What would you say to newer members of the CD community?

[Beth Sweet]

#1 rule: DO NOT LET A NEGATIVE REP DRIVE YOU AWAY! If you mess up, guess what, it happens. I got a negative rep as my third rep. It's no big deal. Learn from it, PM them back and ask what you did wrong.

#2: Be respectful. A lot of the people on here are very, very intelligent people. They deserve respect for that. They also volunteer a lot of time to this program. They deserve it for that too. And a million other reasons that I will not list. If you care to debate a point they've made, do not name-call or insult. Make your point, back it up as solidly as you can and be done with it.

#3: It's been said already but it's important to say it again. "What you say or do can and will be used against"(/for) your team in the future. If you come on here and represent yourself poorly, people will note what team you're from. It's going to happen, if you intend it to or not, even if you write a little disclaimer at the bottom. If you're a flaming jerk, people will think of your team as the flaming jerks. That is not a reputation that you want.

#4: Don't be afraid to share your knowledge and opinions! We want you here! Promise! Every person in FIRST has something to share, something to contribute. Be it your extensive engineering knowledge, or your way with sponsors, your team includes you on the roster for a reason. Find your place and shine!