i'd like to see some statistics of how many competition held feet in the past some years and what percentage of the competitors competed in it. can someone do it? it will be shocking.
I already did it
here and
here.
You can see feet is, for whatever reason the event that has grown the most in the last two years, in number of competitions. This is just statistics, it's up to you to take any conclusion on the whys or hows.
Concerning moving it to average of 5, it all depends on the
objective criteria being used by the WCA to move events within 9b). I can't make a more informed oppinion without knowing why previous event have changed.
I can only put out some bullet points that have previously been discussed in other threads about the event in its entirety, either moving it from 9b2) to 9b1) or wiping it out completely:
- Megaminx is average of 5. As you can see here, and as a general idea, megaminx solves are usually a lot longer than feet. It's also safe to assume scrambling megaminx takes longer than scrambling 3x3. However, from my first link, megaminx is considerably more popular than feet. Time vs popularity?
- Moving 6x6 from Mo3 to Average of 5 would take more/less/equal time in practice than moving feet from Mo3 to Average of 5? Time vs popularity?
- 737 people have competed in this event.
- Correct me if I'm wrong, but in terms of required equipment for feet, isn't it less than for any other event? Doesn't it not even require a table?
- As someone mentioned before, if feet is 3x3 with a handicap, it puts feet and OH on the same boat. They both have their own algs and fingertricks and require a technique that needs a lot of practice.
- For some people it may be sociably awkward taking their shoes off and look at them wiggling around solving a cube. That's not going to change.
- There is no going around it also, the feet event raises a problem with hygene, namely a distinctive smell and/or fungus. Of course, people's hands can be way dirtier and with a lot more bacteria than their feet that pass along to their cube and scramblers, but still if people are grossed out, just let the scramblers/runners/judges wear gloves(?) Make people solving provide them? As for the smell, will it be strong enough to make the event go away?
These are just some remarks I see that should be addressed by people mostly to the sake of the event. I see a lot of people saying they don't like the event but very few go beyond and detail what's wrong with it or say why they are uncomfortable with it.
Also, I dislike seeing people saying Vincent and Lucas (and whoever else with decision power) don't like feet as if that's a reason they are pushing for their removal or irrelevancy.
They are in that position they are because they can be impartial in their decisions, potentially even going against their own personal preferences, for the sake of the community, and to persue WCA's mission. So I'm sure any event change is to be addressed with
sound objective criteria that has nothing to do with personal preferences.
