Team Torque and Roaming Robots

[grafix]

Dear all.


There are so many stories out there as to why Team Torque is not at any Roaming Robots events thats its now time to have a show and tell.

A while ago a few roboteers were trying to help one of their fellow roboteers and some parts were taken without Jonnos permission. As can be seen, its a plain case of non communication to Jonno.

AS he himself states he would have said yes however, nobody asked him. When the mistake was found out it was rectified quickly however, Jonno still thinks that miss deeds, theft etc had taken place. He banned 2 members of the team from his events and even after a few months and a few people asking him if he was sure about his course he was asked if he wanted the FRA to look into this matter. He did. Mike Hamilton-Macy was appointed the task of looking into this with a FULL Code of Conduct. His report is posted on our website. Link at the bottom. ALL emails etc are included. Please note that the report has been added to by Kane and that this contradicts Mikes findings.

We as a team are not happy to have to take this route. The report was supposed to be confidential until after the meeting but parts have been leaked. As can be seen, its in Jennys favour. Team Torque has kept quiet for a while in the vain hope that it would be sorted out in both a timely and a correct manner. To our dismay this has not happened.

I would like to ask how Roaming Robots can hold any UK championship fights whilst a team has been excluded? The team did not receive the email invitation even though other teams who do not even have a heavyweight robot did. This team has been exonerated by the FRA so its exclusion goes against the FRA.

To answer a point that Swanny made regarding Geoff and him not doing anything or being permitted to attend a lot of the events, well, its because the FRA has done such a good job in the past that safety has been greatly inproved and very little, if any reporting has been required and being banned from RR events is not his fault.

Please see http://www.pillowtorque.com/investigation for the COMPLETE report, an announcement and the complete set of emails.

Mike.

[swanaldo]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

At long last. now the community can read everything for themselves. The FRA needed a good shake up. Not that i think anything will change much. Karoline i am sad your loyalities have forced you to resign. Remember you have of course resigned from an existing FRA which was put together full of governing body members that dont use the forum and are silent most of the time anyway. Its in a real mess is what people are saying........i say it was in a real mess anyway and all this coming to light will clear the air. I always wanted transparency with everything that went on with the FRA as it is after all an organisation for us roboteers.

A fresh new start wouldnt be a bad thing. I am glad it has all gone breasts up cos now maybee people will do something and build on what has been all but destroyed.

The suggestion that John Bell be a puppet is a bad statment.

Saying that there are plenty of bad statments. Sad really.

If the FRA folds no worries. I will still go to events and fight my robot. After all thats what its all about for me and not bollatics.


The sport will carry on FRA or no FRA

[john]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

a new year, a new argument - same old thing happens on this forum lol

see you in barnsley

p.s beast will be on fire in barnsley

[grant_ploughbot]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

I dont normally liek replying to things like this, but this time I feel theres actually a need too. This by the way is my own opinion (and facts) and not in anyway discussed with james or anything to do with the views of Robo Challenge.

To answer a point that Swanny made regarding Geoff and him not doing anything or being permitted to attend a lot of the events, well, its because the FRA has done such a good job in the past that safety has been greatly inproved and very little, if any reporting has been required and being banned from RR events is not his fault.

I agree with swanny on this - Geoff is banned from RR events for his and Jennys own doings (whatever the situation, a robot was taken without permission and attempted to be sold - that in any book IS theft). Over all the years, Geoff has NEVER attended a Robo Challenge event. For whatever this reason may be, the safeety officer should have some need to attend the UK's only Full combat events to ensure full safety is always adhered too.
Geoff and Karoline were incharge of grading Craig Danby's arena this year. There were two attempts at grading the arena - both outcomes were absolubtely totaly incorrect and immediatly should have gotten other FRA members to assess the arena for the next time. The event was allowed to run as Full combat and graded with some franckly insane safety issues.


At the same event Geoff also tech-checked a robot running li-po batteries, and didnt check even a single point on the safety regulations for running these batteries. As the Safety officer at the time, I find that descracefull and woud not want something like that ever to happen at anyones event.

Regarding the UK Championships, the FRA should have contacted all event organisers by noew to put their proposals in, to be voted on by the commitee. This has not happened so i dont blame Jonno for trying to move things on. Leave it much later and there wont be a chance to organise one!

*EDIT - Also to add, Recent events have had some serious safety issues which should immediatly have been picked up by the FRA, that have been let to continue for a while . An example of this would the the very large gaps in the top corners of the RR arenaat the UK champs finals this year. They are big enough to put your head through. Each event is supposed to be checked and a form filled out to make sure everything is correct. This should have been picked up on and Jonno notified. I am not saying Jonno is not to blame in any way, but the FRA safety officer, whoever it may be should have made sure the problems were rectified.

[gravity]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

I lol so much about all the robotics politics (copyright) in the uk.

Why can't you guys just all go back to standing around the weight scales with your toes beneath the scales to get a 3-way feather beneath the 100 kg weight limit and just have a good time ?

This reply was without reading that fra statement majiggy by the way, so I'm not responding to that, but to robopolics in uk in general.

[pressure]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

Hi people, a few observations:
No attempt was made to sell the robot parts that were taken.
That was never the intention.
I don't know where you got your information from Grant but it is false.
The issues that have come to light are about problems between individuals not the FRA.
The FRA will be open about this investigation, it is due for disscussion on the23rd and the findings and any actions decided upon will be published.
My report being published prior to this is a betrayal of trust and irresponsible.
It has already been misquoted.
While its true that some committee members do not post much on the forum it does not mean that they don't read it!
It is also true that there are a few committee members that have taken no part in disscusions or meetings since they have been elected.
The words pot, kettle and black come to mind.
I am in general agreement about the raised safety issues, we should do better.
Mike.

[Scorpionbuilder]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

Hi All

There's quite a lot I don't intend to say at this point in time & it is not my position to do so.As a governing body member it is only right that I adhere to the request for confidentiallity asked of all of us linked to the investigation.As I've already posted now everybody knows exactly what has held up the presidential elections.

I do have some issues with certain statements suggesting I am a puppet & being controlled by an event organiser, and also the suggestion that I may be involved in manipulating the governing body for my own ends (I would remind you that it wasn't me who tried to force 13.6kg on the featherweights not that long ago - for my own ends).Yes a lot of damage has been done & friendships have been irreparably damaged - and this being done in this way has not helped matters at all.

There is 1 final point - I wish to refer to the list of emails which has been claimed are ALL the emails on the matter, I'm sorry but that statement is not true.For anybody reading the emails, my email to Geoff (no 12 I believe) must read as being completely out of the blue.So here is the email missing from their list, which will explain my response to Geoff.As you can see from the list of recipients it was not sent to all partiesinvolved:

Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:11:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: Geoff Smith <geoff_smith182@yahoo.com>
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Subject: Invite
To:
Su

[swanaldo]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

While its true that some committee members do not post much on the forum it does not mean that they don't read it!
It is also true that there are a few committee members that have taken no part in disscusions or meetings since they have been elected.
The words pot, kettle and black come to mind.


Mike i presume that was a little dig at yours truely there......to my defence the meetings that have been held are held on a saturday....a day which in my business can be one of the busiest which makes it extremely difficult for me to attend meetings.

I will of course try my very best to get the time off to attend the meeting on the 23rd. If i cant attend then it will be because i have to work. Which will always come before attending a meeting.

Hope this clears things up for you.

[anukhet]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

To Grant
re. not attending your events...
Thinktank 2007 - all away on holiday
24/25/26 May 2008 - robots in SE Asia
viewtopic.php?f=105&t=1427&start=255 (edit: page 19)
14/15 Mar 2009 - Newcastle - we live at the other end of the country (Sussex coast) and we were all unemployed at the time
12/13 Sept 2009 did not wish to enter PTDR therefore could not compete in tag team challenge
<a class=postlink-local href=http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/foru...5<br /> Please

[craig_anto]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

just a reminder people were in 2010

[anukhet]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

Happy New Year

[craig_anto]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

did u get my membership Karoline?

[razerdave]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

I was going to ask the same thing. I would like to renew my membership as well, and another up and coming FW roboteer would also like to sign up, but I'm not sure who to send the form or fee to. From what Andy Kane told me at Wigan its Karoline but due to these revelations I wish to confirm that.

PS:
With regards to all this new information: Fight Robots not humans!

[pressure]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

Just a small prod Swanaldo! :wink:
There is, of course, no reason why members can't put there views on matters to be discussed via e-mail prior to, or even at, meetings.
For what it's worth I work weekends in the spring and summer, meetings are tricky for me too.
Mike.

[anukhet]

Re: Team Torque and Roaming Robots

Craig, not yet. BTW you have mail

Snow has been very bad down here and post is seriously delayed but rest assured I will process any memberships sent to me as per usual until I can hand things over to Kane (or whoever succeeds me if sooner). Also membership forms can be completed and cards issued at events as per usual so you could wait for Barnsley, Whitwick or Nottingham and still beat the 31st March renewal deadline.