[jzampier]

Many folks posting here seem to use the phase:
'Violation of the Spirit of First.'

I ask? Do you really know what you are saying? or is it just for effect?

Before one can say something is a violation, its usually required to have reached an agreement on what the baseline is.

Therefore, since the 'spirit of FIRST' is open to interpetation, does it not also follow that anything which may or may not be a violation thereof is also open to interpetation?

I will stipulate that part of FIRSTs goal is to create discussion, as we see here... to offer consideration of ethical dilemas and other gray-area situations which will be seen later in life.

Therefore, I would feel it is vital to discuss this issue, without drawing the conclusions which people seem to be drawing here.

Oh, and in response to the 'revenge' post... if FIRST ever gets to the point where people are maliciously hold vendettas we certainly need to reassess what FIRST is trying to accomplish. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd be seaching for another team/engineering project if things ended up in that direction.