how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

I have been involved with FIRST for 4 years with 2064 and 558, and before that watched my cousin work his way up on team 237. Over the years, I feel that FIRST has effectively ruined some things for me. I'll elaborate, with the years. Keep in mind, I was 9-12 for the FIRST few years listed here.:

2001

• I now have to balance on any see-saw I find...anywhere
• I wondered for years why *our* schools didn't have those nifty ball bins!

2003

• I never want to have anything shipped...ever again, those poor crates!
• I learned to appreciate regular lighting, and to this day still refuse to use camera flash if I can!
• The idea that a DDR pad sent robots crashing around ruined that game for me!

2004

• I just gave up on chin-ups in Gym.
• Dodgeball got a lot scarier for me...dumping all those balls!

2007 (My rookie year!)

• I finally found a use for Binary math! And I *USED* it
• Tic-Tac-Toe just wasn't as fun
• I used the scoring system to breac tic-tac-toe ties
• I wanted a lift kit on my car to get up on any ramps I could find
• I painted a white ring on my pool tubes so nobody took them

2008

• I hated universal remotes
• I had an easier time finding the remote on my robot than on my couch
• I felt that NASCAR would be more entertaining with giant blue balls falling from the sky.
• I grew a new appreciation for the Dung Beetle (see 558's 2008 bot for details)

2009

• I fear my bathtub...it's the same material as regolith!
• I have a new reason not to wear white after Labor Day
• I learned why purple Neon goes UNDER the car and not on top of it
• I want, no, need proximity sensors on my trailer. I hate unwanted cargo.
• Have you ever seen a robot skid towards you, and can't do anything about it? I hate the outpost.
• I only wear black or gray shirts to robotics, my vision code tends to chase shirts!
• All balls should be solid, period
• Willie Wonka now creeps me out (our theme that year)

2010

• I feel that if there were more balls on the field, people may actually watch soccer
• My robot now knows how a flipped turtle feels.
• I have a new appreciation for segways
• I need to ball-proof my workspace at home, too
• every time I walk up to an autmatic sink, I expect a light to turn on. If I can do it, why can't they?
• I'm looking into mechanum drive for my car, would make parking a LOT easier!
• I need to adopt a small child for fundraising purposes, they're quite effective!

Does anyone have anything else? I want to compile a list. It's always kinda fun looking back on things like this!

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2010: When a Robot hanging from a tower in the middle of a forrest falls, and I don't hear it, I still groan

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2010 (My Rookie Year :D): If you feel like there might be a BOB rag on your back there probably is. Now I have BOB rag paranoia.

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2010 (rookie year)
when anyone says dogma I now jump a little (the only rule that applied to Human Player (me) this year pretty much)
I now engage in arguments about rules as recreational activities...and I always win

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2010: Bike brake cables and powered car antennas scare me...
-----internal monologue :[just 2 more inches. come on. no!]
-----driver:remember that time we didn't hang?
-----Human player(me):<disappointed and annoyed*>yes


*because it was neither the first time this has happened nor was it the first time I had been asked this

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2003 - Stack Attack: 118's robot and strategy. I've never been the same since.

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2010- Whenever someone says, "Why the #ell would they do that?", I automatically lay out a logic matrix in my mind according to Prisoner's Dilema to see if there is a loophole in their behaviour that causes the seemingly bizarre action. This tends to lead to rolled eyes and disappointing glances from my wife and friends...

2009- Reminded me that simple solutions are often the best after watching our custom trajectory, dual roller, turreted, multi-chambered 30 ball holding with anit-jam software, swerve driving, traction controlled robot get destroyed by a Kit-chassis with a tall gear, and overhead bin with dump gate. KISS

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2003 - 3 goals that move will forever frighten me!
2003 - Robot that have wings are like monkeys with wings... Then can't be good!

Ivey

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

I learned that in 03 with Stack Attack as a team leader. Tried to get our robot to do to many things, and it did nothing well at all. Now as a Mentor I stress simple designs, especially with the resources our team has. Last 2 years we have had very few mechanical issues and have a competitive bot, maybe not the best, but one that always gives you a chance to win.


do you mean 02?

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

I can't look at mailboxes without assigning a team name to the address numbers.

1:11 is Wildstang O'Clock.

I can't go through the toy department of any store without considering all toys as potential game objects. I then think of how to manipulate all of them.

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2009:
-I now hate Wal-Mart a little more (they stopped selling moon rocks about two months before January and we had to call stores all over the country to scrap some)
-I have a new respect for drifting

2010
-I suddenly love magnets and everything about them (I guess you can say I'm ATTRACTED to them...anyone? Anyone?)
-I'm considering going to Vegas using capes as bargaining chips
-Psh, forget chin ups. I'm just going to wrap my legs around the bar and curl up.

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

2007:
- I hate tic-tac-toe now. I haven't played a game since 2007.

2008:
- I've become obsessed with keeping our designs simple. We couldn't even go around in circles correctly? Wow.

2009:
- Regolith. 'Nuff Said.
- Also, what's the score? Oh wait...
- I agree with Kelsey, I'm not too much a fan of Wal-Marts now. We've got the largest store in Ohio, and we still can't find a *darn* moon rock?

2010:
- Burned CIM Motor Syndrome.
- Speed bumps are now seen as opportunities to go faster, not slow down! :eek: (Don't worry, I don't drive... yet).
- Any mythological story that involves a trident is considered banned reading for me.
- Random numbers make me go insane. At this point in my FIRST career, I'm starting to see bus routes or addresses, and trying to associate a team name with them.

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

Does the fact that I'm making a clock that displays FRC Team names instead of the time make me damaged?

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

No. Just slightly insane. ;)

Re: how I have been "damaged" by FIRST
 

Am I slightly more insane in that I would pay serious money for it? Seriously, there's a fundraiser here waiting to happen.