I don't think being a rookie team has any effect on the programmers

[HashemReza]

Originally Posted by davidthefat

Ok I have not shown much enthusiasm about the autonomous kit stuff. Its mostly for those rookie teams I am assuming? Well I am against that whole idea, kind of showing pity towards them... I may sound evil right now, but just because they are a rookie team, that does not mean that they can't compete with he veterans...

As I was not a member of a rookie team, I try my best to equate it to my own experience of being a rookie member of my team. True, not the same, but similar I feel.

I don't think that it's showing pity towards them at all. I think that everyone, including veterans, need a 'jumping off place' if you will, each year. The difference between the veterans and the rookies? The veterans have the previous year as a jumping off point, while the rookies do not. Over time, those rookie teams will take the new code that they have created each year, perfect it through iteration, and soon enough become veterans drawing on each year previous for improvement.

Originally Posted by davidthefat

This is not some government run multi billion dollar project... Software pretty much costs $0 for us, its all electrical and mechanic that gobble up the money, I don't get how being under funded rookie has ANYTHING to do with programming...

I apologize, I cannot understand what you mean here. Do you mean that because software apparently 'costs $0', that the rookies have access to the same materials, and thus shouldn't be helped any more than a veteran team? If that is the case, i must humbly disagree with your point.

It's not being under-funded that has anything to do with programming, it is the lack of experience. Again, having no experience in this competition is the most relevant handicap (with regard to programming) that a rookie faces. The key to creating a sustainable team that can last until they are considered a veteran is to ease the transition into the competition. You wouldn't give the same job to a wily old veteran with many years experience in engineering as you would a new student, fresh out of school, would you? Obviously, you're going to need to show that new member of the community how to do it (adequately) at least once, and then let them find out through experience. Furthermore, they can build on that experience in the future to form their own methods for achieving the end product, in this case, a solid set of working code.

In short, I must say that I disagree, and firmly believe that being a rookie team does have an effect on the programmers, as well as every other member of the team.