A Request for transparency from FIRST

[TubaMorg]

Wow it's very early in the build and people are already getting bent out of shape! Every year the robo-lawyers find something to get upset about, so why not mini-bots? In a couple of weeks we will start hearing about how some rule or another is patently unfair to such and such team. Then as the competitions approach out will come the competition scoring/alliance selection algorithm complaints. It's the same story every year and very predictable. In a very few rare cases, there is an actual flaw or oversight in the rules that are quickly dealt with (of course the corrections are criticised as well).

Our team takes a different approach:

1. We read and analyze the rules.
2. We build the best robot we can in the alloted time to complete the task we have chosen to accomplish within the framework of the game.
3. We show up at the Lonestar regional and compete as hard as we can until they say we can't any more.
4. Next year we do it again.

There are occasional logical flaws in the game that HAVE to be pointed out and in that case we should voice our opinions. MOST of the time, however, there are merely inconvient aspects of the game that upset people that seem to generate the most noise. We don't have time to waste on that stuff because we are cutting aluminum and bolting together our drive train!