Thoughts on Ri3D and BuildBlitz

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by Jay O'Donnell

Essentially teams can use Ri3D as either a way to copy designs or to use the ideas shown as inspiration. I see the teams that just copy these designs as the kids who copy other students homework in school. Do we celebrate those kids and tell them they've been inspired? No, we call that plagiarizing and cheating.

Wow, that is harsh. If a history teacher was excited about STEM and scrounged up enough money to field a team out of a classroom that only had the resources to put together a sweet looking AM14U, would you tell them to go home because they just copied Andy's design and built what the (very thorough) instructional book told them to?

I don't think it is our place to tell someone they've been inspired. That is a very personal revelation. 1778 will keep working hard at the I in FIRST -- I hope everyone else does too, however they see fit.