What Would You Say To The Newer Members Of CD - 2nd Edition

[GaryVoshol]

Time to get this started up again before kickoff. Because far too few will take time to read after kickoff ...

1. Read the manual. Many questions can be answered without asking CD users to research for you. It's fine if you read something and don't understand it and want clarification. Or if you thought you remembered reading a rule, and now can't find it. But don't post something like, "Can our bumpers be green?" when the manual clearly says red or blue. (A fr'instance based on last year's rules.) The manuals are pdf files; they are easily searchable.

1a. Don't reply to a rules question unless you really have an answer to it that can be supported. "You should be able to do that ..." is worthless. Quoting a rule that supports your position is helpful.

2. Read the thread before posting a reply to it. We don't want to have to read through your restatement of a fact that has already been brought up 4 times in that thread alone.

3. Search before posting a new topic. It may have been addressed just yesterday. There's a "Search" dropdown in the orange bar at the top of the page - learn to use it.

3a. Post topics in the correct forum. Don't ask questions about programming in the Motors forum - there's a Programming forum just for that.

3b. Stay on track in a thread - don't change the topic. Start a new thread for that (or search for a thread about the topic).

4. Show respect to all users, and to FIRST and their employees and volunteers. This should go without saying, but for some reason it always needs saying.

[Bruneau1727]

I have a bit of advice for people new to the forum that hasn't been addressed yet (in this thread). Build season can be frustrating for new members of a team and since we do a very complicated task those frustrations can be very bothersome. Please don't vent those frustrations on CD when you are upset by how your team operates or gets things accomplished!

Venting on CD about your own team only makes you look bad. You should take those issues to your team leadership or talk to a mentor. If the situation doesn't get resolved to your satisfaction you may want to consider the possibility that your problem isn't that important or may not even be a problem.

What happens on your team is not everyone's business!!!!

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by Bruneau1727

What happens on your team is not everyone's business!!!!

Great advice. I might also add that CD does have the FIRST-A-Holics Anonymous resource so that you may receive advice in a productive manner.

[Grim Tuesday]

I have something to add:

The rules section of Chief Delphi are not the rules. FIRST will not accept the excuse "but chief delphi said it was legal" as a reason to break the rules. If you want true clarification, go to the official Q&A forums.

[rsisk]

Don't be afraid to ask for help AND ask before it is to late to be helped.

Dont be afraid to try and and fail...that's a lesson never forgotten...and eliminates one possibility..

It took Edison over a 100 tries before he got the light bulb right..

Brian C

[Joe G.]

Don't run away when forum long-timers tell you to search or read the manual; they're not trying to be unfriendly, they're trying to point you towards the most helpful resources available.

And, at this time of year, I'd tell them that we already know that game hint #1 is a picture of Little Eva, and likely points to her hit song "Locomotion"