On photographs and FVC competitions...

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by Steve W

Kathie I am really surprised that you say that this is not a competition when you are hosting a competition not a demonstration.

I said FIRST is not about the competition, and I meant that the competition is a means to an end, and that end is being inspired.

VEX is totally different from FRC. The time between regional competitions is not 5 weeks but months apart. You can take your robot back home and build a completely new robot between events.

Yes, if you are inspired by another robot or strategy that you see at a Vex competition, you can go home and reconfigure the bot or your game strategy. And hopefully will learn something in the process. I think it's one of the plusses of FVC - the fact that you can (affordably) rebuild your robot and play the game all over again. It's not a one-shot-we're-committed-to-this-design-for-this-season like it is in FRC. I think that's why there is so much interest in Week 1 FRC regionals - everyone is watching to learn how the game strategy plays out, and what robot designs are out there.

1114 has always been gracious and shared their knowledge, just not during build and competitions. Teams have been awed and inspired by them. They have become icons of the north. I am tired of our team members worrying about 1114. That said 1114 has come to our rescue and I know that events that I am at if 1114 is there they are the first team that I direct teams in trouble to. Ungracious? Definitely not!!!!!

I apologize for implying that 1114 was not gracious in their actions. After reading Karthik's post after mine, I realize that they don't want to share their design and that's their right to do so. I was thinking it was a little odd to be asking other people to take down photos because they were in it.
And even if we end up seeing robots with similar designs (as we often do in FRC), there is always the human factor of drivers, coaches, alliance partners and pure luck thrown into every match.