FIRST on "The Fosters" - Monday Nights on FreeForm 8e/5p Starting Tonight!

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by ahartnet

For a different thread talking about the episode, reddit has a subreddit for the fosters. Looks like there are some FIRSTers 'spreading the good word' to people with open ears: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheFosters/...c/slug/d6j7opo

Id hardly call this quote good "You see in the show how there were teams who won a bunch of years and had a team of engineers with them. Unfortunately that's true. The highschools they go to are the ones with super high test scores and a good handful of cash to spare. And usually those kids parents have like Harvard engineering degrees and they mainly build the robots for the kids."

If anything it makes the whole thing worse.

[ahartnet]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Id hardly call this quote good "You see in the show how there were teams who won a bunch of years and had a team of engineers with them. Unfortunately that's true. The highschools they go to are the ones with super high test scores and a good handful of cash to spare. And usually those kids parents have like Harvard engineering degrees and they mainly build the robots for the kids."

If anything it makes the whole thing worse.

I'll agree that that's not the *best* light, but since the following response is:

Wow, the event sounds like a ton of fun, and the whole process as well.

- I'll put it in the positive bucket.

[itsjustjon]

Now, everyone, say it with me: "It's just a TV show and FRC is just a robotics program. My life is a lot bigger than both of those things."

Once you say this, I swear most of the arguments here would fade into oblivion.

[Knufire]

Originally Posted by itsjustjon

Once you say this, I swear most of the arguments here on CD would fade into oblivion.

FTFY

[AllenGregoryIV]

Originally Posted by itsjustjon

Now, everyone, say it with me: "It's just a TV show and FRC is just a robotics program. My life is a lot bigger than both of those things."

Once you say this, I swear most of the arguments here would fade into oblivion.

That's fine if you believe that, but I signed up for something a lot bigger than just a robotics program. There is a reason the Chairman's award is our highest honor, culture change is our goal and how we introduce our selves to large portions of the culture is a rather key part of eventually changing the culture. We shouldn't just accept the status quo for the sake of more eye balls.

[itsjustjon]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

That's fine if you believe that, but I signed up for something a lot bigger than just a robotics program. There is a reason the Chairman's award is our highest honor, culture change is our goal and how we introduce our selves to large portions of the culture is a rather key part of eventually changing the culture. We shouldn't just accept the status quo for the sake of more eye balls.

Note that I said 'arguments' will disappear, not beliefs in the program. I'm sure all of the goals you mentioned about culture change and Chairman's aren't attained by arguing on ChiefDelphi either.

The teams in this show definitely changed more culture by reaching out to literally millions of Americans across the continent, and that's something almost every other person here has forgotten to realize.

That's something many of us arguing here on CD have yet to do, so again, congrats to the teams who participated in the show.

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

I signed up for something a lot bigger than just a robotics program.

+1 - FIRST is about making the world better by inspiring the next generation of inventors and developers. FRC is a robotics program created to support that mission. While it is not exactly what he meant, and I will capitalize some letters he would not have, it is good here to quote one of my former commanding officers, who himself was quoting from military doctrine:

Mission FIRST. People Always.

Edit: and, as always, read the third sentence under this post.

[Liam Fay]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Id hardly call this quote good "You see in the show how there were teams who won a bunch of years and had a team of engineers with them. Unfortunately that's true. The highschools they go to are the ones with super high test scores and a good handful of cash to spare. And usually those kids parents have like Harvard engineering degrees and they mainly build the robots for the kids."

If anything it makes the whole thing worse.

In a response to that comment, another redditor said:

"Wow, the event sounds like a ton of fun, and the whole process as well. Computer science is something I hope to pursue in the future so seeing all these cool programs for the robots and what you described is just awesome. I wish my school had a robotics team."

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by Liam Fay

In a response to that comment, another redditor said:

"Wow, the event sounds like a ton of fun, and the whole process as well. Computer science is something I hope to pursue in the future so seeing all these cool programs for the robots and what you described is just awesome. I wish my school had a robotics team."

Great so that single person was OK with it. What about the perspective mentor who read that and went huh this program looks terrible.

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Great so that single person was OK with it. What about the perspective mentor who read that and went huh this program looks terrible.

oh, and the sky is falling as well. watch out!

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Great so that single person was OK with it. What about the perspective mentor who read that and went huh this program looks terrible.

Great so that single mentor wasn't okay with it. What about the student who read that and thought "wow, that was cool, I wish my school had a team"?

It turns out you can't use single anecdotal examples to prove either side of an argument wrong!

[anfrcguy]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

It turns out you can't use single anecdotal examples to prove either side of an argument wrong!

Nobody is trying to prove anything. But when every single response is negative (except for one student who had participated in FLL) that says something about how the The Fosters viewers perceived FIRST, right?

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by anfrcguy

Nobody is trying to prove anything. But when every single response is negative (except for one student who had participated in FLL) that says something about how the The Fosters viewers perceived FIRST, right?

No, that says something about Internet trolls being trollish.

[anfrcguy]

Originally Posted by Taylor

No, that says something about Internet trolls being trollish.

How are comments like "I did not really care about the whole robotics thing," "I don't love the robotics thing either," and " I hope I never see another robot competition on this show or anywhere else!" trolling? I get that they have an opinion that would be very unpopular on CD, but I just don't understand how posting their honest opinions of the show's content on a forum about the show makes them trolls.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by anfrcguy

How are comments like "I did not really care about the whole robotics thing," "I don't love the robotics thing either," and " I hope I never see another robot competition on this show or anywhere else!" trolling? I get that they have an opinion that would be very unpopular on CD, but I just don't understand how posting their honest opinions of the show's content on a forum about the show makes them trolls.

I'd wager 99% of the audience doesn't post on the internet about the fosters. I wouldn't confuse a vocal minority with a proper representative sample (same as chief Delphi).