Is this even worth fighting for?

[jamesb]

I dont see why people should have to say anything.

As a personal joke I started this thrad, and people have used it as an oppertunity to attack the Razer boys.

Some of the people who have posted have information that justifies their responses, or their arguements at least, but most people just dont like them.

I think that this thread should be closed before more harm is done.

[tom_b]

Ill second that, James.

P.S. Razer rocks!!

[anukhet]

Personal joke or not, like em or not - no ones laughing and some people have taken it personally especially with some of the stuff thats appeared on this forum written by people, some claiming to be friends, who know exactly why. With friends like that who needs enemies?

Ian, Im really uneasy about saying this but by you talking in riddles youve merely added more fuel to the fire. I can honestly say that Ive avoided speculation (I simply dont know) but its made me more determined to rationalise your stance on this. We all know that RW is in a very precarious situation right now. You dont even have to say I told you so. But you lost that battle - that€™s tough, but the fact is there are a lot more games to play out there.

Youre being asked (nicely) to come out to play before you get left behind!

[jamesb]

Ian is always talkin in riddles.

The fact is, people speculate, and people moan, and people demand answers.... you want the truth?

For whatever reason, Razer boycotted.

Deal with it, it was their choice.

[anukhet]

Me metaphysicist, him ventriloquist. Q.E.D.

[jamesb]

ok,
now Ive lost the ability to read as that made no sense to me.

Ian is away on hols now, so be patient, Im sure hell have more to say when he gets back.
Cheers
James

[matty_haka]

I dont know *Shrugs* Who cares! IMO, anyone who boycotts in this sort of manner is no longer a robot held in high regard by me.

[fluppet]

Time to add my rant to the list.

Matty, youre welcome to your opinion, but my feeling is that if Ian and Simon dont want to enter Razer into a competition for *any* reason, thats their prerogative. Given Razers past record, it seems unlikely that their decision not to enter had anything to do with not wanting to get beaten - Razers taken a beating on a number of occasions in the past. The worst that they could be accused of, if their reason *had* been to avoid getting trashed by a harder robot, is conceding that Razer didnt have a chance of winning - and giving up the world title and not having a chance to compete for the national title are self-inflicted consequence if that were the case.

There have been issues with the rules for season 7, as expressed by other roboteers - and many of those issues I also have concerns with as a future roboteer. If team Razer didnt want to enter under those rules, whether in protest for the good of the community or because they just werent personally prepared to accept fighting under the rules (for financial reasons or otherwise), I dont have a problem with that. The fact that they didnt enter indicates the strength of feeling on the subject - not that I have any beef with other dissenters entering. That for whatever reason their objections werent associated with the almost-boycott of other roboteers is unfortunate, in that it wouldve strengthened the position of both groups, but no-one can claim that there was nothing to which to object, and whatever caused the groups not to get together is water under the bridge now. Im sure the fuss has registered with the decision makers at Mentorn, at least (should there be a next series for it to affect).

Im sure any such major decision has many factors, and Ian (and Simon) are quite within their rights not to make all their personal issues public. I may be *interested* in what exactly happened, but only in a tabloid journalism kind of way, and I dont think theyre under any obligation to say.

For what its worth, even if its just one of many factors, Im grateful to the team for taking a stand - as I am to the group who tried to get Mentorn to change their position. If no roboteer ever objected to Mentorns rules, we wouldnt have the FRA as it exists today. As a future roboteer I have no interest in entering a design into a competition run by Mentorn - and havent had for some years. That anyone is showing the view of the building community is commendable. One group tried to set Mentorn right, but felt obliged to enter for the good of their fans; the Razer team felt it was more important to support other builders by showing the strength of their feeling (if the problem was predominantly financial, it was still a financial objection to the rules, not the tournament), and their absence will have prompted the public to become aware of the problems more than rumours of a boycott would.

There may well be some underlying dissent from those who know more than I do about the situation (and cant say), and ill feeling that the stand against Mentorn didnt present as strong a front as it should have done. Someone may be to blame for that; fine, but thats passed, and - since errors are made (especially in personal communication) when tempers run high - these things happen. So team Razer may or may not be entirely blameless in all things (especially, as accused on some reports, when it comes to their personal skills), but it sounds to me as though most people agree with the overall reason for the boycott, if not the manner in which it was conducted.

Its unfortunate that the team has been somewhat alienated from the community by this situation, but I dont think theres any cause to doubt their intent, and theres never been a reason to doubt the engineering and driving behind Razer itself. Its sad that not everyone in the roboteering community gets along (when most do), but I dont think any less of any team as roboteers because of it.

--
Fluppet

[babeth]

Well stated.

Can we go on with fighting robots instead of persons now ? (The next ones still continuing to moan about Razer may receive a private message from me with a detailed and thorough example of why people should not fight people over this... got it ? After reading said message you are free to pick up and gather the ruins of your ego or personality and be encouraged to get on with your life !!! OK so this is ranting, but hey grow up will you...)