans as much as their fans wuv them. So I assume the Ambassador Program is
merely a front for a giant internet sleepover with pillowfights, blanket forts,
snuggles and huggles.
Particularly in this new cycle, Lego appears to be in love with love, since the
list of new ambassadors (mere weeks after V-Day!) has doubled in size. Lego is
going to have to buy more notebooks, because there’s no more room on the covers
for names with hearts doodled around them.
Since the most data we have about the program is the lists of ambassadors, I’ve
ranked them in terms of how many times they’ve been invited to the party. And
without further ado, I present:
WHO DOES LEGO LIKE THE MOST?
(Organized from least to most(est), oldest to most
recent, and finally alphabetical (in that order)).
One-Night Stands and New Crushes:
Jon Furman - USA (cycle 1)
Andrzlej Szlaga - Poland (3)
Juan Macias - Spain (4)
Stepahn Sander - Germany (4)
Jeremy Spurgeon - USA (4)
Ryan Wood - USA (4)
Tania Baixinho – Portugal (5)
Andrew Becraft – United States of America (5)
Caspar Benndsen – Denmark (5)
Ross Crawford – Australia (5)
Adrian Drake – United States of America (5)
Doug Eaton – United States of America (5)
Lluis C. Gibert – Spain (5)
John Langrish – Canada (5)
Jean-Marc Nimal – Belgium (5)
Jason Railton – the United Kingdom (5)
Stephan Sander – Germany (5)
Barbara Werth – the Netherlands (5)
Paul Wolters – the Netherlands (5)
Vegas Weddings and Friends with Benefits:
Akos Kostyan - Hungary (1,2)
Holger Matthes - Germany (1,2)
Huw Millington - UK (1,2)
Richard Morton - UK (1,2)
James Trobaugh - USA (1, 2)
Lenny Hoffman – USA (2,3)
Luis Baixnho – Portugal (2,3)
Mark Bellis – UK (2,3)
Steven Combs – USA (2,3)
Knud Richardt Hoj Thomsen – Denmark (2,3)
Jeff Van Winden - Canada (2,3)
David Tabner - Great Britain (3,4)
Felix Greco - USA (1,5)
Jakob Bindslet - Denmark (4,5)
Marco Chiappa - Italy (4,5)
Peter Reid - Great Britain (4,5)
Diana Wong - Singapore (4,5)
Caper van Nimwegen - The Netherlands (4,5)
Jeff Van Winden - Canada (4,5)
Nelson Yrizarry - USA (4,5)
Old Exes and Pieces on the Side:
Paul Janssen - USA (1,2,3)
Eric Kingsley - USA (1,2,3)
Todd Kubo - USA (1,2,3)
Kelly McKiernan - USA (1,2,3)
Richie Dulin - Australia (3,4,5)
Ben Ellermann - USA (3,4,5)
Didier Enjary - France (3,4,5)
Mark Neumann - USA (3,4,5)
Dan Rubin - USA (3,4,5)
High School Sweethearts:
Pierre Normandin - Canada (1,2,3,4)
Volker Draschka – Germany (2,3,4,5)
Mark Sandlin - USA (1,2,3,5)
Life Partners 4-Eva:
Eric Brok - Netherlands (1,2,3,4,5)
Chris Giddens - USA (1,2,3,4,5)
So I believe this to be an accurate model of the state of the Lego Company’s
tender heart. And though we can never tell exactly how to win our fair company’s
affection, it doesn’t seem that difficult to do. Not that I’m calling Lego a
company of easy virtue in the least; it’s not Lego’s fault it has so much love
to give.
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Message has 6 Replies:
 | | Re: Who Does Lego Like the Most?
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| (...) And judging by the response to this post, it looks like it's going to stay that way. (...) It's as good a hypothesis as any, I say run with it. (...) Spotlighted! Thanks for sharing. Allister (18 years ago, 13-Mar-07, to lugnet.ambassadors, FTX) !
| | | Re: Who Does Lego Like the Most?
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| (...) If TLG can't have a giant virtual sleepover with its biggest fans, then Mega Bloks has already won. Are you with us, or are you with the clones, Kevin? Marc Nelson Jr. (URL) Marc's Creations>> (18 years ago, 13-Mar-07, to lugnet.ambassadors, FTX)
| | | Re: Who Does Lego Like the Most?
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| (...) -snip- (...) -snip- (...) LOL. Well, I guess I'm still one of several pieces on the side... but I aim to become a High School Sweetheart one day. Now *that* is not a transition that happens very often! Cheers Richie Dulin (18 years ago, 13-Mar-07, to lugnet.ambassadors, FTX)
| | | Re: Who Does Lego Like the Most?
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| (...) Come on Jonesy. We're in a war! Stop sitting on the fence - either I am a Vegas Wedding or a Friend with Benefits! We all know that there is a (URL)!! -Lenny (18 years ago, 13-Mar-07, to lugnet.ambassadors, FTX)
| | | Re: Who Does Lego Like the Most?
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| (...) Call me a cynic, but I always assumed that the main goal of the Lego Ambassador program was to increase sales (read: dollars, pounds, euros, lyra, rubles, etc.). Also, it could have been a way to quell some of the whining that takes place when (...) (18 years ago, 13-Mar-07, to lugnet.ambassadors, FTX)
| | | Re: Who Does Lego Like the Most?
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| (...) That is me. I can tell you why I applied for the program and why I decided to quit after 2 cycles: I applied because I had one good reason. I wanted to let TLC know how unfair some European AFOLs feel about not having the option to use (...) (18 years ago, 21-May-07, to lugnet.ambassadors, FTX)
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