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No Paul dont, without the views of people willing to challenge the FRA what are we? a bunch mindless drones?
this sport is to inspire people to use there imagination and express it, The FRA should not be suppressing us
We are the robot builders we have the power without us there is no FRA, we could survive without the FRA (that should bring a nice response)
I strongly agree Craig.
all this over a £10 membership fee. but then i suppose this forum wouldnt be right without bickering and fallouts with andy kane and co. if i were geoff or andy i would just give up the post and let someone else get the stick for a change. go to events and enjoy roboteering as it should be. no-one deserves what you guys put up with.
Shane ... Pauls position/stance is obviously coloured by issues other than the paltry £10 FRA fee.
Some of the statements in this thread are written in such a way as to offer minimum offence ... whilst others are less than diplomatic.
The tone of these less than diplomatic posts are causing offence ... Its a consequence of allowing Free Speech.
Very dissapointed in geoffs post. i dont think it does the FRA any justice. I do support the FRA and its goals which i think we all do (even you paul) however comments like that dont help the situation in any shape or form.
attacking posts that ask controvercial questions is the wrong way to go. just answer them to the best you can and that will satisfy everybody and at least gives poeple the impression that your honest and willing to listen.
I personnaly think that people like paul dont join the FRA because of the FRA, more the people that represent it and do a bad job.
I dont think the FRA committee are doing a bad job. I do think that, as demonstrated above, some committee members sometimes dont demonstrate the degree of tact and diplomacy needed in these kinds of discussions. Nor of course do some other roboteers, which is how these conflicts develop. Geoff, Andy, while Im sure its extremely frustrating to have people carping at you about stuff you may feel is petty, irrelevant or whatever your role in the FRA means you need to demonstrate more tact and patience- it comes with the territory and is part of the jobs youve taken on. If you are seen to be judgemental, rude or make people feel excluded its bad for the sport/ community and reflects badly on us all. Unreasonable to expect that kind of restraint? Maybe, but the alternative is to respond as you have above and create more misunderstanding, bad feeling and divisions, For those who criticise the FRA and those elected to run it: Yes, of course its appropriate to offer criticisms, but theres no need to be rude to the people elected to run it on our behalf. We need to be adult enough to avoid personalising this stuff and realise that the FRA committee are fellow robot builders. When Andy and Geoff step down, whoever takes on the roles will no doubt get a rapid reality check in terms of the commitment and effort involved- and need to grow thick skins.
Right, bear with me a moment while I put this flame-proof suit on...
To all,
I dont do tact and patience, I concluded a while ago it is a waste of time and I make no appolgy!!
Andy and I work bloody hard for the benefit of the FRA and roboteering in general, but it is clear from the comments above that what we do is not appreciated by some people.
Paul, if you dont want to join.. Fine by me, thats your choice!
James, So you think I no longer do the FRA any justice? if so, Im quite happy to stand down now and force an election in which, given your comments, you would be very keen to stand?
Maybe you would enjoy multiple trips to Daventry for committee or E.O. meetings each year, being responsible for making sure that the Associations accounts are audited on time, being leagaly responsible for the conduct of the Association, holding the directorship of Fighting Robots Ltd. (along with all the leagal responsabilities that goes with it) spending hours writing up ammendments to build rules, the list just goes on and on!
THEN have to deal with people on this forum that seem to have nothing better to do than criticise and pick holes in every little thing we do.. and you wonder why I loose my cool from time to time.
So, if any of you think you could do a better Job of Chairman of the Association.. please feel free to propose a motion of no confidence in my abilities and I will be more than happy to stand down. At least then I could go back to being a normal roboteer and go to events without wondering whats comming next.
Im off on holiday now (a couple of weeks of peace and quite and not a robot in sight!!)
O.K. Ive said my piece.. the next move is down to you guys.
John, is dead right when he says says that thick skins will be needed. Shane is also dead right as any successor to Andys and Geoffs jobs will get the stick. It doesnt matter what happens, there will always be someone who disagrees with any decision made.
At the end of 2007 it all looked extremely promising with many good events lined up, relationships repaired, and things generally were at peace. Then on this thread, from Jan 5th 2008 it all went t*ts up.
No individual is to blame for this. Like a game of Chinese whispers, it took a certain direction and hurtled away and the end of this thread now bears no resemblance to the beginning becoming increasing more negative as it went.
We dont, as a community, need this negativity. This is one of the major reasons why some people stay away.
To Paul and Tim - I have clashed head-on with the Executive in the past. Getting that kind of response is a bit of a shock I know but I have managed to use tact, diplomacy (and sheer stubborness :)) to put my point over. One thing I know for sure is that you are both well respected and you would be welcomed back into this community with open arms - you have my word on that!
Thats my rant if you like...
Missed the edit deadline.....
Just to say I try to use tact and diplomacy even if others have run out of it :wink:
Tact and patience is never a waste of time- even if it can be difficult to muster in trying circumstances. The alternative is bad tempered exchanges that fuel pointless feuds and misunderstandings. Now thats a waste of time. As should be obvious from the tone of my post, I appreciate what you, Andy and the rest of the FRA committee do, on a voluntary basis, for the community, just as I appreciate the efforts of the EOs, particularly Roaming Robots, in putting their money where their mouths are and keeping the sport going.