[Travis Hoffman]

As much as we'd like to think it, every FIRST team doesn't read Chief Delphi. If the logic behind this Gmail system is sound (and I think it is), perhaps someone "in the know" could contact FIRST and ask them to send out an email blast to all teams suggesting they set up an address using this new format? As previously suggested by many, each team leader could then simply set up a mail forward to their preferred email address through the Gmail settings. Those who did not want to open themselves up to contact from other teams could simply choose not to participate, although I hope there wouldn't be too many people who picked this option.

I only suggest this because access to the Team Contact database through TIMS was removed this past season, I believe due to privacy reasons - some people didn't want their private emails shared with others. Instituting the Gmail solution provides a nice, safe buffer to protect their true email addys from any malicious evildoers, and it makes it much easier and faster for people to contact representatives on other teams (a very important aspect of organizing something like a pre-ship scrimmage, an event we stage every year in February).

Please FIRST, spread the word so inter-team communication can be improved.
In an era where FIRST is decentralizing their administrative duties and spreading them to a regional level, having a tool like this could only help the regional staffs improve communication to their local teams. Perhaps this will help improve awareness and attendance at events like the team forums, which many teams did not even know about?