Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick TYler
Amanda deleted her post in this thread. I have no idea what she posted. I don't know who used to be director of FTC, and have no insight into why he or she may or may not have denied or confirmed anything. I'm just skeptical, not intransigent. I don't think it's impossible that FIRST was cooperating with their number one corporate partner, I just don't see the evidence here.
|
Answer to your question - Amanda said I was not alone and was not the only one to be upset about what I posted.
I know many don't want to believe Lego and Pitsco are driving the FIRST program decisions, and I know many will want to remain in denial about it. Because I still respect some of the management at FIRST, while I do not agree with how they are running FIRST right now, I do not think they would lie to you or any team directly. I will guarantee you this - FIRST will not deny what is being discussed. They have acknowledged it to many people when pressed, even though we could tell they were not proud of what they were telling us. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, I thought many more were aware of it than I guess are.
Also, Lego is not FIRSTs number one partner. They are the FLL partner, but the growth of FRC and FIRST in general are due much more to the support of NASA, GM, and others. However, you may now be right, it does look like Lego and Pitsco are gaining access to 3 of the 4 FIRST programs now - programs to us, profit making markets to Lego.
You can tell how I feel about the Lego/Pitsco/FIRST arrangements, so it's clear I should not be helping run FLL or FTC events anymore. I'll still work with local teams, but I will not help raise funds to build Lego and FIRSTs revenue stream. I did and do this to help schools and students. I've been a strong supporter and defender of FIRST for a number of years, so stepping away is not easy for me.