I'm not trying to make a value judgment. I am seeking clarification. We all have different backgrounds and expectations. Having no idea who Nash is, or how he works, I completely missed the implications for Atkinson's business model. My confusion stems from my background and expectations, and the significance my colleagues and I attach to craftsmanship.
When one of my woodworking students tells me they made a table, I expect them to have completed every aspect of the work themselves (except making the hardware) unless they make a disclosure to the contrary.
OTOH, if a student were to tell me they purchased four legs and a table top, and assembled and finished them, my expectations, and my assessment of their contribution to the completed project, would be completely different.
I would say the first student built a table, while the second student assembled and finished furniture components made by someone else. If the second student claimed to have built the table without disclosing the facts, I'd consider this akin to plagiarism and they'd receive a failing grade.
Please consider my statement a disclosure of my bias, and not an indictment of Mr. Atkinson.
