The big batch of ribbons going out for Labor Day events have all been mailed off. In total, about 500 were shipped out just for those events. So let’s take a moment and talk about…well…talking about the Backup Ribbon Project.

Fans/geeks are like that dog in the movie Up — easily distracted by anyth…SQUIRREL! Which is why they love collecting ribbons. We’ve seen some people wandering around at events with a trail of ribbons that would make Tom Baker envious (did you see what we did there with that sneaky geek reference?).

While our inner squirrels love the shiny, the Backup Ribbons need to be more than just a collector’s item. Which is why we ask that if you hand out ribbons, take a moment to explain the Backup Ribbon Project to the person getting the ribbon. Make sure they understand what it means and are willing to sign on for that.

We have gotten some concerns that we are just handing ribbons out like candy and not taking the time to properly screen people or explain the project. We feel that the benefit of making the Backup Ribbon Project accessible to as many people as possible outweighs the possibility of that one bad apple in the bushel. That being said, you can help by making sure people understand what the Backup Ribbon Project is about.

So please, take ribbons. And then take a moment to explain what they mean.