Disappointed - My opinion

Hi Raymond,

as my skills are also very limited and probably insufficient to have any real positive impact

I disagree after reading your past blogs - you have many skills including Python and most important, creativity. Keep posting - you might be able to use that as evidence to help you get employment as it will showcase your skills and your whole attitude to engineering. Did you see the Path to Programmable  ? Unfortunately it has closed now but perhaps a similar challenge will come along in the future. You could use such a course to increase your skills? Another great way is via online learning through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) - companies like Coursera run them, although most state a fee the actual material is often available for free.Again something to add to your skills and CV.

Good luck with your search for employment.

Rod

Hey Raymond,

urkraft

Don’t loose hope, keeping searching for the job. Every interview you face, gets you one step closer. If you have an idea and time (maybe after you are in a job) you can contribute your Design for a Cause here - Design for a Cause which is a space for such projects. I am adding to resources for learning mentioned by Rod (14rhb ). You can find things to learn in E14 here - Learning Center MOOCS here - MOOCS.

Regards,

Dixon

dwinhold I was calculating the count, right after the end of this design challenge, of the ones who have completed and of those who did not. And said to myself, don’t know why they didn’t proceed after receiving kits! But you did the more appropriate thing by bringing this to everyone’s notice (Most already aware) If they implement something similar to road test in design challenge like, if you don’t complete you have to return the product back and you will not be able to participate in E14 roadtests anymore. Maybe for design challenges they could relax it to only those who didn’t complete at least 50% of their projects.

Regarding unknown number of applicants, 45 have applied. You can see this in a fraction of second when you navigate from the design challenge page to the contents page See applications in the screenshot below.

Leaving to the E14 team to decide ... tagging in e14phil danzima whom I believe are responsible for Design Challenges.

Like Rod said, I disagree as well. We all have something that others are lacking that makes us all teachers. I know when I ran into road blocks during challenges just one post of my problem and within 24 hours I had 8 replies with possible solutions. I also have helped with other competitors road blocks. I never have looked at them as competitors and not help. I know most other community members are the same, we are looking at the same goal.

Maybe in the future we can do this design challenge as a Project14 challenge. Possibly call it "Designing to help others." Another possible challenge could be pairing up senior members with new members for a challenge.

Dale W

Thats a nice suggestion.

I have an additional thought. Why not members here combine and release a product for a cause? For free or maybe crowdfunded.

I agree - it can be frustrating when someone is selected for a design challenge or a road test and doesn't deliver on what they promised. Everyone understands there can be unforseen challenges or difficult circumstances. I'm sure that Randall Scasny makes more than adequate allowances for that. I know there are plenty of community members who would also be more than happy to assist too.

There's definitely a few people whom Jan Cumps has described perfectly as "treasure grabbers". It's a fact of life that some people are just like that. I'm sure everyone can think of a particular instance where this has happened - perhaps a challenge or road test you really feel you could have done well, that you missed out because someone made an empty promise and ran.

In my opinion it would be good to see a few more steps taken to reduce "treasure hunting". I can't help but think that the words "free" that tends to be splashed over these attracts the wrong sort of applicant. Sure, you'll get more applicants but are these the applicants that will do well?

It also seems that if there is a condition that the "prize" must be returned of the assignment isn't completed that this doesn't get enforced. I feel very lucky to have been selected for a recent high value road test. I put a lot of effort into it and feel that what I did matched up with what I promised. (I hope you guys agree.) What would have happened if I didn't though? Probably nothing. I would have been happy to have paid a deposit until the road test was completed to a certain standard. I'd have been happy if the equipment was on loan and legally the property of the supplier until I'd finished. I'm sure these sort of things have been considered and there's definitely a chance of putting of potentially good applicants, but they may be more of a benefit in putting off bad applicants.

Maybe it's a legal thing? Does it start to drift too much towards an employment situation if you get goods in payment for an assignment? Anyway, whatever the situation it's great that E14 do these challenges and road tests. The good output does indeed outweigh the bad. Let's hope they continue - imperfect or not.

Hi Dale,

This discussion comes up every couple of years.

There are very few ways to make anyone fulfill their promise to complete a design challenge or road test.

I would suggest that element 14 include a clause that failure to participate results in an immediate request to return all items shipped, but that is very unenforceable.

So I think we have learned over the years that about 50% of all challenges and road test come to naught.

Over the last couple of years the staff at element 14 have done a very good job in trying to properly screen the participants, but even then, we still see this recurring problem. Some people are very good liars and get selected where some people who would actually complete the challenge get bumped because their proposal writing skills are not up to the task.

In the past I have suggested creating a group of trusted testers, but that method then impedes new people from participating.

I have also suggested a progressive challenge, where you provide the equipment in stages based upon performance in completing each stage of the challenge. This approach increases the work for element 14, but might save the venders some money in the long run.

I do not see anyway to create a fool proof system. Fool's are just too ingenious in writing a winning proposal and then not participating.

So while I feel your pain, I am at a loss as to how we can do much against those who just slash and burn the venders.

DAB

fools may have an easier time fooling the “for humanity” contests. It’s easier to fake real human compassion than to fake real engineering skills ...

and maybe the judges are mellower when soft  feelings are at stake ? (I see similar things happening on other sites. I’ll name hackster because that’s an element14 related site. )

I totally agree that the Element14 staff have and still do a great job on dealing with making changes to avoid this. They go above and beyond for this community, without them we wouldn't have any of this. I am so happy with the response of my rant and the encouragement that came with it. We are all after the same thing, learn more, teach and create.

Dale W

I wonder if anyone has collated the stats for the different design challenges?