QotW 06-22-03: Incentive

[EddieMcD]

Originally posted by M. Krass
This week, we have a question submitted by long-time reader Kevin A. While I told him that it may be a few weeks before his question entered the rotation, I seem to have forgotten the other issues I wanted to address. So, until then, I think Kevin brings up an interesting subject that could result in some interesting debate.

FIRST works largely by keeping society's worst influences at bay by carefully architected rules and procedures, and deliberate efforts made toward providing tangible consequences for engaging in some of life's more unsavory conventional behaviors.

Kevin wonders. . .
Question of the Week 06-22-03: if FIRST were to begin to offer a monetary award to winning teams, would our coveted gracious professionalism withstand the change?

I'd like to interject and add a bit to that, if I may. What if money or sponsorship were guaranteed with the stipulation that such winning teams use that money and sponsorship to start a new team? What if the reward was not money, but machining equipment, or college scholarships, or ... dare I say ... automatic qualification to compete in certain events?

I understand that each of these circumstances may present different challenges. But, each may also create new, or different boundaries of what is acceptable behavior - for FIRST, for teams, and for mentors.

One word: Battlebots. Battlebots pays people when they're on TV. And FIRST doesn't want to become Battlebots.

Now, to you interjecting and ruining my Battlebot bashing, offering prize money that can only be used to start a new team is a good idea, but what if the winners don't want to start a team? Maybe there is a team with less money that doesn't win. What if they want to start a team? It's simple, they won't be able to. And FIRST already offers automatic qualifying to it's winners, and I'd like to see that at least downsized for next season.

Now, what caught me off guard was the machining equipment for winners part. I kinda like this. Of course, there are restricted lists, and a team with more money can build a great robot and therefore have more machination parts to build an even greater robot. The rich could get richer.

Remember, money is the root of all evil. A lot of people will do anything for money, and FIRST needs to stay as far away from capitalism as humanly possible. Now if we were talking about communism...