**FIRST EMAIL**/Invitation to Beta test the New Control System

[Karthik]

Just a reminder to all Beta Test teams. In order to get your controller you must sign the FIRST disclosure agreement. This form "indicates your team agrees to disclose information on the new control system when FIRST gives permission to do so during the beta testing process and not before." (Bolding added for emphasis). So before you start making plans on when and where you plan on holding seminars, remember that we have to wait until FIRST authorizes us to release information. I just don't want anyone putting their cart in front of their horse.

[BornaE]

Originally Posted by Jon236

Since the Beta Test Teams will have a copy of the beta template including sub-vi's, I hope this will be posted so that all of us can become familiar with the code.

We might not be allowed to publish the codes when we get it. But as soon as we have the permission to publish it, I would be happy to do so.

[Aidan F. Browne]

Thanks to the WFA committee for processing a crazy number of beta applications and narrowing it down to a great list of 18 -- it could not have been easy.

And, congrats to the 18 beta teams! If there are gremlins in the system, we, the FIRST community, will deal with them.... you just need to find them for us. Now go forth and test, test, test!

[Jeremy Roberts]

Originally Posted by ttldomination

Uh, yeah, 1848 in our area, SOUP!.

Does anyone have their website?

SOUP and the GT RoboJackets who host the GA training sessions (Technology Enrichment Sessions) are working together and applied under the SOUP (1848) team number (as they are mentors and a sponsor). Currently information will be going out in our area via their website (www.robojackets.org). The SOUP website is under construction and if used they will update their TIMS profile and let the teams know. They are waiting to hear from FIRST HQ in regards to when information can be release and when it can be incorporated into the sessions (on campus and remotely). If you have any questions feel free to direct them my way.

[Justin Montois]

For Team 340, I want to say that we are extremely excited for the opportunity to test the new control system.
We have a large density of teams in our immediate area and we will work closely with those teams yet at the same time we recognize the scarcity of this opportunity and will try our best to supply all teams with the very best information possible.

2009 has begun and we can't wait to start doing some Beta testing!

[Dancin103]

Originally Posted by BrianT103

Team 103 is honored to be selected as one of the beta testing teams. Over the coming weeks we will be posting updates, on a seperate thread as to what types of meetings and seminars we will be hosting to educate the surrounding teams.

I could not have said it better myself. We are truly more than honored to have been selected. Being the only team in the entire northeast. This is amazing. And yes we will be hosting seminars and such for any one who would like to attend, and I am sure that Brian or I will be making some posts. Congratulations to all the other teams that have received the system and good luck to everyone. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Cass

[ttldomination]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Roberts

SOUP and the GT RoboJackets who host the GA training sessions (Technology Enrichment Sessions) are working together and applied under the SOUP (1848) team number (as they are mentors and a sponsor). Currently information will be going out in our area via their website (www.robojackets.org). The SOUP website is under construction and if used they will update their TIMS profile and let the teams know. They are waiting to hear from FIRST HQ in regards to when information can be release and when it can be incorporated into the sessions (on campus and remotely). If you have any questions feel free to direct them my way.

So, just to make sure, are the open sessions going to be held at GA Tech? or are they going to be held at SOUP's official location?

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by Karthik

Just a reminder to all Beta Test teams. In order to get your controller you must sign the FIRST disclosure agreement. This form "indicates your team agrees to disclose information on the new control system when FIRST gives permission to do so during the beta testing process and not before." (Bolding added for emphasis). So before you start making plans on when and where you plan on holding seminars, remember that we have to wait until FIRST authorizes us to release information. I just don't want anyone putting their cart in front of their horse.

Karthik's post needs repeating. FIRST is very serious about disclosures, and the beta teams should remember not to put any information out before they're allowed to- or they could lose their test system. That doesn't benefit ANY of us here.

So, remember...
disclose information on the new control system when FIRST gives permission to do so during the beta testing process and not before.

[Greg Needel]

I thought I would just post a reminder out there about being respectful and understanding of the teams who were selected for this beta test. I am sure that all the teams chosen will do their best to bring the information to the community.

That being said please remember a few things.

• each team was selected for a reason, and why that may not be clear trust the people who did the picking
• While suggestions for things you would like to see are always good, don't get upset if it doesn't happen. Each team will have their own test plan and you should respect that.
• If you are on a team who was not selected for the beta test it doesn't mean you aren't capable, it just means you didn't fit this time. It might have been location, skill set, or a bunch of other variable that are unknown. Whatever the reason don't take your frustrations out on the teams that did get selected.
• FIRST is having teams selected sign a Non-disclosure agreement, which has the ability to limit the flow of information from beta teams to the public. Be aware that even if a beta team wants to tell you something they may be legally bound not to.

I am sure there are a few other things that teams should think about but ultimately it comes down to this. FIRST is doing us a favor by even allowing this beta test to happen, don't turn it into a bad thing. Lets try to avoid the saying: "no good deed goes unpunished" and leave the teams who are putting the hard work in for all of us with a good feeling at the end of this by not criticizing them.

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Greg Needel

FIRST is having teams selected sign a Non-disclosure agreement, which has the ability to limit the flow of information from beta teams to the public. Be aware that even if a beta team wants to tell you something they may be legally bound not to.

I understand that, at some level, having some access to the system at all early is a good thing, but the notion of limiting the information that's made available to other teams is completely absurd and seems counter intuitive to the criteria team applications were judged upon.

[OZ_341]

Originally Posted by Dancin103

I could not have said it better myself. We are truly more than honored to have been selected. Being the only team in the entire northeast. This is amazing. And yes we will be hosting seminars and such for any one who would like to attend, and I am sure that Brian or I will be making some posts. Congratulations to all the other teams that have received the system and good luck to everyone. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Cass

Team 103 certainly has the technical know-how, the facilities, the ability to help and the organizational skills needed to make this a success.

FIRST made an excellent choice in selecting Team 103.

Congratulations!

[=Martin=Taylor=]

So how did the whole multi-team application thing work out? Did FIRST just pick one team on the application? I'm just curious.

Congratulations to team 668! And to our partner 254!

This will make for a fantastic display at CalGames, and perhaps a WRRF workshop?

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

I understand that, at some level, having some access to the system at all early is a good thing, but the notion of limiting the information that's made available to other teams is completely absurd and seems counter intuitive to the criteria team applications were judged upon.

Possibly, but l will play devils advocate for a second. I am team X who is in the beta test and we hit a snag when downloading our labview code to the crio. Immediately we go to our blog and post about the error. Team Y from another state who is not in the beta test reads this and gets really panicked, and then they come post it on delphi and now there is a rumor that the crio has problems when you download code to it. When in actuality the team had the wrong port setting setup in labview and everything was fine. Having an intermediary such as FIRST or NI before info hits the public will be good in this situation.

Now one could say that if it hit the public someone might be able to quickly fix the problem. But as the complexity of the task increases it will be hit or miss if the problems can be solved.

From reading posts over the past year or so since the new control system was announced I have come to realized that people are very nervous about it and the last thing we need at this point is a mob mentality spreading rumors.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Hachiban VIII

So how did the whole multi-team application thing work out? Did FIRST just pick one team on the application? I'm just curious.

Congratulations to team 668! And to our partner 254!

This will make for a fantastic display at CalGames, and perhaps a WRRF workshop?

We submitted 3 applications, all referencing one team (668) as our main applicant. I know a few other collaborations did as well.

[rwood359]

Originally Posted by Greg Needel

From reading posts over the past year or so since the new control system was announced I have come to realized that people are very nervous about it and the last thing we need at this point is a mob mentality spreading rumors.

I don't believe that the non-beta teams need access to the daily trials and tribulations of the beta teams, however I do believe that the remaining teams should have access to the technical documentation that is being given to the beta teams. If need be, include a disclaimer that the documentation is beta and may or may not reflect the final documents.