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3x3 With Feet Getting Removed

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CarterK

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The fact that it's getting removed based off of the vote of 6 WRC members is just crazy. This was really unexpected.

WRC members who voted on this:

-competes consistently, has had 9 nrs in the event
-7:23 single, hasnt competed since 2012
-3:16 mean, hasnt competed since 2015
-6:46 mean, competed 3 times in 2016
-never competed
-never competed
 

DGCubes

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I definitely don't support this. I would like to see it open to a bigger community vote (or at least a delegate vote).

Unlike Magic and Master Magic, Feet doesn't have any inherent flaws that prevent it from being held accurately. I understand that it's objectively unpopular, but some events will naturally be more popular than others, and its popularity has only been increasing in recent years. I also think the fact that it's such a spectator-friendly event is a big deal that shouldn't be overlooked. I really want to see cubing grow as a spectator sport, and weird/interesting events like Feet only make that more doable. I don't know many people (cubers or non-cubers) who would want to watch even the fastest of 7x7 solves, but a world class Feet solve is just plain fun to watch.

I recognize my bias as a Feet solver, but we also need to recognize the inherent bias in many of those arguing for this event to be removed. "I think it's stupid" and "I think it's good" are not valid reasons to keep or remove an event. Feet isn't hurting anyone by staying in the WCA (as far as I'm aware; feel free to provide evidence to the contrary if you have it). However, a non-negligible percentage of cubers are disappointed at its removal.
 

CarterK

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I think feet should be removed, idk really why it just doesn't seem like a good WCA event.
Not that I like the way they did it, though. I think they should've had a public vote or something. It would have been a way better way to decide, and I (and I assume others) would be happier with either result.
Not liking an event is not a reason to remove it. If there are objective reasons to remove the event and that's why you dislike it, then that's fine however.
 

turtwig

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Like others have said, feet being removed based off of lack of popularity alone is somewhat contradictory as events like big bld have even less participation. If feet can be removed on these grounds, I think 5BLD is an even better candidate for removal, as it has much less participation and is also very similar to 4BLD whereas no event is similar to feet.
 

EMI

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This is the right step, even though it will cause a lot of hate for the WCA. Speedcubing is becoming more mature, and absurd events like magic and feet solving are a relict from the early years. Especially feet has made competitions look really weird, because it is the kind of thing that stands out in media coverage.
Of course, many have become good at the event, so for them it is unfortunate. But I bet if feet had never been an official discipline in the first place, nobody would argue to add it, nowadays.
5BLD has fewer participants only because it is so difficult. When I talk to outsiders about cubing, they are usually very impressed that it is possible.
 

Waffle Cuber

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I definitely don't support this. I would like to see it open to a bigger community vote (or at least a delegate vote).

Unlike Magic and Master Magic, Feet doesn't have any inherent flaws that prevent it from being held accurately. I understand that it's objectively unpopular, but some events will naturally be more popular than others, and its popularity has only been increasing in recent years. I also think the fact that it's such a spectator-friendly event is a big deal that shouldn't be overlooked. I really want to see cubing grow as a spectator sport, and weird/interesting events like Feet only make that more doable. I don't know many people (cubers or non-cubers) who would want to watch even the fastest of 7x7 solves, but a world class Feet solve is just plain fun to watch.

I recognize my bias as a Feet solver, but we also need to recognize the inherent bias in many of those arguing for this event to be removed. "I think it's stupid" and "I think it's good" are not valid reasons to keep or remove an event. Feet isn't hurting anyone by staying in the WCA (as far as I'm aware; feel free to provide evidence to the contrary if you have it). However, a non-negligible percentage of cubers are disappointed at its removal.
I agree. Good point. It’s a fun event that I’ve always liked. I think the WCA has taken a step in the wrong direction with this decision. At least do a public vote. Nobody was complaining that much about it.
 

One Wheel

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There are a few very good reasons that feet ought to be maintained as an official event:

Because it is harder to turn quickly and reliably with feet, TPS is limited. Therefore Feet fills a gap between OH and FMC with regard to rewarding efficiency.

Because fewer people compete in feet it is actually encouraging to newer cubers. Competitive times are achievable without exceptional talent or thousands of hours of practice.

It looks ridiculous. I know this has been cited as a reason to eliminate it, but hear me out: we are playing with a kids toy and taking it seriously. We are ridiculous, embrace it or we look really ridiculous. If you want to look dignified take up competitive carriage driving or become a butler. When somebody solves a Rubik’s cube in 4 seconds the natural response from the public is “that’s ridiculous, I could never do that,” and they’re probably right. When somebody solves a cube with their feet the natural response is more along the line of “that’s ridiculous, but kind of cool, too.” The line that “there’s no such thing as bad press” isn’t always true, but in this case it is.
 

ichcubegerne

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For me it really depends. I get why feet will be removed and I think its a good decision. However you can make pretty similar arguments for 5BLD, MultiBLD and Clock and if you remove feet then you also have to remove these 3 imo. The only difference between feet and these 3 is that feet is seen as gross by a lot of people. This does not seem like it is an argument that should hold the other 3 events in the WCA. So if they remove feet but not at least one or two of the 3 named events then I think I can come to the conclusion that personal preference played a big role in that vote and this just makes me skeptical towards this decision.
 

Tabe

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For me it really depends. I get why feet will be removed and I think its a good decision. However you can make pretty similar arguments for 5BLD, MultiBLD and Clock and if you remove feet then you also have to remove these 3 imo. The only difference between feet and these 3 is that feet is seen as gross by a lot of people. This does not seem like it is an argument that should hold the other 3 events in the WCA. So if they remove feet but not at least one or two of the 3 named events then I think I can come to the conclusion that personal preference played a big role in that vote and this just makes me skeptical towards this decision.
Well, the reason it's seen as gross is because of the obvious smell, hygiene, and sanitary issues. The three events you mention have none of those issues.
 

CornerCutter

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Very surprising! This should be voted on by a bigger segment of the WCA or have super good reasons for removing it.

Edit: Other events have less popularity then feet. Not a good reason to remove it.
 
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Hazel

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I have zero interest in feet solving, but I'm sad to see it go since so many people have put so much work into improving at it and now that hard work is going to waste. I think they should focus their efforts on adding more events!
 

ichcubegerne

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Well, the reason it's seen as gross is because of the obvious smell, hygiene, and sanitary issues. The three events you mention have none of those issues.
I am pretty sure that this is more a mental thing. But besides that the popularity of bigBLD is WAY worse then the feet popularity. Also it is way more time consuming to hold bigBLD. Same goes for Multi BLD. In Clock there is a huge problem with scramblers and judges because of the pins. This makes up the feet reasons imo.
 

GenTheSnail

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I strongly disagree with this decision. Many valid points have been made in this thread that I think show that this event definitely should be kept.

Also, Bob Burton replied to the github thread, and among other things, said this:
While there was no community vote (nor do we have the means in place to have one yet), there was a vote among Delegates last year.

So a vote did go out to delegates, and I assume, based on the board's decision, that the majority voted against keeping feet.
 

Loser

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Sue Doenim

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3x3 with feet getting removed? That sounds like an incredibly painful event. I can't imagine solving a cube while someone is detaching my feet from my legs. Also, how would there be an average in the event? You can only have your feet removed one time, so how will you get an average time solving a cube while having feet removed? Only an event for the most hardcore cubers, I guess.
 

AbsoRuud

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I personally think solving a 3x3x3 with feet is incredibly silly. So I have no problems with it being removed.

But it's pretty sad for people who are good at it that it's getting removed.

How about we add 2x2x2 OH instead and put the Rubik's Magic back, but instead of just going from solved state A to solved state B, it actually gets scrambled into a random state and people have to solve it that way?
 
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