Quote:
Originally posted by indieFan
Many people are complaining that they have been "screwed" out of going to the Championships, esp. if they were an even numbered rookie team last year.
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I think you're missing the point of our argument.
It's not that we're getting "screwed" out of a chance to go, it's that we're being placed in a much lower tier than people who have never gone otherwise. These other teams had a prequalified chance to go and for whatever the reason didn't. I/We don't understand why we're being placed MUCH lower than these teams that have had ample chance to go before and have opted not to.
It's not that we want to tear the system apart nor do we think it's a bad one. We have one qualm with one quirk in the system.
Simple enough.
Quote:
Originally posted by indieFan
For the veteran team, the goal each year is to have a working robot in the box at ship time. Are we always 100% functional? No. Do we always manage to have a robot that can drive and do at least one task? Yes. Did the Championships change this when we attended last year and in 2001? Not to my knowledge. We accomplished the various designs that we set out for ourselves each year, or we reevaluated what we were trying to accomplish and made the necessary adjustments at the regional level.
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But can you honestly say that after attending Nationals, you weren't twice as driven to go back? I think that a `taste` of the Nat's is something important to give rookie teams. I realize this is pretty much an idealistic wish and will probably never be realized.
If they WERE given this chance, perhaps they shouldn't compete in the main divisions. I believe the suggestion of creating a rookie division at nationals is a good one. Then again, I think that suggestion is a bit unfair to the FIRST staff and honestly a bit unrealistic, but I also believe that placing rookies below Tier 1 is a bit unfair to the rookie teams.
Anyone who is giving backlash to `complainers`, please don't make them seem ungrateful, spiteful, evil, or stupid. Most of the people objecting to the system have had a much more expansive argument than "THE NEW SYSTEM SUX0rZZz. IM GOING TO QUIT." or "WE GOT SKREWED MAN" and have made some intelligent points that need to be addressed.
I must agree with M. Krass that this classistic system is does not fall into my favor, but it is fair to a point.