[Marc P.]

Originally Posted by Mike Martus

Should we all stop fundraising? Should we all stop mentoring activities with youth? Should we stop promoting our team? Should we stop organizing travel, room arrangements, and details for events?

Even more remote and extreme should all students stop learning about robots, motors, programming, animation, welding, electronics and go to veggin out in front of the mindless TV programs, making sure to turn of the science channel and any science related education that relates to the FIRST experience?

Hey guys, I do not think we can even ask people to stop thinking about their robot, what it will do or could do, how to make it better. Thinking about the excitement of the coming game, changes you could possibly make at the event are the spirit of FIRST.

Read the rule a bit more carefully.

<R14> Prior to the competitions: After the close of the “FIX-IT WINDOW” and prior to the competition, the team must put down their tools, cease fabrication of robot parts, and cease all software development. Take this opportunity to rest, recover from the build season, and relax. Teams may scout other teams, gather and exchange information, develop game-playing strategies, collect raw materials, prepare tool kits, plan how to make repairs, etc. in preparation for the upcoming competitions. But no construction or fabrication is allowed.

The rule is very specific to fabrication. It does not in any way prohibit fund raising, preparing travel, mentoring, or learning (and I understand you were using the extremes as examples, but for this rule the argument doesn't work). The only thing it does is punctuate what's already been a rule for the past few years; no fabrication of real parts after the ship date. If a team has a practice robot, use the time to evaluate it, figure out what has to be done, where parts should go, etc. Document what should be done, so by the time competition rolls around a minute by minute schedule can be produced outlining exactly what should be done. If a team wants to fabricate parts for the practice robot to find out what the real bot's needs are, there's really nothing to stop that from happening. I would only hope in the spirit of gracious professionalism that none of those parts find their way into the competition, and only raw materials gathered (not modified or machined) during the window are brought in to the real robot.

The emphasis I added to the rule discounts the extreme side of the argument, and proves the contrary- the rule encourages more to be done on the logistical side of the team by diverting team resources from building to planning. The rule says "Teams may scout other teams, collect raw materials, prepare tool kits, plan how to make repairs, etc. in preparation of the upcoming competitions." I'd say that's quite the opposite of not thinking about the robot. Just because the band saws and drill presses are turned off doesn't mean the whole team goes into shutdown mode. It's merely a break from the physical manipulation of metal/wood/electricity/compressed air, a chance to breathe air that doesn't smell like tap magic, and discuss the finer points of the program. Scouting and strategy will play a huge role in this year's competition, and every team knows fund raising never takes a break. Keep that in mind when the Fix-It window rolls around, and remember FIRST is doing it's best to keep all teams on equal grounds.