Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Flowerday
http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/27/dea...nnovation.html
I've had to listen to speeches like this one from Dean for close to 2 decades. How do the plans in St. Louis jive with that? Have all of Dean's speeches been a joke? Does FIRST even believe in the things they say? What is FIRST celebrating in St. Louis? The accomplishments of 400 FRC teams, or a celebrity rock star? Take a look at some excerpts from the link above:
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Dave,
Thank you for posting the quotes and reminding the community about the message from FIRST in the past 20 years.
This is quite a year for FIRST. They have a game in that the rules have changed deep into the competition season. They have a side game (mini-bot) whose purpose was to support cooperation between FTC teams and FRC teams, but they give out awards to FRC teams that mass produce mini-bots. They toss the six week concept out the window for building the mini-bots. They are apparently still planning the agenda for champs while teams are arriving for it. Now they embrace the culture they have been battling for years with a media event they they want you to wear your team colors to because they are going to show the world what a great time you are having being involved in FIRST.
I don't mind change. I love that the challenge FIRST gives us every year is new and different. What I am troubled by is that the message has changed. FIRST used to be about changing the culture, one mind, one student at a time. We are now embracing celebrity for what purpose? To accelerate the "growth" of FIRST at the expense of the culture of FIRST?
I am not an engineer, my job on the team is to keep this program going year after year. I go out and try to sell the impact that this program has on students. I have to sell this program against sports and the popular culture. The FIRST program is different. It has a different purpose. It isn't superficial, it's results are long term and lasting.
I hope that FIRST is still on message.