New Idea- Freelance FIRST

Other FIRST-related Organizations
1

WHAT IS FREELANCE FIRST?

Freelance FIRST is a new idea that came to me after M. Krass brought up the idea. Since M dosn’t have a team, M wants to help others by using her skills on CAD. So this got me thinking: what if lots of people get together and pool their talents to create some original content for FIRST teams to use? This could be anything they could use, from CAD to non-copyrighted songs for their animations, this would encompass all aspects of FIRST.

‘Freelance FIRST’ would be a resource, or a library per say, of many resources FIRST teams could use. From open-source programs, to programming, to PR sheets with nice FIRST info, to help with CAD and Autodesk. The idea wouldn’t be things teams would copy-and-paste necessarily, but more on the idea of starting blocks.

A good example would be the new autonomous codes. Many new and old teams didn’t know what to do. But if Freelance FIRST was around last year, FF would supply some info and beta test code for line tracking, dead recog, etc.

What Can I Do To Help?

Freelance FIRST is just starting out, so I’ll need lots of input. I’m still wondering how this will be all carried out, should it have it’s own website? Newsletter? Will this be affiliated with a team website? If you have any offers or opinions, then post them here or PM me with them.

How will this info be accessed?

Don’t know now. A newsletter, website, and other things are currently my ideas, your opinions are welcome.

When Will This Be Up?

As soon as all the bugs are worked out, people help with ideas and content, and people are ready to take in the info.

Thanks for reading my idea and hopefully you can submit some material. I hope this can become a new, huge, resource for teams.

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It definitely needs it’s own fully-featured website. I will help with any part of this deal in any way I can and my team will be glad to contribut any documnets or anything that might be helpful. Let me know if I can do anything.

I am currently working on a 5 min still photo documentary of the FIRST Robotics program that I will release to all teams to use for promotional purposes. Expect it to be out sometime in June.

3

Thanks for the support Sanddrag. Anyone else?

4

I’m in.

I realize that a lot of teams don’t have the time or resources to devote to research and development, so I’d be happy to do whatever I could to augment their ability - even in some small way - by offering my ideas to everyone.

I can’t think of a better way for mutual learning to take place than for there to be a repository to exchange tangible plans and ideas for components and designs. The people on the receiving end will be able to adapt full-featured robot elements to their needs, while the providers; people like me, will learn from the input and suggestions of anyone who looks at what we do – how to make it easier to assemble, more reliable, smaller, faster, better, etc.

It’ll be a lot of work, but I think the benefits could be outstanding.

So, in whatever capacity you’d like my help, I’ll do it.

5

I will have access to state of the art MIDI equipment and music software in a couple of months through my job. I’ll see if I can pester some of the music theory students into creating a batch of stuff to use for background music or quick intro tags. They like little projects like that to blow off steam.

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Thanks for the support Sanddrag. Anyone else?

I will gaddly help. If I ever get around to building some robots I will post information about them and how they work.

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I’m in too, I can help with the site as well. On our site I made a small autonomous tutorial already, and over the summer I’m planning on having LOTS of tutorials made up encompassing autonomous, FLASH, Photoshop, Website Design, and a few other areas, and we’d be glad to contribute that.

8

I’m not sure if I’ll be involved with a team next year or not, so I may get on board this… I’ll have to think about what I can help with. Probably something in the programming area.

9

WOW! This is great guys! I’m talking to the parents about web space and a possable web site. If this goes, I’m thinking of an Ed Sparks AutoCAD Library on drugs. :smiley: Imagine sample code for rookie teams. PR resources for teams.

10

i’m willing to help out. not quite sure with what, yet. but i’m willing! :smiley:
this sounds really cool

11

I don’t know how much spare time I will have, between FIRST itself, college, and work. Whatever I can contribute I will.

12

Hey, I’m always up for helping. Just let me know, Joseph!

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eh i am sure someone will find some use for me, i am pretty good at organizing scouting, JUST NO MASCOTS *glares at JosephM)

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WOW! This is great guys! I’m talking to the parents about web space and a possable web site. If this goes, I’m thinking of an Ed Sparks AutoCAD Library on drugs. Imagine sample code for rookie teams. PR resources for teams.

I want a word of the day. Plus oddles and oddles of robotics related equations. I will gladdly help with that.

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I’m in…Web work is kinda my thing, so once you get space secured, let me know and we can get things rolling…if you need a few suggestions as to where to host, let me know…

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Willing to help…this sounds like a really good idea.

Lemme know what I can do to help…

Aaron Knight
Webmaster and Videographer
Team 891: Neverending Chaos…
http://first891.topcities.com

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I’d love to help, but I’m not sure how much I can do. I am profecient in photoshop, and getting better in 3ds (I am also good at lightwave, for what its worth). I’ll do what I can to help the cause.

either way, it sounds wicked cool.

email is [email protected]

18

I’d be willing to work on graphics design through stuff like Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Fireworks, and Illustrator.

One suggestion is that a web template should be made for teams who need them. This would entail a SIMPLE layout without all the glamour but a good layout for posting news, dates/events, team only info, pictures, and perhaps a forum.

19

There is a system I started on last summer that I’ll probably finish up this summer for teams. It’s a members area system easily configurable, I wrote all of it and it’s good for planning events and outputting to the main page and all. Once I finish it I’d be more than glad to contribute it.

20

love this idea. :smiley:

let me know if you need my help in any way

Albert Wu
PR/Media Design on HRT (1072)
http://www.harker-robotics.org/ - not done, but i’m workin on it!