[FTC]: Please Don't Post Pictures

[Bongle]

Here's another way to think about it: By reducing the number of photos available of robots, you're increasing the cost of those photos: in order for a team to acquire photos, they have to physically attend FTC competitions with a camera. This only benefits that other FIRST bogeyman: the 'rich teams'. As it stands now, a well-funded team could send a scout to every FTC competition in their region and copy the best. There's nothing stopping them, they are public events. Meanwhile, all the other teams would have to work with the smaller pool of robots they've had exposure to.

If we assume that copying is going to happen, why not make it more accessible to everyone by posting pictures and video online? A huge part of engineering is doing competitive analysis and trying to integrate the best features of your opponents product and processes into your own. Carmakers spend huge sums of money tearing apart their competitors' products to figure out ways to make their own vehicles and manufacturing processes better.

Personally, I'd support something the complete opposite of this thread's request: every team having to have 2-3 photos taken of their robot at a competition by a neutral photographer and posted on FIRST's website. Not enough to allow for full-scale copying, but enough to give away the 'general idea'. This would allow any team to freely adapt ideas into their own robot. If, by the end of the season, all the robots are similar, then the winners will be those who really pay attention to detail and squeeze the last iota of performance out of their robot.