[FRC Blog] Today's the Day! And New Waitlist Color Coding!

[Jimmy Nichols]

I'm not sure how effective this will be since I have always heard, and have seen it in practice a few years ago, that RD's can pick and choose which teams come off the wait list. It isn't first come first serve.

This was the case with us a few years ago in Pittsburgh, we got in despite having been low on the waitlist.

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Nichols

I'm not sure how effective this will be since I have always heard, and have seen it in practice a few years ago, that RD's can pick and choose which teams come off the wait list. It isn't first come first serve.

This was the case with us a few years ago in Pittsburgh, we got in despite having been low on the waitlist.

However, if there are very few teams on the wait list then you have a better chance of getting in than if there are a bunch. If you are registering and see that there is already a large wait list then you can sign up or something else.

[JB987]

How do you see this list in TIMS (without canceling) if you have already registered for an event. Do we have to wait until round 2 to access the list?

[FrankJ]

Originally Posted by JB987

How do you see this list in TIMS (without canceling) if you have already registered for an event. Do we have to wait until round 2 to access the list?

I don't think you can. So yes you have to wait to until round two. If you are going for a hot selection, don't spend a lot of time admiring it.

[Navid Shafa]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Nichols

RD's can pick and choose which teams come off the wait list.

I know I've beat this dead horse before, but I'll gladly do it again. There should be a priority order posted, and teams should get pulled off that list in an automated fashion.

I don't care what that order looks like, but that process should be transparent.

[Doug Frisk]

Originally Posted by Navid Shafa

I know I've beat this dead horse before, but I'll gladly do it again. There should be a priority order posted, and teams should get pulled off that list in an automated fashion.

I don't care what that order looks like, but that process should be transparent.

Well, look at it from the perspective of an RD.

Without question, it's going to be rookies first. Doesn't matter where they are in the waitlist you're going to make room for those rookies.

Next I'd be looking at late first registrations from local teams. There are plenty of teams who did not register yesterday. I'm sure some are waiting on funding and others just forgot. But as a Regional Director you're going to want to service those in your region. That's your job, promoting FIRST in your region.

Beyond that it gets very very fuzzy. You've got international teams, you might want to give them extra preference for extra buzz. Then you have teams going to a second regional, both local and remote. If I'm a RD and seeing a waitlist spot from a nationally know team I might want them to give me some extra buzz for the event. If a team is registering for a third event I'm probably going to push them farther down the list unless there is some other mitigating reason to let them in.

Or to sum it up, you can't have a hard and fast rule because every region has different needs.

[Francis-134]

Originally Posted by DareDad

Well, look at it from the perspective of an RD.

Without question, it's going to be rookies first. Doesn't matter where they are in the waitlist you're going to make room for those rookies.

Next I'd be looking at late first registrations from local teams. There are plenty of teams who did not register yesterday. I'm sure some are waiting on funding and others just forgot. But as a Regional Director you're going to want to service those in your region. That's your job, promoting FIRST in your region.

Beyond that it gets very very fuzzy. You've got international teams, you might want to give them extra preference for extra buzz. Then you have teams going to a second regional, both local and remote. If I'm a RD and seeing a waitlist spot from a nationally know team I might want them to give me some extra buzz for the event. If a team is registering for a third event I'm probably going to push them farther down the list unless there is some other mitigating reason to let them in.

Or to sum it up, you can't have a hard and fast rule because every region has different needs.

I agree with your reasoning, and that it probably should be this way. I think what Navid is suggesting is that the list that is currently in "in the RD's head", for lack of a better term, but made available for all teams to view so that they can better plan their season.

Maybe somewhere between Navid's idea and the current implementation would be just a preemptive message and occasional updates from an RD with the likelihood that one will make it into the event.

[Navid Shafa]

Originally Posted by Francis-134

I agree with your reasoning, and that it probably should be this way. I think what Navid is suggesting is that the list that is currently in "in the RD's head", for lack of a better term, but made available for all teams to view so that they can better plan their season.

^ This ^

Different RD's may have different priorities for their region, that's fine. Many teams probably don't even know that the system is not on a first come first serve basis.

I am not saying their is a one size fits all solution, I just think teams deserve to know what preferences are made and based on what rationale.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Navid Shafa

I am not saying their is a one size fits all solution, I just think teams deserve to know what preferences are made and based on what rationale.

There is a simple way to find out what you want to know. Ask. Contact the Regional Director and/or the Regional Planning Committee. They are the ones in the position to be able to tell you what your chances are of getting off the wait list.

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by DareDad

Well, look at it from the perspective of an RD.

Without question, it's going to be rookies first. Doesn't matter where they are in the waitlist you're going to make room for those rookies.

Next I'd be looking at late first registrations from local teams. There are plenty of teams who did not register yesterday. I'm sure some are waiting on funding and others just forgot. But as a Regional Director you're going to want to service those in your region. That's your job, promoting FIRST in your region.

Beyond that it gets very very fuzzy. You've got international teams, you might want to give them extra preference for extra buzz. Then you have teams going to a second regional, both local and remote. If I'm a RD and seeing a waitlist spot from a nationally know team I might want them to give me some extra buzz for the event. If a team is registering for a third event I'm probably going to push them farther down the list unless there is some other mitigating reason to let them in.

Or to sum it up, you can't have a hard and fast rule because every region has different needs.

Donf't orget about the VC begging to let in teams that provide a lot of volunteers!

[nuclearnerd]

Is the waitlist colour only visible before you register? Now that we've registered for our first regional, I don't see a list of regionals on TIMS. It would be nice to see the waitlist colours before 2nd event registration opens so we know whether to choose one overbooked event over another.

[pmcoburn]

Originally Posted by nuclearnerd

It would be nice to see the waitlist colours before 2nd event registration opens so we know whether to choose one overbooked event over another.

^^^^^^^^
THIS!

[JB987]

Originally Posted by pmcoburn

^^^^^^^^
THIS!

+1, especially since slots fill in nanoseconds when the portal opens! And fastest mouse/DSL wins the spot

[compsuppjk]

Originally Posted by JB987

DSL

Well there's your problem..

[mastachyra]

If a team was on a waitlist, when would they get confirmation that they were accepted?