View Single Post
  #34   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 26-04-2007, 23:49
gblake's Avatar
gblake gblake is offline
6th Gear Developer; Mentor
AKA: Blake Ross
no team (6th Gear)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: May 2006
Rookie Year: 2006
Location: Virginia
Posts: 1,942
gblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond reputegblake has a reputation beyond repute
Re: [FVC]: Longer competitions

Quote:
Originally Posted by rswsmay View Post
Blake,
...
Hopefully knowing a bit more about the background of FVC as well as FLL will help you understand the comment. ...
None of this is news to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rswsmay View Post
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.
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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rswsmay View Post
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.
Thank you, I try.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rswsmay View Post
Your point is well taken though… so when appropriate I will refrain from using references to FLL without laying some background.
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
__________________
Blake Ross, For emailing me, in the verizon.net domain, I am blake
VRC Team Mentor, FTC volunteer, 5th Gear Developer, Husband, Father, Triangle Fraternity Alumnus (ky 76), U Ky BSEE, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, Kentucky Colonel
Words/phrases I avoid: basis, mitigate, leveraging, transitioning, impact (instead of affect/effect), facilitate, programmatic, problematic, issue (instead of problem), latency (instead of delay), dependency (instead of prerequisite), connectivity, usage & utilize (instead of use), downed, functionality, functional, power on, descore, alumni (instead of alumnus/alumna), the enterprise, methodology, nomenclature, form factor (instead of size or shape), competency, modality, provided(with), provision(ing), irregardless/irrespective, signage, colorized, pulsating, ideate

Last edited by gblake : 27-04-2007 at 11:39.
Reply With Quote