If All Mentors Stopped Posting In Chief Delphi...

[Cynette]

It would definitely change the perspective and balance of CD. All of the questions and responses would be from the student perspective, and one of the extra avenues of mentorship would be closed.

This would change the perspective of many teams since teams would only know their mentors and have interface with other teams mentors only at competitions.

I think this would also change the interaction between teams by the mentors and the sharing of best practices, tips, and helps that mentors get from one another. Our source of ideas would be limited.

I could see this even impacting the off-season competitions. Much of the advertising for off-seasons is either local or through CD. The students would have a tougher time trying to convince their team to attend a more distant off-season event without the mentor participation on CD.

Finding volunteers for events would be more challenging as well. Students may not capture and communicate all of the needs for upcoming events to be able to recruit the nesessary help to run events.

I don't think all of the effects would be bad, but it would be different, that is for sure!

(and I would have about a quarter of the FIRST friends that I have )

[Rick TYler]

Without mentors, chiefdelphi would turn into 4chan. Just say no.

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by JohnBoucher

chirp.......chirp...........chirp

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

I'm asking what it would be like if mentors did not participate in CD. Another way to gain a perspective in thinking about it is to go back 5 and 8 years and apply the same question. If mentors had not been contributing to CD over the past few years, what would that impact be? Let's make it even more specific and say engineers.

Also, what would be the impact on the development of technical and organizational white papers if mentors and engineers were not and had not been contributing? Or stopped?

What, indeed?

Would the general quality of the answers people received to their questions go down? This may be preaching to the choir, but it really befronts me mightily when people answer a question with wrong information, because they don't know (they why are you answering?) or did not look it up (again...then why are you answering?) or are just guessing (then why... you know).

Or, would the students predict this effect and impose martial law, chastising those who post "junk" and praising those who post truth and fact and research and wisdom and insight?

I fear the former and hope the latter.

A bad answer is worse than a wrong answer. The blind leading the dumb is no way to do this. Do not answer a question on CD unless you know - really know - the correct answer and can defend it intelligently.

Certain forums - chit-chat, rumors, etc are exempt of course. I'm thinking primarily of the technical forums.

Do we generally respect the responses given by the likes of Dave Lavery, Alan Anderson, Andy Baker, John V Neun, and several others? OK, what do virtually every one of their posts have in common? They are accurate, competent and reasoned answers. Not off-the-hip, just guessing, "I Think" answers.




My 2 cents.

Don

[Cody Carey]

Hmmm... (Roots around the internet)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww&feature=player_embedded\

/Average thread in 10 years

[JaneYoung]

Discussions regarding student-led and mentor-led teams frequent the ChiefDelphi fora. The discussions seem to end by trailing off, never coming to any conclusion. The closest we arrive to is an understanding that teams are free to choose how they organize, develop, and who the team is led by.

Many of the posts in this thread point to the differences the absence of engineers and mentors would make in Chief Delphi, specifically in the technical areas. It is the same in teams. By inviting engineers and mentors to be a part of your team and partnering with them in building a robust team and robot for the FRC competition and program, it brings added value, depth, strength, expertise, and wisdom to the team and to the overall experience.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts in this thread.

Jane

[AndyB]

Can you imagine how many robots would probably STILL be on fire if Al weren't around? I wince a little just thinking about it...

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by AndyB

Can you imagine how many robots would probably STILL be on fire if Al weren't around? I wince a little just thinking about it...

That deserves a

[IKE]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

That deserves a

and a couple