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Re: [FRC Blog] Einstein Report Released
I have been thinking about how to properly phrase my opinions so that they are interpreted correctly, so here goes.
I was standing by the field during Einstein with no team in the competition, only for the opportunity to be there with friends from other teams and try to give them support in the finals. I can honestly say I have never had such a range of emotions brought on by any series of events then these finals. I witnessed the discussions, I vented my frustrations, and I offered my sympathies and congratulations to my friends. One thing remains is that I have never been so angry at a robotics event, to the point that I felt physically ill after the event. ALL THIS WITHOUT MY TEAM COMPETING. My heart will always go out to my friends on the teams that will have to live with the feelings of being taken advantage of, and the thoughts of "what if" for the rest of their lives. Sure, the pain will lessen but you never forget these things.
Afterwards many people, including myself, second guessed how FIRST handled the situation and wished that things had been done differently regarding on the spot trouble shooting, but not having been in their shoes and knowing that hindsight is always 20/20, I have nothing to say on this aspect of the situation.
I am extremely happy that the investigation was done thoroughly, and like many of you I am extremely disappointed on the root cause of the failure. In all honesty, part of me wishes that it had just been a random occurrence caused by almost anything else. The fact that someone knowingly sabotaged the matches is UNFATHOMABLE in the community which we have. Not only has this person impacted the lives of the teams he stole from, but has brought into question how trusting we can be with our community. I hope that this is an isolated incident, but sabotage or interference will now be in the minds of every competing team for both future and past events.
The one thing that is left still unresolved in this whole situation is a public statement from the individual and team involved.
The person who did this needs to stand up for his actions, not just to provide a sense of closure to the situation, but also to grow from his mistakes. One of the hardest things in life a person has to do is admit that they were wrong, and while the punishment has already been dealt out, it is a showing of personal maturity about the way the situation should be handled. When you make a mistake you must come clean for both the people impacted by your decisions, and to clear your conscious. In addition to a public apology I believe the right thing to do would be to reveal each instance that this exploit was used in order to clear the air and remove the doubt that has clouded the minds of every competitor at events from week 4 onward.
It is going to be a rough road if (and hopefully when) you do come forward, but you should sleep in the bed you make, and in the end I promise you that you will be better person for it.
According to the report this person has come forward to FIRST, which means that there are people who know their identity, and I doubt something like this will stay a secret forever. I would highly recommend this come out on their own terms then in some other manor, especially with the emotions the way they are.
Another thing that I would like to see is the team step forward and issue a public apology for the behavior of one of it's members. I believe it is not clear if the team knew or if it was one person working alone, which is something I think needs to be resolved. I know that there are deep risks associated with a team and program being tainted by this reputation exist, but similarly to above I have no doubt that the information will eventually come out and it is always better to be proactive then reactive. Additionally there is a great deal of speculation that the person was associated with one of the Einstein teams, and if that is the case, at a minimum, they should absolutely not accept the waved entry fee into next years championship.
While what I am suggesting may be interpreted as "not GP" I want to remind folks that it is neither gracious or professional to not have personal accountability for your actions.
Greg
Last edited by Greg Needel : 15-07-2012 at 23:10.
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