Re: Verification on Competition Rules
 

Okay I'm getting really sick of this type of thread...

so, once and for all I'll go over the rules.

Section 8.8 - Website Design Awards
The Website Design Award recognizes excellence in student-designed, built, and managed FIRST team websites.

Now, last time I checked that didn't say "either student-designed AND built, or just built" nor did it say "student or third-party programmer" NOR "student and the rest of the open-source community." It says STUDENT.

As in, team member, high school'er, student. It's not that hard.

They're using a return to simpler rules so it's not so complicated. To me, it's not that hard. The students have to do everything. Design, build, and manage.

I don't mean to come off as stupid, evil, or mean, but that's the way I feel. Now, if you integrate a SMALL script that doesn't impact the functionality of the site (such as a script to list the most recent posts on your forums in a portal you made or something) then I see that as being OK if you learn from it and write your own or you atleast study and properly integrate the code. I think what they're saying in the rules is that they don't want a team to crank out a phpNuke site, have their mentor make a skin for it, and say "Hey look what we made!"

The purpose of FIRST (in every aspect) is to learn and inspire. The 3-D animation, Inventor, website awards, etc. are no different. If you just crank our a pre-made script and only learn how to click the "Install phpBB" button then that's not doing things in the spirit of FIRST.

[Please note this is only directed as people competing. If you plan to simply use your site as a means of intra-team communication, then go for it. I completely understand using pre-made scripts for that]

</soapbox>

Re: Verification on Competition Rules
 

W00t to the 100% student coded sites! Though when I finally get around to writing a forum, that's gonna be a turd. But I have to agree with that interpretation of the rules, primarily because it benefits me most, and secondly because it makes sense. Then again as long as the front end looks different, there is no way they would know (not to be a rule-breaker) and most sites will just remove the "third party label" link and you'd be none the wiser because most forum mods are so obscure it's impossible to keep up with.

Re: Verification on Competition Rules
 

Thanks, i was looking for that kind of verification.