A Request for transparency from FIRST

[pfreivald]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

So, allow me, if I may be so bold, to venture a guess at the logic. I understand we had to have limits on the parts and I understand the logical choice was either add two more motors to the KOP -OR- make motors specific to this. Since we already have 13 motors in the KoP and by allowing any motors on the mini-bot would drastically change it (in an interesting way imho) we had to use specific motors. It is only logical to say, "hey who do we know who can donate these parts, oh the guys who we already work with..." Oh hey, added benefit, it promotes awareness of a different segment of the FIRST brand. The only question this leaves for me, why can't I build my mini-bot out of lego bricks?

A few thoughts:

Without being in on their brainstorming sessions, it is impossible for we mere plebians to know the reasoning behind every GDC decision... ....and it is unreasonable to expect them to explain all of them. (Or perhaps even some of them.)

I always assume, when I cannot deduce the reasoning behind a rule, that "it makes it harder" is the correct answer.

I am as cynical as can be. Truly, I always assume the worst when it comes to human motive. That said, geniuses such as Dean Kamen, Woodie Flowers, and Dave Lavery could make so much more money (and win so much more prestige) by doing almost anything else. They could also stroke their own egos in much easier ways... Thus, the "this is just a ploy to prop up FTC" arguments ring hollow to me.

OF COURSE they want FRC teams to get involved with FTC. I, personally, would rather see FTC as a "middle school" program and shunt FLL strictly to the elementary grades -- which will never happen as long as VEX is cheaper, mind.

But that's neither here nor there.