[EricH]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

I don't get it. If the two teams are OK with it, who are we to say what's fair? You yourself say no current rules are broken then you site potential "ethics" violations?

The last time my team gave away electronic parts at an event I don't remember thinking I needed to get anything in return. "serious call"??? "not in the spirit of FIRST"?????

wow.....

The teams are OK with it. NI probably won't be. This is where ethics comes into play.

Let's do some math, from 3 perspectives:

Redateam: 1 controller=1 controller--trade '09 for '10. Fair trade.

NI: 1 '09 controller + 2 '10 controllers between teams = 3 controller discounts between 2 teams in 2 years. (Assuming Bluateam used their '09, that's 4 discounts between 2 teams in 2 years.) Normal business.

Trade Bluateam: 1 controller = 1 controller --same trade.
Real Bluateam: 1 controller ('10) + 1 controller ('09) - 1 controller ('09) + 1 controller ('10) = 2 controllers. Problem: They used discount '09 already. They only have one '10 discount. They have two '10 discount controllers.

From Redateam and NI (with no knowledge of subsequent transfers), this looks OK. From Bluateam, and NI if they know about the transfers (or check the "Redateam" '09 discount), this looks like Bluateam is getting one controller more than they should.

For this to be ethical (from my POV), it should be a straight gift or Redateam pays Bluateam for the '09 purchase.

Redateam simply giving Bluateam a controller, or vice-versa, or Redateam using Bluateam as a purchasing agent--none of these are illegal, in and of themselves. Put together in this way, however, I wouldn't be surprised if NI were to simply drop the discounts after finding out what's up. No charges would stick, except in the court of public opinion, but there is no reason that a system can't be cut off if it's misused.