Its getting to be RIDICULOUS!

[Petey]

Originally Posted by Marygrace

Threads have been popping up, i can think of two imparticular, where people are complaining and whining about the job that FIRST is doing. FIRST is working their bum off to keep this thing moving. You try and make something as diverse as FIRST robotics, and expensive as FIRST robotics running. The stress is probably multiplied when about 1000 teams are depending on FIRST to keep things running smoothly and to keep it off the ground. FIRST is doing an awesome job. Just because they aren't serving your every need, giving you the parts you want, having to change the Chairman's award submission the way you dont like. Instead of complaining about it, eevryone needs to start working with wut they are given, and start apreciating FIRST, not complaining about wut they think FIRST is doing wrong.

Let me preface this by saying that I have an enormous amount of respect for FIRST, the organization. They put in tremendous effort and pull off an amzing feat every year. I can't thank them enough for creating a system like this.

Now that that's said--

It is preposterous to declare a moratorium on constructive criticsm. While I think there are individuals who do little but whine and think unreasonable thoughts of FIRST, I think there is a greater number of individuals who spot problems or holes in the game and attempt to bring these to the attention of FIRST. They cannot work within the system, so it is their duty to bring concerns to the attention of the people in the system. I can't make a law, but I can bring my case to my congressman.

I've noticed that threads and posts have been deleted--threads or posts that seem to question or--god forbid!--criticize the FIRST organization. And I ask this: how do you expect the problems of FIRST (and make no mistake that there are problems) to be addressed and solved if they are not brought to the attention of FIRST.

Look, I've managed quite a few things in my high school career. Nothing on the scale of FIRST, but enough to know a bit about organization and people management. One of the key things you need, as a manager, is other people to do small tasks for you. One of those tasks is quality control. And the best way to do quality control is to have other people bring complaints to you. You listen to the complaints, assess them, and take all measures possible to serve them, if that service would also serve the greater good. You do not silence them, or cow them by berating them about the head with tantrums of how busy you are.

Sometimes, I think the latter is happening a bit on the CD forums, and in the FIRST world in general. Not all the time, but sometimes. And I would urge those who seek to strangle all reasonable criticism to stop: you are doing a greater disservice than you may know.

--Petey