Re: Why is anyone surprised at ref problems?

[jacob07]

I maybe one of the few it seems on Chief Delphi that found that the ref's did as good a job as any other year. Yes they made some mistakes, but they are human, being human means your going to make some mistakes. Honestly its not like they are out to penalize everyone(any refs reading...if you are, be nice to my team :-) jk) honestly, i think people are blowing this ref thing all outta proportion.

just my 2 pennies

Jake

[Alan Anderson]

Why wouldn't I want to post under my normal screen name? Because the posts of that ref raise some character concerns to me that there could be retaliation against our team for airing these views. We play next week and still hope to maybe play in Atlanta, so I don't want to put my students at risk for any retribution.

I have a hard time believing that someone would honestly fear retribution against a team for having expressed an opinion about an official's attitude. It's also not that difficult to figure out who this "anonymous" poster is, so going against policy and creating a second account is unhelpful in that regard. I personally have a tendency to treat most things posted under a false name as exaggerated, unreliable, and generally not worth taking too seriously. The presentation interferes with the message.

I also have a hard time understanding why this is being discussed in a public forum full of people who have no power to act (i.e. students) and who can only be affected negatively by the various comments and complaints. There are better channels for addressing this.

I am not suggesting that such issues be swept under the rug. They just should not be hung out in public. I know of other concerns that have been resolved satisfactorily behind the scenes without being turned into a spectacle on the Chief Delphi forums. This strikes me as a situation that should receive the same treatment.

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

I have a hard time believing that someone would honestly fear retribution against a team for having expressed an opinion about an official's attitude. It's also not that difficult to figure out who this "anonymous" poster is, so going against policy and creating a second account is unhelpful in that regard. I personally have a tendency to treat most things posted under a false name as exaggerated, unreliable, and generally not worth taking too seriously. The presentation interferes with the message.

I also have a hard time understanding why this is being discussed in a public forum full of people who have no power to act (i.e. students) and who can only be affected negatively by the various comments and complaints. There are better channels for addressing this.

I am not suggesting that such issues be swept under the rug. They just should not be hung out in public. I know of other concerns that have been resolved satisfactorily behind the scenes without being turned into a spectacle on the Chief Delphi forums. This strikes me as a situation that should receive the same treatment.

Alan I think you have completely missed the mark here, and I think that the original posters intent was to deter exactly the thought that you displayed here.

I am not agreeing or disagreeing or approving or disapproving of what the original poster said, but I DO see the times where censorship simply has no place. If someone said something that offended a person to the point of them wanting to anonymously post there disdain then I think it is something worth looking at.

Knowing who the referee was, that the poster was referring to, it nerves me to think they approach an arena of constructive criticism in such a way to take offense and lash back at people..

If students don't have any power to resolve an issue like this, than FIRST has lost all its meaning in my eyes. FIRST is about the students, so I think a few people who should have influence are the kids.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the meaning in your post, but I cannot say it did not shock me.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

If someone said something that offended a person to the point of them wanting to anonymously post there disdain then I think it is something worth looking at.

If someone wants to make public their opinion, I think he or she should stand behind it. If someone sincerely feels afraid to speak out with a name attached, but still wants others to hear what he or she has to say, there is an established policy for anonymous posting.

If students don't have any power to resolve an issue like this, than FIRST has lost all its meaning in my eyes. FIRST is about the students, so I think a few people who should have influence are the kids.

FIRST is definitely about the students. On the other hand, it is not run by the students, and I think that is an important point. We mentors are trying to make the experience an inspirational one. What we do is obviously influenced by those for whom we are doing it. However, when a problem occurs involving a specific person, I believe it is much better to bring a relatively small group of dedicated adults to bear on the problem than to expect "the kids" to act to resolve it.

The students do not -- and should not -- have the authority to appoint or remove official FIRST representatives. There is much more involved in such decisions than can be -- or should be -- dealt with in a forum where all participants are permitted to speak without regard for credentials, experience, or special knowledge.

Again, I'm not trying to belittle the concerns. I'm just trying to point out that there are more appropriate avenues for addressing them. I trust that the appropriate people are hearing the complaints and that appropriate action will take place. I say this not because I know for certain that it is true in this case, but because I have seen it happen in enough other cases for me to have faith in the way FIRST operates.