Why is FIRST moving backward?

[KenWittlief]

"we must move forwards, not backwards
upwards, not forwards
and always twirling, twirling towards the future" -Kronos from the simpsons

the only basis on which a team should be awarded the chairmans award is the content of the submission, not the way in which it is presented

If I serve you roadkill on gold and silver plates and utensiles on a silk tablecloth, its still roadkill

and salmon tastes just as good on a paper plate as it does on fine china.

Dont worry about the presentation for the chairmans award

and dont fret about your video skills - there are far more ways you can use them to promote FIRST besides a chairmans award submission.

[Joe Ross]

First of all, I don't think that by limiting your submission to Word, FIRST has really limited you more then last year. If you want to do your chairman's award submission in something else, there are multiple ways of importing that into word. If all else fails, take a screenshot and import that graphic to word.

However, FIRST may be shooting themselves in the foot with the e-mail submission. Last year, due to a bug in word, team 330's chairman's award submission was 88 megabytes. When zipped, it was only slightly smaller. I don't know of a single e-mail system that will send or receive 88 megabyte attachments correctly.

[GoDaisy341]

I do have to say that after reading all of the responses that I am a little dissapointed. I am well aware that some teams don't have the capability of video and my statement was not to require the use of video in the submission. What I was stating is that we should not be held back from using it. The only thing that I could think of that would keep FIRST from letting us use video is that they couldn't handle the file size or the frame size of the videos that many teams put together. There are easy ways around such a problem (like if a team opts to do video they could mandate that it be on a VHS or a DVD), but apparantly FIRST doesn't want to deal with it at all. I just find it strange that they could find a very easy solution but they decide not to.

[KenWittlief]

I would guess that maybe FIRST wants teams to spend their limited time and energy on things that earn you a chairmans award, instead of spending many hours putting together a video about why you think you have earned a chairmans award

maybe?

the submission is really just talking about what you have done

this might be their way of saying, spend more time doing, less time talking about it?

or I could be full of beans! :^)

[IMDWalrus]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

I would guess that maybe FIRST wants teams to spend their limited time and energy on things that earn you a chairmans award, instead of spending many hours putting together a video about why you think you have earned a chairmans award

maybe?

the submission is really just talking about what you have done

this might be their way of saying, spend more time doing, less time talking about it?

or I could be full of beans! :^)

I think Ken's got it perfectly. Focus on actually DOING the things that win you the Chairman's Award...not on the presentation.

Just a reminder: winning the Chairman's Award isn't very important. What really matters is getting out there and improving your community. Helping others should always come first...the Chairman's Award is just one way of recognizing the fact that you've done that.

[OneAngryDaisy]

I see all of your points, however, I have to admit that I myself am a bit dissapointed as well with FIRST's decision. To some video/graphic guys this is like making the builders use lego pieces or the programmers use something outdated.. Before bashing anyone over their statement please try to step in their shoes and see their perspective..

I also realize that FIRST does not have the time to watch 40 or so 10 minute videos, but just a 2 minute video coupled with 2 pages of word would be feasible. However, I do realize that we'll probably have to accept this modification as 'permanent'

[Kyle Fenton]

There is a way to embed video into a .doc file. However I don't think FIRST would approve.

[Chris Fultz]

You can use video as part of your Chairman's submission.

Every team has an interview, and you can bring in any display materials that you want to the interview session. You just need to have a way to play / display it = FIRST will not supply all of the equipment.

In 2003, Cyber Blue used a short video as part of our interview -
the students ran it as a video clip on a laptop. It worked well.

[Cumulonimbus57]

It makes a lot of sense what FIRST has done. This summer i had to sort old chairmans awards at FIRST Place (it took me a week with three other people helping me) , and the sheer volume of them was amazing. With the amount of teams in FIRST today, it would be unrealistic for each team to send the Chairman's presentations they did in the past. By limiting it to the four pages, it gives the judges the content in a much more concise form.

[robolemur1236]

I agree and disagree . Winning the chairmans award is a good accomplishment, and it would get you into the nationals, but that doesnt mean obsess over this to the point of not having a good robot. If necessary, put one group on the chairmans award and one on the 'bot. simple solution.

[Wayne C.]

Originally Posted by GoDaisy341

I do have to say that after reading all of the responses that I am a little dissapointed. I am well aware that some teams don't have the capability of video and my statement was not to require the use of video in the submission. What I was stating is that we should not be held back from using it. The only thing that I could think of that would keep FIRST from letting us use video is that they couldn't handle the file size or the frame size of the videos that many teams put together. There are easy ways around such a problem (like if a team opts to do video they could mandate that it be on a VHS or a DVD), but apparantly FIRST doesn't want to deal with it at all. I just find it strange that they could find a very easy solution but they decide not to.

If you are so hot on a video use it for your 5 minute presentation to the judges. The rules say you can do anything in the first 5 of the 10 minute interview. That way you can bring in the AV equipment and such and it isn't FIRST's problem.

But I totally agree with FIRST's ruling on the submission to the committee. The winner of the CA should qualify on their merits and not their ability to make a flashy presentation. Heck, it be in favor of leaving out anything but text in the submission but I know that wouldn't happen. Save the creative competition for the Autodesk events.

WC

[Ryan Dognaux]

FIRST is definately not moving backwards at all, I would think the decision to move to a common submission requirement would make it obvious. With FIRST growing more and more every year, the time that would be spent watching Chairman's Awards videos would grow too. It was probably getting to the point where it was just taking too long... but the 4 paper submission still gives you the opportunity to easily tell everything your team does. That's what Chairmans is all about, helping people... not making flashy videos.

And if the video thing is important, because making cool videos are fun... you can always include live video in your animation. Or make a promo video for your team, or make a video that shows what you guys are doing so far in the build season at your school. Those are just a few ideas...

[GoDaisy341]

I thank all of those who have participated in the thread however you are still not talking about what my original post was commenting on. My comment was that the submission format should still be allowed to be a video. That has nothing to do with what you did to win the award. It has nothing to do with what a team does off the field or what makes the team unique. All it is is a way of presenting that. I'm not saying that it should be all about "flashy videos" as it has been put. All I'm saying is that teams should not be limited to using just Microsoft Word. Obviously it is too late to change anything for this year's competition however, I was looking for a possible change next year

[Bharat Nain]

Originally Posted by GoDaisy341

I do have to say that after reading all of the responses that I am a little dissapointed. I am well aware that some teams don't have the capability of video and my statement was not to require the use of video in the submission. What I was stating is that we should not be held back from using it. The only thing that I could think of that would keep FIRST from letting us use video is that they couldn't handle the file size or the frame size of the videos that many teams put together. There are easy ways around such a problem (like if a team opts to do video they could mandate that it be on a VHS or a DVD), but apparantly FIRST doesn't want to deal with it at all. I just find it strange that they could find a very easy solution but they decide not to.

You could still promote FIRST with your videos at events held at your school. Even though it may not count, it still shows you guys love FIRST