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Originally Posted by SilverStar
Why not stick to the rules (Yes, this is related)? The rules are there to be followed, not bent. And don't say don't follow the rules to the letter, 'cause that's what the rules' letters are for!!!
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Well it's a very tricky issue. I actually did several debates (LD debate) on this issue: the letter of the law verse the spirit of the law. On the one hand, you need to follow the letter for consistency, and to allow people to actually know what in the heck they need to do. This is more applicable to actual laws, though, where for obvious reasons people need to know what to do. So far as FIRST is concerned, the emphasis is on learning, not winning. You need to realize that if the spirit of the rules is in conflict with the letter of the rules, that means its a bad rule ... why arbitrarily follow it (remember not everything can be forseen), to the detriment of those involved? Now obviously it depends on the situation ... but sometimes the rules need to be bent ... othertimes they need to be followed. You have to weigh everything, and try to figure out just what your goals are.