[EricH]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

If you feel there are problems with the way information is gathered and distributed, develop a better system and suggest it directly to FIRST.

That's the problem... The current system is just like democracy; it's the worst system, except for all the others that have been tried.

I'm not going to propose a system directly, but I'm going to outline some key aspects.

1) Must be made known to all teams. Why? Because Bill's Blog may or may not be known to all teams. CD certainly isn't (we wish it was). The Q&A? Who knows. The only way to get information out to all teams is to use an Email Blast, which is kind of impractical.

2) Must be central. Also known as online. ONE site that isn't blocked much, or can be unblocked by special request, would be preferable. 2-3 at the most.

3) I want to say that you must sign in to access material, but that's going to be hard and I don't think it's a good idea. The reason is so that usage can be tracked. Did team WXYZ check within build season? No? Maybe a nearby team can be contacted to help them. This is also highly impractical.

4) Must link to places to get more information. How many helpful links does CD have? How many times are users referred to a place not on the site?

Maybe one page on the FIRST website, with the Documents and Updates, that lists all the resources available and what they cover; e.g., Control System forum--Control system questions. This too would have its failings; I know I don't read all the documentation! (For example, I don't think I have ever read the Guidelines, Tips, and Good Practices.)