[Aur0r4]

I think some folks on this thread, and probably most of our society, have forgotten that a fraudulent advantage is completely different from a fair advantage. Without getting too philosophical, this concept is rooted deeply in some pervasive worldviews in recent history, and has created major problems in our nation and in history. Earned advantage must never be treated the same as stolen advantage and cut down when found.

What do I mean?

Well, to use a sports analogy, a HS football team who happens to have 20 big, fast, talented students has a major advantage. School teams get their athletes from their student body and some years there are better players, some years not. An unfair advantage would be if the team paid players from other schools, or even students who had graduated, to play on their team.

To use an economic analogy, a company that owns its own equipment, fabrication, or materials supply chains has a major advantage over one that doesn't. This is a fair advantage gotten by hard work and forward-thinking business strategy. A company that uses fraud and intimidation to secure suppliers and to squash competition has an unfair advantage. We make laws to prevent this.

So it is in FIRST. Teams that hire an engineering firm or fabrication company to build multiple robots would clearly have an unfair advantage. However, a team that works hard, is clever with resources, and seeks every possible opportunity for space, parts, and recruiting (within the rules) is probably going to be able to build multiple machines, a field, etc. This is a fair advantage in the FIRST system gotten by their hard work.

Yes, hard work alone isn't enough, but its a vital component of success. But, it must be balanced with initiative, creativity, and courage.

Hard work without cleverness results in wheel-spinning.
Initiative without creativity leads to marginal results.
Creativity without courage to act results in a whiteboard full of good ideas.

Engineering, like life, is most likely successful when its many parts are in balance.