[archiver]

Posted by Mike.

Student on team #175, Buzz, from Enrico Fermi High School and UTC - Hamilton Standard Space Systems.

Posted on 7/17/99 11:57 AM MST


In Reply to: Independence: fair, but unrealistic and unfriendly posted by Andy Baker on 7/16/99 1:15 PM MST:




: 1. This is how the real world (business) is. In engineering, you always have to depend on co-workers as teammates,
and also customers a suppliers as alliances. This year's alliance setup is much like a real world situation where you
HAVE to depend on another company to be successful. You cannot only count on yourself in business, and things are
not always 'fair'.

I don't think that alliances are a good comparison to the real world. Because in the real world if your alliance wasn't holding up his
end of the bargain (Real World Situation: a supply of gaskets will not make it to its destination on time. FIRST Situation: your
alliance can not get on the puck), then you would get a new alliance. In this years game you were stuck with a random partner... in
business you take the time to choose your alliances carefully. Much like you would during this years game when you were picking
an alliance for the finals. However, most teams do not make it to the top 16, nor do they get picked. So the only real world situation
in FIRST happens to 32 (possibly 48, if you're playing nationals rules) teams when they are choosing alliances for the finals. Is that
enough impact on all the teams to warrant the declaration of alliances showing real world situations? I don't think so.