** Price you have to pay for it?** Yes, definately, you have to actually do something and make a difference
** Fame isnt the best thing you can get from this program? **Yes, true… there’s a LOT more you can get from this program
Wheather you like it or not, if you have made a difference in the FIRST community, you will end up being famous, and yes, there is no turning back then.
And being famous doesnt always mean that your privacy has been robbed. If it has, it also means you have people respecting you and helping you wherever you go.
Personally, I have no aims to become famous. I just like this world and want to do the right things.
i honestly think that being famous in FIRST is honestly pointless…i mean it is nice to get reconized for the time you have put in but in all honesty that is not the case. When looking at people like Dave, Andy, Dean, etc. i can automaticly in my head know exactly what they contributed on a national level for FIRST but other “stars” of chiefdelphi i couldn’t tell you for the life of me what they did for first except post alot. FIRST fame in it’s present form is just a popularity contest as to who has been around for the longest and who knows the most people.
-when one posts a lot on ChiefDelphi and is therefore well known, it’s not necessarily fame because people don’t have much to say about you
-when one gains a lot of respect through what they post on ChiefDelphi, and they post enough to be remembered by fellow forum members… one is a little closer to fame
-one is famous when they are known for being a good ROLE MODEL by the people who post, and *do not * post on ChiefDelphi
If one does gain ‘fame’ through FIRST, it should be used as a networking tool in hopes to leap-frog one’s career path. Remember, part of the point of FIRST is to create strong leaders & thinkers who could positively influence the world’s technological market.
Not to nit-pick, but wouldn’t it be “and do not necessarily post on CD?” I mean, there are some darn good role models out here and all who definitely are famous, yet post frequently. Then there’s those who are famous and don’t post on CD.
Although couldn’t it be argued that those who would otherwise be famous and post on CD are yielding a better benefit for the FIRST community at large? I mean, if this is one of the larger FIRST hubs online, it seems that their resources would be spent well here. (I won’t say spent better here, since there is a possibility that folks could better spend their resources elsewhere. I guess that depends on the person.)
(disclaimer: all of my words are highly seasoned, in the event I have to eat them.)
Its funny how this thread grow so fast in just a few days. This board is much different than the off-season CD forum I’ve seen in the past few years, for better or worse. Anyway…
I am not really good with using words. When I said fame, I think what I want to mean is lots of people’s recognition of you even though they don’t really know who you are. That’s one of the interesting things I experienced from FIRST. I guess it was kind of nice when people saw my red hair and say “hey you are that guy that posted on that forum…” or “hey, I like your post”.
It was nice, but I realized that’s not something I want in my life. I found strong friendship with few people much more enjoyable than being known by a lot of people but never really know any of them. Most conversations with people who “know of you” are a lot of obvious things that people talk about all the time, which is nice to know other people’s opinion, but doesn’t usually get deeper than that.
I used to go around to all the pits in the SVR regional asking teams about their robot, but all together it wasn’t as good as chatting with a few people about their team. That’s when I decided I would draw back from posting so much in the CD forum, and get to know people in person instead. I think that decision is starting to do some good. IRI and Atlanta was much more interesting than the competitions in the past.
So, think about it. Not everyone share the same opinion about how they want to experience this program we call FIRST. My advice is, don’t post for the sake of posting. Go for those meaningful conversations that trigger your thoughts into all kinds of directions that even you can’t predict its direction. Experience FIRST from deep within rather than from the surface.
Tom ask why I want to know. The truth is, I don’t really know. Perhaps I just want to throw something out in the open and see where the discussion lead to. Now-a-days, I don’t have many issues I care particularly about. I figure the smart people will take care of it. I think I enjoy the flow of discussion much more than what’s really being said. I guess its kind of like learning a math formula to solve a problem, you do homework just to practice the problem, but you don’t particularly have an opinion about how the answer look like.
Maybe this is a right way to use the forum, maybe it isn’t. I don’t really know. But I think I do enjoy arguing with people whether it is or isn’t, no matter what the result of that argument is.
Between Andy B. and Andy G. being Andy A. has some unspoken expectations put on it.
Seriously folks, living up to the Andy lastinitialhere. name thing is a little rough at times. I find my self lying awake at night trying to think of ways to make the Andy’s who have come before me proud.
It’s a hard knock life, being an Andy in this world.
Maybe I"m just weird…but I know I would be kinda creeped out if I was one of the “famous” FIRST people. Why? Because no one is any different than anyone else in my eyes. Granted, some people stand out more, but that is because the other people might not have gotten a chance yet to shine. I mean, I rather just have a few close friendships with people from other team than have people just talk to me about stuff they know I’ve done. When you become “famous”, some people view you as different and better; honestly, they should be treated as you would treat anyone else.
i think it is possible to be famous and still have many close friendships. what you need to do is stress the fact that, while you may be famous, you don’t consider yourself better than anybody else.
i do agree, though, that many people have the potential to be famous, but just havent landed in the right set of circumstances yet.
Keep in mind, there are two Andy B’s. Baker and Brockway. So that makes four of us goofy Andy’s!
I don’t know if I’d call it fame, but instead the more colorful personalities in FIRST being thrust into the spotlight because they are easy to remember. Take Baker for instance…who else in this world would chase a pig, drag it by its tail, and post it up for hundreds of people to see! Eventually, its that same thing which keeps them in our mind, and keeps us inspired.
My original purpose of joining these forums was to meet new people on other teams, and I think it has worked pretty well. I’ve also had a few people come up to me and ask “Hey aren’t you Ryan… Doan… Doan… that Ryan guy from chiefdelphi?” :] I just think it’s pretty cool when some random person comes up to you and knows your face or name. I don’t know about being “famous” with this community, that might be a little weird, but I could handle being known.
This is a great thread on an interesting topic. I haven’t tought anything about this until you brought it up, but since you mentioned it, it seems like part of Dean Kamen’s vision is becoming a reality. In his old speeches he used to say that a goal of FIRST is to make people think of scientists and engineers in the same way that they think of pop stars and professional athletes. The fact that this thread exists shows that the change is afoot.
On this same point of discussion, sometimes I wonder what the FIRST-famous are like from the outside…when you take out the FIRST from the person. For example, to you and I, Baker’s about as famous as you can get without being on staff…but what’s he like at Delphi? What’s JVN like at Clarkson minus the robot?
I think its interesting that people at these places could see these people every day…and have no idea that they’re a hero of FIRST. It’s saddening, really…it shows how far we still have to go…but as Chris said, just having the famous exist means we’re well on our way.
I believe that people are only famous if others feel the need to make them famous. If enough people have enough respect for you and look up to you enough for them to call you famous, I think that there would be nothing more flattering than to be called such. But hey, once again, just my own little opinion.
Changes are happening through out the FIRST community, we can’t deny that. My only concern is, are the people ready to become these “Heroes” Dean intended for all high school students to have?
People like Andy B., Dave Lavery, and JVN seems to grab people’s attention whereever they go, whenever they said something even when it mean little to them (well, that’s how I imagine it anyway). To be under thousands of watchful eyes everytime you show up at a competition is not something I desire at a FIRST competition, or life in general. I can only imagine the pressure they experience to be public figures. Then again, since I am not them, I would never know completely how they feel.
Actually, I don’t mean to be negative about the subject. I tend to think of the worst case scenarior on just about everything. I actually think it can be fun to be well known by lots of people at a robotics competition. Its like you did some work ahead of time when you meet new people, because they know about you already. Now all you have to do is to find out about other people.
I think the important thing is that you really do have to work hard to get to meet people and get to know who they are. It goes for both way on this interesting relationship between someone famous and their admirers. Just because you are famous doesn’t mean you should stand there and let people talk to you. And just because you admire someone, doesn’t mean they are necessary better than you.
I suppose I really should follow my own advice. In the past few years I’ve hide behind my name on the Chief Delphi Forum, and didn’t pay attention to the people who really deserve them. I guess its part of my anti-social personality and fear of meeting new people, hopefully that will change as I learn more and more about growing up.
Not sure why I started the thread at the beginning, but I am enjoying the thinking whenever I read or reply to a post in here. This is kinda fun!
I think FIRST fame is nice, but it’s definitely over-rated. It’s also certainly not what the program is about.
I get plenty of fame on my own team. Staying until 4am on ship night so the robot gets finished. Mentoring a student and teaching them something they never thought they could do. I like it when the people on my team talk glowingly about my contributions. Or when I help another team out and they appreciate what I’ve done for them.
Unfortunately, I’m not famous, and people like me are a dime a dozen in FIRST. Well respected and famed on their own teams, but the rest of the world never hears about us.
Well Ken,
While I certainly wouldn’t have placed myself in such distinguished company, (Andy… you’re swell too ;)) lately I keep seeing myself referenced as such. Since I’m on your list, I guess I’ll (however egotistical it is of me to do so) provide some insight on how I see things.
The “fame” you speak of is a weird thing, and it is tough to get used to (for many of the reasons that have already been discussed).
I find myself wondering what I did to deserve it (those who know me best have seen) because I’m just a normal guy, and just another Joe Schmoe in this competition. I’ve just gotten lucky, and had some incredible experiences, and met a lot of incredible people who have just made my time in this competition downright incredible.
This “fame” has certainly opened some doors for me, and made for some interesting times. Can you imagine how amused my parents must be that some kid in New Jersey has my name on his backback?
If nothing else it has helped me meet more of the people that make this competition great, which is fantastic.
It is also really cool to see the FIRST programs impact through all this. (preachy lesson time folks). I’m just a regular guy, going to college and majoring in Mechanical Engineering, but the fact that there are students across the country who look up to me (God help them…) is just amazing. FIRST works. If a MechE-dork like me can be a hero for a HS kid, FIRST is certainly having SOME effect.
But of course, I feel a lot of pressure because of this…
I know I’ve certainly been trying to fill the shoes I’ve been given, but I’m still not sure how good of a job I’m doing.
All I can promise is that I’ll keep trying to be the role model everyone seems to think I am.
