Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

get in? I have not got the page to load. couldn't get past AM main page and I tried to log in 15 minutes before 12.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Should this go on much longer, I hope that they restart the whole thing at a later date and/or time.

Actually, a much better system would be a lottery. You have a few days to put in for the items you want, and by a random selection, you either get them or you don't. Then have a 2nd round and a third.

In fact this is the way that Regional Registration should work. Enough of this "fastest fingers/connection" stuff.

- Mr. Van
Coach, Robodox

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Is anyone trying to load a plain text version of the site?

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I have the same problem buying Burning Man tickets.

I wish that small orgs like Andymark would rent temporary server time from some huge server farm such as AWS for these DDoS-type first-come-first-served events. It would make customers happier.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I'm really surprised the page loads are going this long without throwing an error out.



Edit: Just after I said that
Unable to load the webpage because the server sent no data.
Error code: ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Ah, foo. Hate when this happens. :rolleyes:

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I've tried curl and wget-ing the site. Nothing yet.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

this is the best they can do?

once again disappointed...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Next year's FIRST Choice Beta Test will need more participants, like 2500.

Mr. Rip
Texas Torque

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

That shouldn't make any difference. It seems the server is hung up on generating the page in the first place, not hung up on serving images.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

From the FRC Twitter feed (FRCteams)



..

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Hey, at least I'm not in the middle of teaching class dealing with this.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Looks like I am not going to be able to get the 5 flux capicitors that my team needs:) ... I just ate a pound of xmas cookies in frustration waiting to log in.....

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I think it is time to put a fork in it. It's cooked.

I agree that the process need to be restarted at a later date with a BETTER plan. I was hoping to be done and out by now.

Put a note up on the main page and let everyone know it will start over later... in the week...working.

Can't add more rep to sanddrag

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I agree.

For an organization that has a purpose of Inspiring and Recognizing Technology, we should have a better way to get 3000 ish teams to be able to order a few parts each.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

yeah, great use for a saturday afternoon

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Right with you, Dave!

(Of course, there are other things I'd rather be doing on a Saturday...)

- Mr. Van

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

It finally just stopped loading for me and told me that the webpage is not available.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

If only peeps stop pinging and other DDoS attacks ... May be the competition... OMG once again we go through this pain, may be it's all worth!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I got to one of the products I want to order.

Mr. Rip

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

FIRST has opened up the rest of the Virtual KOP.
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...c/kit-of-parts

Gives us something else to look at!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

The page just timed out after waiting >20 minutes... I hope they re-do this. I have to go very soon. :(

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Preview page finally loaded, approx. 25 minutes after clicking the link, so the server is functioning. I have no credits showing.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I'm sure I'm not alone in putting off other activities in order to be here to do this....

Frustrated again.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

My other team's computer using Google Chrome has managed to connect to the server, but can't load the page still.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Wow I gave up a Saturday of not skiing to sit at school and try to order parts. How long to wait??????:mad:

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

33" Drive Base kit length. Looks like we're keeping the smaller dimensions this year.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I hope it gets up and running soon. I missed going to the state FLL tournament to support one of our feeder teams for this.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Just got the home page to load the title of the page, still no content.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I quit. I have some FLL teams to go watch. Very frustrating.

Mr. Rip
Texas Torque

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

yay! smaller dimensions

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I second that emotion.

We're at the beginning of a cool winter storm here in the Northeast. I got my shopping at real storefronts done this morning.

Starting to cook up a Gumbo for dinner this evening to have the energy to shovel the pretty white stuff later tonight.

All is right with the world.

(Except for this $#%*^%$ FIRST Choice that I made too many years ago.)

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

where did you get this information from?

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I'm curious about the IFI voucher. More specifically, what do we get, what exactly is free, etc.

- Sunny G.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Where are you seeing the virtual kit of parts? I don't see it on the page you mentioned....

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

straight off of the andymark site

"Thank you for your patience as FIRST Choice is experiencing technical difficulties."

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

AndyMark just posted that they are having "Technical Difficulties".

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

My friend with a gigabit connection said the site doesn't load for him either.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Well, I am on the AXIS camera page and somehow the Qty available is now 797 as 3 are on hold.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

It just sent me back to the login page...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

somebody is getting in, since some of the 'oh hold' quantities are nonzero

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

One item page did load for me and it showed "6 on hold". Dead now of course ...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

The Talon page has been loading for about twenty-seven minutes here in Texas. Still no luck getting it to work.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Hey - maybe it's a GAME HINT!:

"All robots will sit motionless on the field between the Autonomous and Teleoperated periods until one alliance can take it no longer and presses the big, red "RESUME" button in their alliance station, thus resuming play but costing their alliance 30 points."

<snark> Should have outsourced FIRST Choice to VexPro, right Andrew Lawrence? </snark>

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

You're getting pages to load? Can I come to you house? :D

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Interesting that there are frisbees in the "Everyone's" KOP from last year's game.
They must be trying to get rid of them..

OoPS that link was for the 2013 kit of parts... sorry I am an idiot.... they have not released the list of this year's KOP yet

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

It will probably take you less time to get to NJ than to wait for this thing to work.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I'm packing this in as a lost cause.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Well, singular at least.

Nothing more is loading though, not sure if I am even logged in anymore.

sigh.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I happened to get one page to load about 10 minutes ago, but you probably don't want to come to my house unless you want to deal with kids continously screaming at you, "Has it loaded yet, Daddy?!"

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

At this point, they should just cancel this and figure out a better way to do it. I hope FIRST is following this and makes the call soon. I feel like I am waiting to be caller 1000 on a radio station.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I managed to get to 4 different parts pages, but still loading when trying to add them to cart. The cRio modules and cordless screwdriver kit each have about 1/2 dozen holds.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Any troubleshooting advice for a non-working team password on the IFI site?

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Well at least I was able to order my Vex Pro PDV stuff already. I ordered as a guest. TIMS has your voucher code.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Same thing here, and no, I'm not logged in anymore...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Ironically, I figured I'd go check out the product donation vouchers from various suppliers while waiting for the FIRST Choice site.

I got my cart all full of the items from the IFI PDV at the vexpro site, and then clicked "Place Order."

The response was a new dialog window: "There was an error processing your order. Please contact us or try again later."

I guess the vexpro site is having similar issues today, too!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I think at this point it would be in the best interest of all teams.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

How is this even remotely fair if some people are logged in and already seen 4 product pages and I have not even loaded the login page yet!

I know who said life is fair!

Sau!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Realize the cart timers will time out before you can actually buy them. They were around 2 min on Beta.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Yep, a page loaded for me and I am not logged in anymore.

sigh.

Oddly enough, the qualtity on hold is now zero, was not before. Hmm...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

On the bright side, I'm at work for another 5 hours, so I'll keep trying. (downside is I'm acually suppost to be working) :yikes:

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Well.... At least I finished my ordering with the IFI Voucher and Inventables Voucher...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Back when the Beta results page was available, it said they upped the timer to 10 minutes. Still wouldn't be good enough with the issues they're having.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Um... the "Superbowl of Smarts..."

Maybe we're in the "Pentathlon of Patience"?

- Mr. Van

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

OK I'll stay here.

For everyone's info....I was no longer logged in after a 30-minute page refresh on the preview page. Looks like the logout timer is working, and is shorter than the current refresh time.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I've actually tried connecting via home wifi and LTE, so double the attempts? Don't worry I haven't been able to order squat.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

"Due to unusually large number of requests your request is routed a queue. Your call is very important to us, please stay on line, your request will be served ASAP. If you refresh the browser or start a new session, you will lose your turn"

Probably this is what I would have heard...if I was on talking browser!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Yours talks? Mine is just whimpering...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

This is what happens when AndyMark selects LabView as their programming language of choice

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Just before it logged you out for timing out.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

What does this have to do with anything?

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Why do I feel like Pavlov's dog?

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Hey, hey! Don't diss the 'view!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

The page just changed to "The service is unavailable". Can't get login screen back.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I'm getting this on the firstchoicebyandymark.com page now.
The service is unavailable.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Have we set the record for comment frequency yet?

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Actually, they borrowed some 386 processors from the government as they just updated to 486 architecture

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Likely a reboot. That's what i'd do.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Its 12:30 HERE IN NJ I have been on the Andymark homepage since 11:52 and have been repeatedly tried to get into the First Choice page. It is now 12: 30

You tell me how this is either beneficial or fair to my team? We registered and paid for a kit like everyone else. Our team needs a new netbook -the only thing on the list vital to our operations. So either I sit here for god knows how long constantly trying to access this $@#$@#$@#$@# site or I cough up the cash to buy one because I am sure the big ticket items of the kit will disappear like a flash as they did last year.

So my suggestion for future "virtual kit of parts"
1. no more limited number items- if there aren't enough parts for all the teams to get one then don't offer them
2. avoid this stupid race to be first stuff. It never works- never has

I really appreciate how Andymark has made this resource available to the teams. Letting teams develop kits for their needs is the way to go. But this annual race is awful. With all the great minds in FIRST there needs to be someone with a better idea.

Its 12:43 now . Im quitting Definitely not happy. :cool:

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Very information, Andymark!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Same. I assume that FIRST Choice ordering has been postponed until later.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

just got a "The service is unavailable." on my screens

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Depending on what kind of server they use only god knows how long a reboot would take.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I had enough... I am driving in Michigan now will have fun driving slowly on about 3" snow on the roads!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

I calculate 120 posts in 45 minutes.
That's 160 posts per hour!

Lets shoot for 200!

Too much time on my hands.

Gonna go wrap presents or try the ACA Health care website.:)

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Santa called... someone just got moved to the naughty list...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Doesn't look like a reboot of the server, still responds to pings. Probably restarting apache or whatever web server they are using.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

So who else has the jeopardy sound track running in the background?? :))

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Can I drive my order to Andymark offices? It may be faster!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

If it's just the Classmate you're looking for, I'm sure that wont be a problem. Most veteran teams have moved on and never looked back from the dark days of the Classmate.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

It seems nobody is able to order so this is not really unfair. Frustrating though. It does seem there would be a better way though.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

My firefox browser seems to be partially loading the Login page.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

FRCTeams twitter says: "Still working to determine the issue. We will have more information on #FIRSTChoice at 1:00 PM Eastern."

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Good luck everyone. Regardless of this (and last year having things removed from my cart as I was paying for them), I hope you all have a great and successful season with the kids. I missed a parade with our students and the robot for this fiasco. Cannot ever get that back, but I hope FIRST makes it right.

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

@FRCTeams - Still working to determine the issue. We will have more information on #FIRSTChoice at 1:00 pm Eastern

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Just a bit disappointing...

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Now it is in my head, THANKS!

Re: FIRST Choice Items
 

Pings could be coming from a hardware firewall or something else that sits between us and the main webserver. Not uncommon to see that where they only pass the web ports through to the server.