You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Hi All,
Hey I notice a lot of teams out there accept their invitation to an alliance by saying "Team xxxx Graciously accepts your invitation" (xxxx = your team number smartie!) This is a contradiction of terms. Gracious is one of those adjectives you cannot apply to yourself. Others have to apply it to you. Calling your own action gracious is a form of self praise, being a bit presumptuous and lacking the humility that goes along with tact and courtesy. So you can never really self apply the word "Gracious". It's like saying "We silently accept".
Yes I KNOW what you mean and I agree that the spirit and understanding among FIRSTies (Is that a word?) is that the acceptance is in the spirit of gracious professionalism. SO why am I bothering if we all understand?
OK Here's the deal. It's bad English. Your English teachers might start dumping essays on FIRST team members over the regional weekends if they hear you misuse "Gracious".
Just kidding, they'd never do that.
The bigger reason is simple. The media usually show up at the finals hoping for a story. If they could accurately predict the timing they would show up for the last round of the last match...(Sorry kids, good news don't sell newspapers and FIRST is always good news!) But I have seen them there for the alliance picks. These are men and women who have been savaged by unscrupulous modifiers of otherwise perfect text, AKA Editors. They will pick up immediately that you are misusing "Gracious" and if they are really mean will quote you so that the Editor can't correct it and well... your school will come across as one that teaches robotic but whose students ain't got no sense of good grammar.
It's far safer to "...Happily accept your gracious invitation..." or "...Gratefully accept your invitation..." something that doesn't sacrifice proper wording and yet still shows the spirit of FIRST.
Having said all this, if someone can demonstrate that "Gracious" actually CAN correctly be used as a self description, then I will "Graciously stand corrected."

JUST A THOUGHT!

Best wishes

Steve Alaniz

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

uhm...wow?

When the person says this they are showing that their TEAM is accepting the offer graciously. not them, they are a representative so it makes it alright to say that. Its the same as saying "Team xxxx accepts your iinvitation with great honor".

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

This topic has been covered before. Go here for all the fun....

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ciously+accept

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I'm a personal fan of "Team XXXX accepts Team XXXX's gracious offer."

or ...

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

"In the spirit of Gracious Professionalism, Team XXXX accepts your invitation."

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

"Thanks for thinking of us, it would be WICKED AWESOME to join you guys."
-paraphrased from 166.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

No... if you are part of the team, calling your team gracious is the same as calling yourself gracious. As you said, you ARE the entire team's representative.
Accepting "with great honor" is also bad English because the meaning is ambiguous (Who's being honored? and who's honoring them? and who's on FIRST! (sorry...))"... you are "Honored to accept..." I'm not saying people don't say it the way you propose... but it's incorrect.
So I stand by my comment for the moment... but ever ready to accept correction.

Steve Alaniz

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

We did that when we were in SVR, thought it'd be fun to bring a little of the east coast out west with us :P

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Whoa! MY APOLOGIES!
I didn't see that thread! Still the fact that this is continuing to happen means it still needs to be dealt with. All I can say is, you wouldn't violate the rules for programming language no need to violate the rules of the English language.

Steve Alaniz

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I totally agree. It's the kind of thing up with which I am fed!

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

hehehe, or one could use the answer 237 used at NJ..." Team 237 would like to accept with a YEAH!":p

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Touche!

Steve Alaniz

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

For the record "Heck yeah man!" is not the best response to an alliance request either... (Wisconsin 06...)

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

my way of accepting is:

"omg omg omg you actually picked us... omg we accept"

but of course... thats VEX

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

how about:
"It is a Glorious day to die!"-Worf

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

The code won't compile if you violate the rules of the programming language...but English is more robust, it seems to work pretty well no matter how we engineering nerds mangle it!

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

LOL... Funny thing: We actually told our team representative (big giant leprechaun, MWR 07) to not say "We graciously accept." Instead we gave him multiple alternatives; however, being Josh he still said it anyways.

It's just a common misunderstanding and teams have been doing it since the beginning.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

If picked, students on team 45 have been ordered to not say "graciously accept" for a couple of years. They can accept in any creative way, saying whatever they want, as long as it represents the team well and does not insult the other teams.

In St. Louis, team 1444 picked us, and Kyle Love responded with something like this:

"Hoooo yea! Team 45 would love to 'Shake n Bake' with team 1444" (or something like that)

(we watched the Ricky Bobby movie on the ride over to St. Louis, so "Shake n Bake" was the saying of the weekend)

At the Boilermaker Regional, team 1501 picked us, and Nick Boyce was a little more toned down:

"Team 45 would absolutely LOVE to be partnered with team 1501 - we accept"

I am still waiting to see a poem or a song sung by an accepting student. That would be cool.

AB

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Roses are red; violets are blue.
Your invitation's accepted by 1902.

Or perhaps in the form of a haiku?

Exploding Bacon
Humbly and gladly accepts
Your invitation

Practice these, James. You're using one in Vegas! ;-]

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Whatever happened to "Sure."

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

We're not boring people here, Ed. That's what happened to "sure."

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I heard some team last year say "on behalf of ___________________, we accept" (replace the blank with the team's 500 sponsors). That got annoying real quick.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Steve,

While I have just learned something new about how the word "gracious" is currently used, I have to remind you that the English language is constantly evolving. One only needs to look at almost any definition in the OED to understand this.

As an example, the word "radical" was used as a scientific or mathematical term. During the 1980s, the word became a slang term and received a new definition to add to the previous ones.

If I had to worry about the proper use of English terms, I would focus on "me vs. I" and "good vs. well". I'll never forget the day before I graduated with an English degree. I was walking back to the dorm from my car and two students were walking away from the dorm. I overheard one of the students say "Chancellor X did a well job of recruiting students for next year." I instantaneously cringed.

The other thing I would worry about is the overall writing ability of the students. The internet has significantly impacted how things are now written.

Worrying about giving a new meaning or way of being used isn't such a bad thing in the grand scheme of things.

indieFan

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

How about "Guns up lets do this, LEEEEEEEEEEEEEROY JEEEEEEEEEENKINS" then procede to get your robot and start the match instantly.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

You can't be truly gracious if you tell everyone that you are accepting in a gracious manner. You would be truly more gracious if you said something like, 'We are honored to...'

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

From what that says (Dictionary.com), it looks like you can say that and mean you are happy, or relieved. I still dont get what the point of trying to tell us to NOT say "graciously". That sounds a little like UNgraciousness there.

EDIT***

This has to be the best thing in the thread so far.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Steve,
If a team "graciously accepts" their representative is telling you so there is no ambiquity. They are accepting your invitation in the manner in which it was given (graciously) and they are telling you the condition of their acceptance.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Rack and Roll!!!!!!", followed by Maverick/Goose Style high five/low five......

Does that signify acceptance or insanity? I can't tell.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

In all honestly as sitting through numerous matches on Thursday, Friday and even more on Saturday, it would be nice to have some creative ways to say that a team excepts. The nicest way that I could come up with to say something like that would be: "Team XXXX is more than happy to accept your invitation to "(insert game name here ex: Rack and Roll)". That sounds creative to me. I definatly challange every time to come up with some creative way to accept alliances either by the championships or even for next years game. I agree with gracious professionalism, but lets be creative. What are engineers suppose to be? Arn't they suppose to be creative? Let's see it teams. Just remember don't dishonor your team, the other team or your self in your creative answer.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Wicked awesome -- that's what they said, and wicked awesome partners they were. The 166 Chop Shop moved themselves and their signage all the way from the other side of the field at BMR to join their alliance partners 1189 and 931.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Gracious is an adjective.
- Al is always gracious.

Graciously becomes an adverb. Is that right?

- She accepted the invitation graciously.
- We graciously accept.

This is one we go round and round with, I know.
Jane

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Your grammar is correct.

The point to be made is that if you have to point out that you are "graciously accepting", you are being ungracious. It's like bragging, "One of my best character traits is my humility."

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I think just for the heck of it we should all start saying something different. Everyone is jsut following what they think is the "right" thing to say. It really doesn't matter how you say it, as long as you thank the other team for choosing you. I think everyone just say's they graciously accept because some other team did it awhile back and it sounded "right"... Saying something like "Thank you, we would love to alliance with you" or something like that is more than acceptable...

Just my .02

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

[quote=indieFan;602336]Steve,

While I have just learned something new about how the word "gracious" is currently used, I have to remind you that the English language is constantly evolving. One only needs to look at almost any definition in the OED to understand this.


Oh I understand it is an evolving language... and I do not disagree... Perhaps it is that I was just too beat up at school when I used a sentence fragment (automatic 31 points off!)
and had an editor at one time... I would get letters from English majors about my language so I suppose that did me in too... Wait... You're an English major? I'd better check my list... your name may be on it!

Steve

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Thank you Gary.
Steve's advice/suggestion is coming from across the pond - so I'm trying to think about it a little bit from that perspective rather than from here in Texas. The phrase was one of those things I 'got used to' after a couple of years. :)
Jane

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I can't disagree with you in the definition but it IS a far reach to make it to "happy." and I've never heard of " Happy Professionalism " I've heard of "Happy Bunny!"...but that not gracious at all....

Steve

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

WHOA JANE!
I AM in London... But I'm a native TEXAN! You know... wanna go home with the Armadillo.... that stuff... (boy it THAT song true!) I'm afraid that if even some Texans (me) can see the Un graciousness in saying "... graciously accepts..." well... I'd like to hear from some English teachers.
I prefer "Yep" myself ...but seriously, I don't have a problem with it... I just think I'd like the kids I mentor to look and sound educated... I provide the contrast that makes them look almost genius!

Steve

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Is the line "Team xxxx accepts your gracious invitation" be more proper?
:)

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Well, in that case - oh never mind.
Hello from Texas and thank you for this thread, I think...
Jane

Edit: Rich, I would answer your question - yes, I think it would do nicely. It could be: Team xxxx accepts your gracious invitation with pleasure. (My grandmother would love it.)

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

For the record, I'm in the same camp as Steve. Gracious should not be a descriptor one applies to himself or his team. But that's not my key point.

I think a push to encourage kids to be more creative, unique, and independent when accepting an alliance pick offer will significantly reduce the frequency of hearing "graciously accept". Favoring this type of mentor attitude may eventually and pleasingly spill over into other areas of the student's participation on the team. I roll my eyes upon hearing many of the kids copycat this same tired phrase over and over and over and over and over and over and over (that's one "over" for each year I've been involved with FIRST). I think people on both sides of the grammar coin would agree that encouraging originality is a mutually-beneficial path to pursue.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

WooWoo!! That says everything right there... It's overused and needs to replaced with soemthign more individual. Maybe incorporate your team name not just team number into it. Make it creative. I'm going to start thinking of a couple possibiblities for nationals if we get chosen...

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I personally like "Team XXX accepts"

I think the whole gracious thing is getting a bit over used at the regional. It drives my wife insane after about the 40th time you hear it at a regional.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

But then you'd have to pay a royalty to Team 1294 ("Top Gun") and their robot "Maverick."

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

[pedant] You wouldn't hear it more than 23 times, would you? [/pedant]

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Agreed. When I used to be an alliance captain, I simply said the team number. And when we were picked, I said we accept.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

indieFan also has a degree in Engineering! So be careful about that list. You really don't want to mess with an engineer.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Steve -

Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing this up. This is one of those little things that causes me to grind my teeth in frustration at almost every event. My former-English-teacher grandmother turns in her grave every time this phrase is uttered (which means that around lunchtime on most Saturdays in March, she is spinning at about 72 rpm). A strict interpretation of the rules of grammar would permit the use of "gracious" as an adverb in "we graciously accept." However, in use the word "gracious" is applied in reference to someone/thing else, and never to oneself. To do so is an improper use of the word, a violation of social context, and to be blunt, it makes one come across as conceited. In short, labeling yourself as gracious is, in and of iteslf, an ingracious act.

While I think we can all understand that no harm is intended by any of those that may mistakenly use this phase, I would encourage the use of any of the suggested alternative phrases. "We accept your gracious offer" would be a perfect response. "We gratefully accept!" would be a wonderful response from a team that wasn't sure if they were going to make it into the elimination rounds. Even "Whoa!!! Yeah! Absolutely! We are SOOO there!" would work. And of course "we are ecstatic about the opportunity to accept your offer, and we will pay you the two dozen Krispy Kremes right after lunch" is always appropriate.

-dave

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

no, beth, i'm pretty sure it is. its enthusiastic, to the point, and simultaneously provides a bit of a chuckle. However, i'm also a fan of other to the point responses to the "do you accept?" question.. "yup", "sure do", "of course" and "you know it" are all up their for me

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I think it's time to start a movement to change the Standard Cliche Response to "Team blargy-blarge professionally accepts!"

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

More than once I've heard "We graciously decline," which stuck in my craw.
How about "let's get it on!" or "let's do this thing!"
Speaking of rituals that get annoying, I have had several visitors mention to me that they tire of introducing each team before each match, through quals & elims. They complain that it is repetitive, redundant, brings down the level of action, and is redundant. Any thoughts?

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

At St. Louis our rep said "oh snap team 829 accepts."

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Actually it was "Team 166 thinks it would be wicked awesome to play with you guys"

But that works too :D

Yeah. We moved where we were sitting in the stands.

I didn't quite understand what you were saying for a second.

That was so much fun :D

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I'm just surprised how people are even nit-picking on even little things like this. In my opinion this is where forms of political correctness is getting way out of hand.

It's one thing to advise of the proper usage of a term- I agree that's Ok. But today every little nuance is so critically examined for no other reason but to say "You're wrong and I'm right."

What's this world coming to?

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I swear, the world is made of irony.

EDITED: I just wanted to add that Boiler was being ironic on purpose. It was -- you know -- like -- humor.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

As annoying as it may be, "graciously accepting" has momentum that's tough to squash at this point in time, and the benefits of GP certainly outweigh this brief irritation. We'll just have to chalk it up to "WOEWITWISTFT" and accept that it's something we're going to have to live with.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Here is the draft and acceptance between teams 56 and 375 at the 2007 NYC regional:

:D

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I have a question:
Do teams graciously decline another teams invitation to join their alliance?

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I think any declining would do so regretfully, especially if they weren't in the top 8.

Has team 857 ever answered with a, "Yah, you betcha!"

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I remeber hearing a kid say "Hell yeah!"

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Which certainly isn't professional, and I don't think it's too gracious either.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

If your team has a theme why not incorporate that into the acceptance?

For example if your team is called the RoboPirates you can say:
"Aye, Matey!"

Or maybe your robot name or capabilities?

If you built a lifter bot you could say:
"We'll give you a lift!"

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I would personally go with "YEAH!" (or any other to the point answer) " Let's RACK N' ROLL!!! w000000!"

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Keeping in mind Steve's initial post regarding if the media (or for that matter, VIPs) watch the alliance selections and hear the responses, it would be helpful to keep the response appropriate and understandable. It is an attempt at communication at its best under difficult circumstances and it can be done in a fun way and an interesting way. Brian's theme suggestion and Andy's poem suggestion sound neat.

Edit: communication at its best = quick, brief, clear

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Team 647, The Cyber Wolf Corps, has used "Team 647 reporting for duty" For the last few years. It incorporates our theme and is different from "graciously accept." However, I think we need to change to something that does not sound so mandatory. I think, I will have the students try to come up with something new for Lone Star.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I have heard teams say they graciously decline.

My favorite has to be when one team rep replied "team ??? generally accepts" i think they might have meant graciously but i came out wrong.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

How can any team say they "Graciously decline" when they're basically telling them "You're not good enough for us!"
Talk about a backhanded compliment.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Could one say, 'we respectfully decline' ?

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Usually I think they just say they decline and get the heck out of there.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

That is true.

My personal favorite was from a few years ago, someone who was in the top 8 was picked and said, "We need a moment to think." and a sole person in the stands from the team shouted "No we don't!"

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I am a big fan of people going with their themes. At Bayou a team called the Cyberwolfs (647) was there and everything they did, from being called to the sticks or even being picked, was in theme, and as a group when the flight team saluted the emcee they looked very disciplined and very organized compared to many of the other teams.

Now back on topic, you can not graciously accept and many people realize that but they do not understand that saying something like that changes many people's impression of you.


Personally I like, "Let’s do this! l LEEEEEEEEEEEEE ROOOYYYYYY!!!!!!" But I doubt everybody in the audience would get it. ***


Pavan.


*** In World of Warcraft a group of friends or a "guild" is preparing to attack a very difficult part of the game and after spending WAY too much time planning their strategy, one of them (Leroy) just charges in with a battle cry of, "LEEEEEROOOY JENKINNNNSSS!!!" The plan goes to pieces, and they all curse him (Watch the video here)."

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

How about a loud "whoop!!" followed by a back flip and "Let's Do This!! Rack and Roll Baby! YEAH!!"

I whole heartedly agree with steve and all the others saying you cannot claim your self to be gracious. Graciousocity, challenge that, is like the right-of-way, not able to be taken but must be given.

In terms of butchering the English language, Steve, "Touche" is used when the other speaker makes a counter point to your point, not when he agrees with you. It's like that iMac commercial...

Chris

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I agree that the English language is evolving. From my viewpoint, it appears that this thread isn't so much about the correctness of teh grammar but its more like, how not to use a really awkward and overused phrase when ur accepting another teams invitation. i think dat, since english is envolving newayz, that we might aswell throw out grammar
its more about how awesome you sound
as indiefan sez, english is always evolving and the old rulez arent a!w4ys a5 |mp0rt4n7 n3m0r3 0x73 6F 20 77 65 20 73 68 6F 75 6C 64 20 6A 75 73 74 20 66 6F 72 67 65 74 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 61 6C 6C 20 74 68 69 73 0A 00101110 00101110 00101110

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

One of our team members would refuse to say "Team 166 graciously accepts" simply because she doesn't want to mess up saying "graciously".

I can totally relate.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Translation, please? (This is why you still need English: Some people just can't understand what you are trying to convey if you try codes and leet and binary letters and the like.)

Actually, the best acceptance I remember was when Mark Leon (I think--this was long ago) asked one team if they accepted another team's invitation. The response was "How can we not?" (Funnier when you consider that this team is not in the top 8.)

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I got most of it....

Pavan.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I like "Team xxxx gratefully accepts...".

I guess "Team xxxx courteously accepts..." may work too.




Favorite: "Team xxxx will gladly be your BFF..."

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

My favorite so far was " HELL YEAH!" - team 2274 NYC regional

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

wow.. very nice pavan thats a nice skill you have there lol :D

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

The guy who did the accepting for us our rookie year was the same way. He just said "Team 1629 accepts." Simple, not the most creative or memorable thing ever. Although watching him try to say gracious when we told him he'd be accepting was memorable.:D

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I think someone's been thinking WAY too hard ^.^

nice to notice it though... but everyone's been doing it since... forever, it's more like tradition now

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I tend to agree. After parsing the video from Bayou I thought it was very repetitive to make a full introduction of all the teams at the beginning of every match. Every match started with "Let's meet the teams..." followed by the full introduction of the same 6 teams we all saw 20 or 30 minutes ago in another match. Often the introductions took as much time as the actual match. I think they should fully introduce the teams with sponsors, schools, etc. in the opening ceremony on Friday morning and then just briefly say the team numbers before each match as in "On the red alliance we have teams A, B, C and on the blue alliance we have X, Y, Z." This would speed things up quite a bit and we could probably get at least 2 or 3 more matches in per team. I would rather play more matches than hear our team number over and over. It would also keep things moving along for the spectators and might make things more viewer friendly.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Sorry, I can't take all the credit, I had some help from my friends at Google!

Peace,
Pavan.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Here's a few I came up with (specific for Team 007) while talking online...


With regards to your
alliance invitation,
we gladly accept


We are team double-oh seven
we do think we've landed in heaven.
my heart, it has leapt,
and we gladly accept
your invitation!1eleven


Your offer is great
So I think we shall accept
Your invitation


Dialogue: "Team XXXX invites team YYYY to join them." "Team YYYY denies the invitation." "Team YYYY, sudo join team XXXX's alliance." "OK"


Just wait. I'll write another sonnet here for you. :þ

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Let us not forget that if you spend all day in the pits, you do not know the teams and if you are a visitor,special guest, or VIP you have no idea who is competing. Teams need some pride in their school/sponsor as well.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Bingo! This is very good.

OK... let's have some fun with this. I will bring some AndyMark "Shift Happens" t-shirts to Atlanta. One of these shirts will be given to one student on each field who gives the best invitation or acceptance during the alliance selection process.

I will ask 3 people to be fellow "judges" to help me in this contest, as I will be focused on one field. These judges will be determined once the Championship divisions are set.

"Best" is going to be subjective. A poem may win. A song may win. Some kid who brings out their fiddle and plays "_____ (their team) Went Down to Georgia" may win (that would rock, btw). A student may do a flip and then accept.

So... hope to get picked. Hope to be a picker. Keep being gracious, but be creative. A t-shirt is riding on it.

(OK... I know that a t-shirt is no big deal, but it's better than a kick in the pants.)

Andy B.

EDIT: I started a new thread regarding this mini-contest.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

It doesn't get any better than that! Put your thinking caps on and start practicing.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Uh Oh! A contest!
Hey I just said it was incorrect English I didn't mean to start a shadow awards committee! Now FIRST will blame me when the Selection process takes three hours and requires stage props! (although I'm king of partial to a good muppet show... I wonder if there is a Dean Kamen Muppet out there somewhere...)
But I digress. SHORT, SIMPLE, CREATIVE and GRACIOUS... Something to make FIRST proud!

Steve Alaniz

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Are we going to see rapping or anything like that?
Because I'm going to stay in the pits if that's the case...:rolleyes:

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I'm going out to watch the shows!!!

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

FIRST is many things - American Idol it's not. If it comes to that, I'm joining Mr. Copioli.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

If I had to say the word, gracious, in front of a lot of people, it would come out, gway-shush, and I would feel very much like Elmer Fudd.

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Just how many syllables do Texans pronounce in the phrase "Gracious Professionalism" anyway? I've heard "grits" with about 4 syllables....

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Down where I'm from we only use three syllables. Gir-ee-its are good. :)

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

For me personally, GP is an 8 or 9 syllable phrase depending on the day - however - I do have some family members that have always said and will say again in just a few days: y'all do reeeel good at that there robotics competition in Houston. Have yourselves a reeeel good time, ya hear! (They are one of our team sponsors) And, I have been known to tell folks to, 'have a reeeel good time in Atlanta, ya hear!' :)

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Team 166 graciously accepts your challenge :ahh:

(we aren't going to Atlanta... but I just had to say it)

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I personally
Take on this challenge of yours
Very graciously

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Is that a challenge? I know a cowboy who would be PERFECT for that job! :D

Pavan.

(And no he does not ride a horse to school.)

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Still my favorite Haiku

I gave a suggestion to JVN's captain 2 years ago for acceptance and he took it. The captain went up and said simply, "Word".

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

I think the tradition of "graciously accepting" an alliance offer stems from the ubiquious FIRST term of "gracious professionalism." One of the definitions for gracious is "marked by kindness and courtesy." (Yay Webster dictionary) So maybe it's not as bad as we think. It might imply "We are SO nice and courteous that we're going to accept/decline your offer," but it could also be more like, "We'd like the say in the kindest way that we accept/reject your offer." Partially, it's how statements are inferred, really.

No one seems to really look that deeply into the acceptance statements, anyways; as long as you say "yes" or "no" somehow without being TOO ridiculous. (But I could be wrong here; I don't mind a bit of creativity :)).

Re: You Cannot Graciously Accept
 

Hmmm "
"We Kindly accept your offer"
"We Courteously accept your offer... "

You may MEAN something but it is not necessarily what you said...

I Have this dream... I'm following the manual for defusing a bomb while actually defusing a bomb and I read:
"Cut the Blue Wire"... I cut the Blue wire
"Cut the Purple Wire"... I cut the Purple wire
"Cut the Red Wire"... I cut the Red wire
"Having first cut the Gray wire"... Thanks a lot...

Seriously, I used to replace the platters and heads on disc drives and it was scary enough just opening them up (with a customer's entire data base on them) so that I didn't need the added aggravation of instructions that were not quite clear because the technical writer expected you to KNOW what they meant rather than what they actually said (or wrote in this case).
AND as I have mentioned before, having an editor at one time in my life permanently affected me in my view of language. ( I'm tainted... I admit it.)
So, it is just MY OPINION that language.. CONCISE language... is very important and that it should be a part of FIRST.
Programmers... don't your mentors strongly encourage you to include comments in your programs for yourself and future programmers who might build on your work? Shouldn't those comments be very clear so that a future programmer doesn't have to lose the time you gained for them by having to go back over your code and figure out what you did because the comments didn't quite make sense?
I will grant you it is a seemingly small error, but if it IS a small error (to Graciously accept)... then it is very easily corrected.
OK I'm laying low for awhile. Having made my point I think I will let it rest... The FIRST organization is gonna kill me when people start reciting epic poems to accept an alliance partnership. ... Hmmm What rhymes with "F.I.R.S.T."

Best wishes

Steve Alaniz