[IronicDeadBird]

Originally Posted by Anupam Goli

Teams do it. We loaned some mentors and students for a couple of days a week to a rookie team we started. Many other teams help each other physically, but only the teams with the resources to do so, can and will. It's hard enough to continue to iterate and improve your team's robot in the build season. I can't mentor two teams in build season without losing my sanity, and I'm sure many others feel the same way. Online communication only goes so far; you can't do much other than make some general recommendations unless you have seen a team's prototype working, or a CAD. After stop build, it's easier to bake cheesecakes and bring them to competition since more resources are freed up.

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

It happens a ton during build season, it's just not as public. It's the same way it is at the event, from one team to another team. Most veterans teams mentor young teams through out the season and help guide them through the process. Like I said earlier we regularly give away parts that we don't need to other teams. This year we gave away battery boxes, tote hook things, etc. In the past we have been the receiver of parts made by teams across the country. In 2013, our friends Skunkworks, in Washington, sent us a few custom Versaplanetary plates to help pilot the BB550, we didn't even ask for it. We've had teams send us custom hex couplers. We've given and received cheesecake plenty of times during the build season and at competitions. If you aren't seeing the help that happens during the season please go talk to more teams and find out all the things they are doing.

It is good to hear that I am just not seeing it happen and its just me not having success opening up channels with teams. I have always had issues trying to get details out of people during build season (wow I make it sound like a mafia shake down 'nice auto you got there nyah!')
Either way helping teams is something that needs to be done delicately, its a delicate situation walking in on another teams robot and seeing a flaw and trying to help. You want them to be aware of a mistake but you don't want it to be personal. You want to help but you don't want to hurt people after they spend so much time working on it.
It might not be true at every kickoff but at the one I go to once the reveal is over teams go their separate ways to discuss and design. I guess I just look forward to the day where that doesn't happen and teams don't immediately go into secretive mode.
It would be a lot easier then the current process I do of searching every tag related to the years game on youtube and sort by upload date. Either way I can't think of much more I can say without a a phrase ringing in my head.
"If only complaining would yield some sort of instant gratification and solution to the problem I am faced with!"
This is where the planning begins.

Shout out to Anupams 1000th post!