Just as about half the thread has deduced, this is a hoax. If you want real info from FIRST please see http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/CMPannouncement.htm (no hoax this time)

Just has T Hoffman deduced, the @ sign allows to the link to look like it is from FIRST's site. Everything before the @ sign is ignored, and only the stuff after it is shown. The whole link is

http://www.usfirst.org@1070434604/chevents.htm.

IE 6 seems to have a problem with the way I encoded the IP address (1070434604). Any other browser displays it fine, but IE 6 displays a page not found.

I included a "more information link", which clearly stated that this was a hoax. However, if you couldn't view the page in the first place, you definetly couldn't see the the hoax page.

The hoax page was hosted on a linux server sitting about 6 feet from me, hosted on our DSL connection. This server also happens to host a mirror of the beachbot's team webpage, which is unfortunate, because they were not involved in the hoax at all. Neither were any members of team 73, my current team.

Just like Jason said, don't trust anything that you see in the rumor mill.

I was going to delete the page, but it seems people still want to see it. If you only have IE 6, I suggest downloading opera or mozilla

This is the correct announcement page.
http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/CMPannouncement.htm

They WILL be holding the Nats. What you saw was a hoax or a good Photoshop done by Ken.

Sorry people.

Umm... did you read anything Joe just posted?

Now i did :D!!!

I guess I took to long to respond.

D'OH!!

Like said before, Never Trust What You See On The Rumors Board.

read before you post!!!

Great job Joe. That's best hoax I've ever seen on CD, and probably the cruelest ;) I sunk into depression until I looked at the URL. Glad to see you're keeping busy, now get back to your school work.

noooooooo
 

nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I swear I did not use photoshop to create that picture! It was really what showed up on the screen when I use my roommate's computer and use Opera to log onto the link Joe showed on his post.

What I didn't do was click the "more information link" because I didn't want to take up my roommate's time too much, and that's why I didn't know it was a hoax until later.... Or did I? ;)

Either way, I think I would be too scared to be part of a hoax like this... I would've thought "what if this get too big and FIRST gets 5000 call 3am in the morning becaues of this?".

But looking at people's responds, I wish I took part of creating this... Good one Joe, got me too. Had me going crazy letting me think that I could save lots and lots of money not going to Disney next year :p.

teehee. he had me too. thanx to kt for pointing out the "more info" link that i missed completely.

smacks head repeatedly

Daaaah!

I vote for the banning of the Ross children from the FIRST community!! :p

Would that include the oldest one, gwross?;)

I second the vote to ban...
 

This was not funny and a lot of people here got
very upset by the news.

I second the vote to ban!



:mad:

nah, just the kids ;)

it's in the RUMOR MILL. This stuff happens ALL the time. It was a JOKE. Thats what the RUMOR MILL is about. Funny jokes like that. and i thought it was pretty hillarious.


No banning for Joe.

Umm ... he was joking about banning him.

And I enoyed the prank. Good job Joe Ross! I will be very wary come April 1st now, though ;)

Stephen