I'm reminded of three quotes
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John of Salisbury in 1159 wrote: "We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours."
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Newton wrote: "If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
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Dan Ingals said "We in the computer software business insist on stepping on the toes of those who came before us instead of climbing on their shoulders".
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Computing has made huge strides in the last 50 years, why not let people use the fruits of the labors of others?
I don't need how to program to use a computer. I don't need to know how to program to use CAD to design a part. I don't need to know how to program to use a 3D Mill to make my part. And so on.
I too liked the IFI controller, but I also stood on the shoulders of a giant (Kevin Watson) and used his code to do some of the grunt work. I use PIC chips today but I use other peoples code to make my code better. More time for my ideas since I'm not wasting time reinventing the wheel.
We give people credit here for posting their ideas, and all of us learn from them. How many times have you taken a CD idea and extended and expanded it to make it much more?
If a team can use the "out of the box" drive code, camera code or the hyperspace teleportation code then good for them. Learning the tools (CAD, Computer Machining, entire Labview / WPILibrary code base, is why robotics isn't a 6 week thing, it's a year round thing.
Stand on the shoulders of giants! And be prepared to have others stand on yours.