Team Update 1-15-2013

[falconmaster]

I am very upset with this recent rule change. A rule change like this shakes the confidence teams have in FIRST. I though about this all last night. My team has spent a tremendous amount of time to make a climbing mechanism that fit the previous rules to find out that all this time was for nothing. I can see teams being more timid in the future because of this kind of action. Its not professional and looks like they had not put much thought into it. This climbing task is one of the most complicated ones that FIRST has asked us to do and playing with the rules concerning this is very frustrating. I understand that sometimes mistakes happen, but sometimes adjustments need to be made for those mistakes on both sides. Flexibility in the rules would seem to be the best solution rather than the hard steadfast "this is our rule" approach. I, however, am not paid the "big bucks" so my opinion may be wrong but it doesn't feel right to me. If I made a mistake and people suffered because of it and I wanted to keep the integrity of the game I would compromise for the good of the order. As Spock said "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one". Spock may not be real but his quote sounds good to me. My team now is redesigning possible new solutions, and will be buying or making new parts because that's life, such that it is........