Where is Looking Forward?
 

Is Looking Forward around?
Is he/she going to make predictions this year?

I hope so. I enjoy his/her insight into the teams and regionals.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

It's early in the day. As I recall from last year LF didin't post until later in the day most weeks. I suspect we will see something before the competition starts tommorrow.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

I have been looking forward to looking forward as well. Looking back to last year, the week one post came out on a Tuesday, and I believe he/she/they followed suite for the rest of the weeks.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

Unfortunately, there will be no week-by-week regional/district predictions this year. The current method for creating the LF is unsustainable, and would be virtually impossible to continue to follow while both keeping the standard high for the posts and keep other commitmens to work/school/FIRST/life intact. Rather than half-$@#$@#$@# a result and sacrifice the quality, the best option seemed to be to simply put the regional predictions on hiatus for 2010. Trust me, we're as disappointed about the lack of predictions as you are.

We're optimistic that a more sustainable method of researching, writing, and editing can be developed in time for 2011.

However, there will still be coverage of the Championship event in 2010. You can look forward to that.

-LF

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

Noooooooooooooooooooooo!:(

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

Now, I am truely sad. :(

LF, thanks for all that you've done, and I look forward to your championship review.

Should you need anything to help make your predictions more sustainable, please let me and the rest of the community know.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

ACK. Was itching to read LF posts... Maybe someone will pick up the slack?

I would try, but my knowledge of non-Canadian teams is limited to the Flint, MI and North Brunswick, NJ areas where we compete in off-seasons, and even then isn't great outside the heavy hitters.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

How disappointing! Those posts were always a pleasure to read.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

I am really disappointed, its really too bad. But i commend you on being responsible enough to walk away when you realized that it impeded on your own life.


Do you think it would be possible to do a collaborative effort using people that would write about their own area/regional/districts?

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

I read the LF Post earlier and decided to do some predictions for New Jersey on my own. They may not have all of the wisdom of LF behind them but I think they're pretty good. If someone does decided to get some sort of Collaboration going let me know and I'll be more than happy to help.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

I doubt it would be as amazing as a true Looking Forward post, but if you wanted to make some kind of post in a regional thread I doubt anyone would really mind.

Sad to see the Looking Forward machine go. It'll make those Championship predictions all the better!

Cool post. I just might do something similar for WPI when the time comes, I already post a little blurb of prescouting on my team's forum anyway. Wisconsin's a Week 2 event too...

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

As I recall, LF *was/is* a collaborative effort by some of FIRSTs most well known and well respected mentors from around the world. Without their help and wisdom, it would be difficult to get a quality result.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

LF was in fact a collaborative effort, however, it was organized, edited and compiled by a single person. I think that it would be a lot easier for that one person to write weekly posts if he had more QUALITY tipsters that are able to discuss possible tips and locks for a whole entire regional (similar to what thefro526 did for New Jersey). The problem with the regional posts is that they are much harder to write because not everybody has released pictures or videos on their machine, therefore a lot more research has to be done. Not everybody is cut out to contribute to LF posts. The person has to possess an unbiased opinion on all of the teams and be well-versed in the specific regional they are writing for (past winners, style of gameplay, history etc.)

People on CD are accustomed to quality LF posts that have a strong and specific author's voice. If LF was to turn into an even more collaborative effort with individual posters writing full-length analysis's of different regionals, it would lose that strong voice and possibly diminish its reputation among FIRST.

Am I disappointed that LF isn't doing weekly posts? Yes. Do I think that there are enough people that are willing and have the skills necessary to continue LF? Yes. Do I think the quality of the posts would diminish? Probably.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

What he said.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

Here I was all ready to get my kids all fired up when we get blown off by you guys again and we can use self righteous indignant rage to drive us to victory but noooooooooooooooo you had to go and leave us to our own devices.
Great .
Now we got to use actually skill and strategy to win.:rolleyes:
Thanks a bunch!

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

Oh Ed, it'll be ok. I'm sure there is another way to get your kids all fired up. If you need suggestions, I'll tell you what works with my kids. lol BTW good luck at FLR this weekend! As well I am disappointed there will not be a looking forward. I do understand how hard it is to compile all the tips and inquisitions for each team of each regional. I cannot wait for the CMP post however. Good luck to all teams this week. :)

Cass

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

Your twin says hi!

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

Is Looking Forward returning this year?

I have been waiting and hoping for his return but its looking more and more like we wont have those wonderful predictions for a second straight year.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

I certainly hope so. If not, I hope the "prediction torch" could be passed onto another group of motivated peoples.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

I hope we at least get Championship predictions again.

Looking Forward, we value all your past insights, respect the amount of work you put into your posts and hope to see more in the future.

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

I will miss "Looking Forward" too, but I respect their reasons for stepping back.

Perhaps we could come up with a standardized set of statistics to give a timely "look back" at the events and their participants.

Event stats could include average or median winning and losing scores for qualification & eliminations, average number of tubes hung in autonomous, average rack scores, average number of minibots per match - things that describe the general level of competition and track improvements as the season progresses.

Individual team stats could be tracked in a way similar to to the FiM model which is based on qual match results, qual. match rank, order of selection for elimination rounds, elimination results, and judged awards. Some sort of Offensive Power Ranking or Defensive Power Ranking component in the team score would also be valuable. Many teams already have their own versions of this that they use for scouting (such as 1114's great sytem).

Individual team ranking scores would have limitations for teams that only attend one event, but it is an objective way to track teams' performance. It would be fun to keep track of, and would be a good scouting too.

Event stats give us a chance to see if our pre-season predictions were correct...

Any suggestions for a consistent scoring method?

Re: Where is Looking Forward?
 

Many alternatives and methods were investigated to reduce the workload involved in Looking Forward. Unfortunately, the time investment needed was still too dramatic and some of the resources and connections used to create the predictions had eroded or disappeared entirely. The plan is still for Championship predictions to occur.

If another group of motivated people is interested, the possibility to "pass the torch" (so to speak) could be arranged, but it wouldn't be as simple as the first person who volunteered. I simply wouldn't feel comfortable with someone else taking over if I do not feel they can maintain the same standard of quality.