[jonathan lall]

The rules say that the site must be completely "student-designed, built, and managed." Which means approximately nothing to anybody that has to read and interpret them, other than "don't buy a website or let your mentors do anything." Let's think about it for a second. Are we to condemn designers that use someone else's Javascript or forum software under a legitimate license? Of course not is the obvious answer. Most websites that win awards do exactly that, so that's obviously not what FIRST meant in the rules by 'student-made' (and even if it was, it'd be an impossible rule to follow or enforce, plus it would mean FIRST has set incredibly bad precedents in handing out awards). It follows from this logic however, that full website software under a legitimate license must be legal, because there's no clear distinction. Since things like phpBB and free Javascript code are allowed to be on winning websites, PHP-Nuke must also be allowed.

In other words, there was nothing that said you couldn't use pre-made portal software in last year's rules. To add to that, I can personally say with a fair amount of certainty that there won't ever be one.

But.

I wouldn't suggest you go that way if your goal is to bring an award home (which it is), because such sites often have little creative effort on the part of students, and when they actually do, FIRST judges don't notice it. Let's think seriously and honestly about it. Would you want to enter in a site that is basically already made for you, for which you've changed the words and the site template? If the answer is yes, let me tell you, you're not going to get an award, even if you have all the silly rubric criteria down. I think FIRST is right to frown on these pre-mades as competition websites aimed to exemplify a team and its members' technical skill. That is the reason the Website Award exists, and I think judges have thus far done a good job of upholding it. In the end it's your choice. Sites that use portal software have won in the past, but don't say you weren't warned if you don't!

Either way, good luck with your website.