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Originally Posted by rswsmay
Blake,
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Hopefully knowing a bit more about the background of FVC as well as FLL will help you understand the comment. ...
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None of this is news to me.
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Originally Posted by rswsmay
So what I am saying is that as much as you would like to have the learning curve shortened by using ordinary terminology, the fact is that this is pretty much ordinary terminology for the majority of posters here. I know I have read many of your posts regarding programming and the use of sensors and most of that ends up going over my head since my background is Mech. Engineering.
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OK, however, the point is that those messages (hopefully) should not go over the head of any FIRST or non-FIRST person who has a background in the subject. The key thing is that I try not to assume that readers are "in the FIRST club". When thousands of new FVC teams appear over the next few years, anyone who doesn't make their communication attempts "FIRST-neutral" will fail to communicate.
I don't want to shorten the learning curve for me, I am already pretty far along it. I want to point out (assert) that much, perhaps most, of the "learning curve", in the sense that I am trying to convey, is an unnecessary stumbling block that will impede FIRST's progress. Carried to an outrageous extreme, clique-ish-ness within FIRST could result in the organization being a fading set of early adopters that are being absorbed into some newly-minted, 10,00-team organization rather than actually being that 10,000 team organization.
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Originally Posted by rswsmay
Nonetheless, I would expect that the majority of posters that read through your posts find them informative, useful and totally appropriate including me at times.
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Thank you, I try.
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Originally Posted by rswsmay
Your point is well taken though… so when appropriate I will refrain from using references to FLL without laying some background.
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Remember when I wrote this above: "This comment ... is a ... general one to folks discussing FVC." Along those lines I suggest that every volunteer involved in FIRST today (FRC has penetrated less than 5% of US high schools) needs to think about how our roles might change (voluntarily or inexorably) if we were suddenly in a sea of 10 times as many teams (FRC + FVC). I suggest we all start immediately training our
several lieutenants/replacements now, in order to get ready for tomorrow....
Today, when I look around, I notice that many vital volunteers accomplish their goals through laudable, heroic effort; but that won't cut it if FVC takes hold and raises FIRST market penetration from under 5% to somewhere around 50%. The smarter not harder cliché comes to mind.
Now if only I were smart......
Blake