How can we make this better?

FIRST General Forum
1

Posted by Tom D, Engineer on team #75, Robo Raiders, from Hillsborough High School.

Posted on 4/25/99 11:08 AM MST

My only means of staying in touch with the national competition was through the live broadcast provided by NASA. Although far from perfect, this was a very good thing. Thank you NASA.

To those of you who have experienced this broadcast, you obviously know the video was poor and it was hard to see any action at all. Thanks to the audio for tellng the story of what was happening in real time.

For future events, I would like to see a website set up just like a sports page, with digital display windows to tell what is going on. (Who is up next, scores of previous rounds, current standings, etc.) This would provide a clear picture of what was happening, with or without the live broadcast, and could cover both arenas simultaneously. This would be really nice! Maybe FIRST could arrange to have this done???

On another point, I do not mean to be a complainer, but I am disappointed that FIRST takes so long to post all of the competition results on their website. Given today’s technology, all of the money involved, the large amount of support from major corporations and communities from around the nation, I think FIRST should strive to post information in hours, not days. I think FIRST is a great organization, and I love what they stand for, but they should do more to be a truly world-class organization. FIRST is setting a great example, why not set an even better example?

Congratulations to all of the participants, organizers and workers who made this national event a success. You are all winners!

2

Posted by Dan, Student on team #10, BSM, from Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Banner Engineering.

Posted on 4/25/99 1:42 PM MST

In Reply to: How can we make this better? posted by Tom D on 4/25/99 11:08 AM MST:

I was one of the people who had to be content with watching nationals from home and I obviously appreciate the live webcast. I agree the quality of the coverage was poor, but because the thousands of people who do care about FIRST are at nationals, there is little incentive to put so much time into a web broadcast. :-Dan

: My only means of staying in touch with the national competition was through the live broadcast provided by NASA. Although far from perfect, this was a very good thing. Thank you NASA.

: To those of you who have experienced this broadcast, you obviously know the video was poor and it was hard to see any action at all. Thanks to the audio for tellng the story of what was happening in real time.

: For future events, I would like to see a website set up just like a sports page, with digital display windows to tell what is going on. (Who is up next, scores of previous rounds, current standings, etc.) This would provide a clear picture of what was happening, with or without the live broadcast, and could cover both arenas simultaneously. This would be really nice! Maybe FIRST could arrange to have this done???

3

Posted by Fran , Other on team #166, Team Merrimack, from Merrimack High School and Unitrode/R.S. Machines.

Posted on 4/26/99 5:10 AM MST

In Reply to: How can we make this better? posted by Tom D on 4/25/99 11:08 AM MST:

: My only means of staying in touch with the national competition was through the live broadcast provided by NASA. Although far from perfect, this was a very good thing. Thank you NASA.

: To those of you who have experienced this broadcast, you obviously know the video was poor and it was hard to see any action at all. Thanks to the audio for tellng the story of what was happening in real time.

: For future events, I would like to see a website set up just like a sports page, with digital display windows to tell what is going on. (Who is up next, scores of previous rounds, current standings, etc.) This would provide a clear picture of what was happening, with or without the live broadcast, and could cover both arenas simultaneously. This would be really nice! Maybe FIRST could arrange to have this done???

: On another point, I do not mean to be a complainer, but I am disappointed that FIRST takes so long to post all of the competition results on their website. Given today’s technology, all of the money involved, the large amount of support from major corporations and communities from around the nation, I think FIRST should strive to post information in hours, not days. I think FIRST is a great organization, and I love what they stand for, but they should do more to be a truly world-class organization. FIRST is setting a great example, why not set an even better example?

: Congratulations to all of the participants, organizers and workers who made this national event a success. You are all winners!

Maybe FIRST can add a new competition element to the annual rounds by asking teams to develop and sustain websites to carry this information. It was wonderful to get ‘some’ news of what was going on in FL…I definitely had less need to hear from my kid to find out how they were doing. I know from regionals that it is easy to forget the outside world exists but it will only benefit the whole program by getting more info out. I visited lots of websites of teams to piece info together and was impressed with daily updates on them.

4

Posted by Joe Johnson, Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 4/26/99 7:37 PM MST

In Reply to: How can we make this better? posted by Tom D on 4/25/99 11:08 AM MST:

I propose that FIRST use their ACCESS database to output a copy of the database to something web compatible.

I think that there are a ton of automatic FTP programs that could update the web version of the data every couple of minutes.

They must already have a PC network online at the competition.

It doesn’t seem to me that it would be too hard to make a psuedo-live link happen.

What do you think, FIRST?

Joe J.

5

Posted by Chris, Coach on team #308, Walled Lake Monster, from Walled Lake Schools and TRW Automotive Electronics.

Posted on 4/26/99 9:39 PM MST

In Reply to: web database application posted by Joe Johnson on 4/26/99 7:37 PM MST:

: I propose that FIRST use their ACCESS database to output a copy of the database to something web compatible.

: Joe J.

You know Joe, I have a really great DOS database… :slight_smile: (Just kidding)

6

Posted by Joe Johnson, Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 4/27/99 8:02 PM MST

In Reply to: Re: web database application posted by Chris on 4/26/99 9:39 PM MST:

Chris,

Your message may not raise even a smile with some folks, but I have to tell you, I laughed out loud!

DOS may outlive us all yet…

Joe J.

7

Posted by Brandon Martus, Other on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 4/27/99 11:40 AM MST

In Reply to: web database application posted by Joe Johnson on 4/26/99 7:37 PM MST:

My thoughts exactly. (no…i’m not volunteering :slight_smile: hehehhe j/k)

: I propose that FIRST use their ACCESS database to output a copy of the database to something web compatible.

: I think that there are a ton of automatic FTP programs that could update the web version of the data every couple of minutes.

: They must already have a PC network online at the competition.

: It doesn’t seem to me that it would be too hard to make a psuedo-live link happen.

: What do you think, FIRST?

: Joe J.