Plane Giveaway!

One of my user planes looking for a new home!

We reached 250,000 subscribers to my YouTube channel last week and I want to celebrate so I picked out one of my #4 Stanley planes as a giveaway. Giving away is not so new to us but it’s not been so public before. For years now we’ve always given away 2 class places in every workshop we’ve taught because not everyone can afford to pay for a class. I’ve lost track of how many that is but it’s been about one in six.

When we made the first 100,000.

Growing YouTube numbers seems to take on a life of its own after a while and whereas we are happy and contented with organic growth, our goal has always been to widen or audience because we believe our message is worth hearing. Our success is not so much number-based but hearer/watcher based; we encourage people to consider why they wanted to do woodworking in the beginning but then, more importantly, how they do woodworking. We feel the hand tool methods and options as a visual message is an answer people have been looking for but had difficulty finding. It’s one thing having energised financial backers as sponsors selling their equipment and another not really selling anything but telling everything. We do get some income partnering with YT , but really it does cost us considerably more to produce the quality video work than we gain in income. So we do this because of the message and the method and of course it works.

Please go to my YouTube channel here for details on entering the giveaway. I’ve signed the plane in a couple of places and also the handle is name-stamped both sides. Hopefully, it will be worth something to someone. Oh, and it’s fettled and ready to go!

37 Comments

  1. It is a very kind give-away from Paul but the multi steps to enter the draw caused an un-resolvable problem for me (my account must be connected to Google + after I gave my answer tot he question).

    So the so-called give-away is another attempt to drive up the subscriptions in disguise. I don’t mind subscribing but why not separate the two, without making the entry into the draw a technical hurdle to overcome?

    I know this isn’t music to Paul or some, but I am telling it like it is as not every woodworker is interested in solving the issue of technicality presented by Google or Google + or its associated platforms (youtube?). I am sure not one of them.

    1. How much does a click of the subscribe button cost you?

      Since you are here enjoying an immense trove of knowledge and decades of insight for free why not subscribe.

      Or are you just trolling up controversy where none existed prior and complaining because your entry is being validated and you can’t post hundreds of bogus entries?

      1. Did you drink your coffee this morning yet?

        Where did I say in my post I did not subscribe? If I had not, how could I even have found out the technical and release issues reported here?

        Re-read what I wrote.

  2. Perhaps I should expand…
    To continue with the “answer question” part you have to agree to let io, (whoever that is?)

    “View and manage your videos and playlists
    View and manage your YouTube activity, including posting public comments”

    Who on earth would sensibly relinquish that power to someone unknown??
    Not anyone sensible as far as I can see!

    Regards,

    Matt

    1. You can go to your google account manager and remove permissions immediately after you enter. Be like it never happened.

      1. Google has one of the most complex menus ever to manage its settings. If you have a youtube, gmail, google + and what not, you will be lost before you even know where you re after a click or two. They set it up in the name of choices but in reality, they do not want you to change anything after you opt in.

        For example, do you how to delete your youtube account if you don’t want it? Or, inside gmail, you can miss an email because they sort incoming into different categories which you did not set up?

        A seasoned user will have no problem navigating its maze but many will be at the mercy of a friend (usually much younger) to help out.

        But why? Why did the draw have to be made so complicated? It is nowhere near April.

  3. All, I have deep respect for Paul and crew. These folks are so very generous with their efforts, experience and now the offer to try for one of Paul’s planes. I have been a loyal paying Woodworking Master Classes subscriber for several years. I subscribe because the subscription is a value to me and I want to support the team with my subscription revenue.

    But, I do not subscribe to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Gleam etc. because I want a simpler lifestyle without the intrusion from more marketers that already track me. May be old fashion but it is who I am.

  4. I completely agree with the gentlemen commenting before me. Requiring a Google+ account and giving Gleam a managing access to a YouTube account are contradictory to Paul’s own philosophy against consumerism and for a simpler lifestyle.

    More importantly, you are essentially giving Gleam, a marketing company, a full access to your data, even the right to post comments in your name. This kind of data is actually valuable for marketing companies. You are giving your private information and preferences to a corporation without compensation. I think everyone should honestly consider whether a chance to win a plane is really worth it.

    1. I just wanted to add to my comment that I am, of course, complaining about a giveaway. However, I still feel like Paul would perhaps not have wanted to support such practices having read many times his sometimes strong opinions on the current society. (I am talking about giving my data to a marketing company here.)

  5. I only arrived to the first step, when you are requested to confirm your account for the Paul’s channel subscription. When I saw that Gleam wanted that kind of access to my data I stopped and got out of there. It’s enough for me with all the access that companies like Google have to our data and preferences and so on.

    Has anybody wonder why all that services that “people” like Google of Facebook offer to us are free? Why an complet operative system like Android is free? The answer is very simple: because those services ARE NOT the product that those companies offer. The real product they sell is US, our data sold to anybody who pay for them.

    There is a book where all these things are explained cleary. It’s called “Future crimes” and it has been written by Marc Goodman. A very interesting reading in this “connected” world.

    1. Unknowingly (or knowingly?), Paul became an accessory to (accomplice of?) these mega businesses in the way his team designed the draw.

      The draw itself is innocent and of good intention, no doubt, but is poorly executed due to the choice of method. Hopefully, something is learned and it is done better next time.

      1. Sure. I have no doubt at all in good intention of the draw. The idea is very beatiful, really, and very kind.

  6. By the way: I find very kind from Paul this giveaway, of course, and find Paul’s work and labour absolutely fantastic and one of the better things I’ve found in Internet, but I prefer not follow the game to companies like Gleam.

  7. When I was a boy, we didn’t have all this Google+ and Gleam nonsense where you have to sign away your soul to nefarious corporate entities just to enter a competition. We’d open the newspaper (remember those?), pick up a pen, fill in the form then stick it in an envelope (remember those?), put on a stamp (remember those?) and pop it in the post box (remember those?). Aaahh, how I long for the good old days. I wish there were people out there who would promote the way things used to be instead of pushing us to give all our private information to global marketing companies.

    1. What has really been lost is the ability or willingness to do old fashioned research. You imply Gleam is a nefarious corporate entity, but did you do anything to learn about these people before you criticize? Based on what I found, they have less than 10 employees. Hardly a corporate entity!

  8. Hi everyone, I just want to paste this comment we made on YouTube today:

    We would like to thank everyone for the support and positive feedback with regard to our first giveaway. We understand the feedback some of you have given about not wanting to give permissions on your account to the third party selector, Gleam. We don’t feel it is fair at this point in time to make any considerable changes with regards to the competition steps as we would like to keep it fair for all future entries in this prize draw. However, in any future giveaways, we will avoid using the aspects of the selector that require giving extra permissions. – Team Paul -

    1. That’s good to hear!

      Your work in overall has been excellent. I hope you continue to keep it up. All the best!

      1. Hi Paul,

        I hope you are personally reading this. I do believe this is a blunder caused by lack of expertise and experience as your team is not equipped to handle a PR crisis like this. Many big businesses even with professional PR departments have failed at times too in situations like this.

        Please don’t play down the seriousness of this backlash as it does not come from people who dislike you, they are your long-time admirers and supporters. You must be proactive in fixing your error.

        But I am not seeing it.

        Your Team Paul’s half-baked statement issued in the Youtube channel hardly addresses the core concern that the exchange of rights for a chance to win is wrong. Like many PR incidents before you, your gut response was people overreacted.

        I strongly suggest that you issue a statement of apology and put this all behind you. You may think this whole incident will be forgotten once the draw is over. Without proper closure, it won’t be over and years from today, people will still bring it up in the right context when your name is mentioned. Your reputation is AT STAKE, if you still don’t realize it.

        I am also disturbed by the fact that your team removed the comments of a poster, Roy, here who accused you of being scammers, as well as those made in response to his comments. Why?

        Some will see this as censorship of criticisms you don’t like. Another big no no when you already have a PR blunder to solve in your hands.

        Either focus your mission on teaching, or get marketing expertise to help you manage your marketing drive.

        1. Mate it’s a mistake but I don’t think an apology is necessary as at the end of the day we are each responsible for checking the small print on our individual accounts. This wasn’t some underhanded maneuver to trick us into handing over our data and they’re a small crew who are delivering a lot. There has been an acknowledgement of the comments. We’re all human and all make mistakes. Is it ok that they aren’t perfect?

          1. Mine is just a free piece of advice, not in exchange of anything and Paul can take it or leave it.

            It is not about achieving perfection but about admitting when you are wrong and about Paul protecting his legacy reputation. Silence is not golden here and a statement of apology is to accept responsibility and to move on.

            It is not a sign of weakness (as hard as an apology may be), but will be a good example of leadership — don’t hide behind the Team Paul thing, please.

            Paul is a TRUSTED public figure and he leads by example and what better way to show he indeed is a trusted leader in the form of a sincere apology?

            Many past trusted leaders have earned back their reputations by doing the right thing. It is up to Paul to decide what he will do; I am just hoping he will think this through.

            I know it is hard on his supporters, too, that he is facing this, given his goodwill and intentions. But if you supporters are truly trying to help him, please DO NOT underplay the seriousness of what he is facing.

            So far, they are responding to the crisis with the “business as usual” approach, an approach that has proved fatal time and time again in similar incidents (most recent example: the United Airlines PR disaster).

          2. Simon I just don’t think it’s as bigger deal as you’re making it to be. It’s a mistake, when I think of a crisis it’s more like a giant earthquake, or a global banking collapse, or something of magnitude.

    2. I understand the need for a contractor to help manage some marketing details for a small business. I too ran marketing campaigns through a well known online seller for my company’s products before I retired. This seller was very sophisticated in their approach and reached out with many fingers to attract the customers they seek. I for one am not offended by the process but only speak to my own personal desire to keep the exposure in check.

      BTW, you have made some really nice changes to the website. I love the new look. Also, since the content on WMC has grown the recent change to search the video one is looking for and the ability to add to a personal favorite folder is a great change. Very user friendly.

      Thank you and the team for your generous and dedicated effort to further the craft of hand skills.

  9. There is no crisis. No one is forced to sign up to win the plane. Sign up or don’t and move on.

    1. Good point, Keith. I won’t sign up, and I will move on.

      I was speaking with a man who fled Vietnam when the Chinese were expelled; his father was Korean, but feigned Chinese through false papers (they ended up on the boats, for those who remember). I asked him what his greatest fear is here in the U.S. He responded that, given similar circumstances here, he would never have a chance to escape. Anonymity might be impossible, but I am working on it…

  10. Complacency is a problem.

    What is being discussed is a fundamental issue and I hardly see why it should be ignored.

    In fact, Paul and his team take this opportunity to express their views vis-a-vis the privacy / corporate issues.

    I think Paul Sellers should provide a closure to this issue with a simple statement.

    HT

  11. Hi,
    Any news about the winner? The submission was closed last Wednesday, No?

    Thanks!

    1. Yes, We announced it on YouTube Thursday morning as the end of the competition was Wednesday night. Antony Eglebarger!

Comments are closed.

Privacy Notice

You must enter certain information to submit the form on this page. We take the handling of personal information seriously and appreciate your trust in us. Our Privacy Policy sets out important information about us and how we use and protect your personal data and it also explains your legal rights in respect of it. Please click here to read it before you provide any information on this form.