@Stany - now that was a bit harsh. He's only 14 and we don't even know what the teacher's purpose behind the assignment was. For all we know, it was to teach them to analyze requirements and fulfill them all and the actual function was irrelavent.

Sorry, I didn't know he was 14. Still, I wonder why they were asked to create a time keeping device rather than something more exciting and doable like one of those egg capsules to protect them during a fall or anything. It just seems to me that the whole task was a little pointless when you're asking 14 year olds to create things which, unless it's a sun dial, either doesn't really work in anything more than a technical sense or is actually near impossible for them to make, like a clock.

@Stany

Agreed. I remember making the egg capsule when I was about 14. Tons of fun.

hey a clock is totally NOT impossible to make. I beg to differ on that statement.
._. it helps to take apart a working clock.

(with hindsight... now I'm really confused as to why there's a timer on your clock.)

Well if anyone would know, mapleleaf it'd be you.

Fuck off, homo.

Pffft you walked right into it.

Conservative Man, I'm close enough in age to you to be very sympathetic to your problem with the stupid science teacher. My sister's around your age so I especially know.

There are always going to be dick teachers who want to enforce their petty authority on you. It sucks, and he's really awful to nickel and dime you on points while it's safe to assume you're getting a shit education with regards to actual knowledge. However, that's the way it is and you've just got to follow the rules.


High school doesn't last that long. College and real life have their own asinine rules that you need to follow but they're at least tangentially based on reality. So just try to endure the pompous teachers you have now and live up the fun parts of high school (which most of it is, like prom and driving). I can't say things get better afterward, but they do at least get different.

CM, can you post pictures please?

Man? 14? Shurely shome mishtake!

@CM: we all get that you are bent out of shape over this. You probably brought this to the forum expecting sympathy and I guess that you feel disappointed by the response. Sorry, but Diplomacy is not a game for kids, so you should expect to be treated like an adult. After all, you chose to label yourself as a man.

First and foremost, please realise that the actual problem and the score you received is irrelevant, it will have no impact on your life whatsoever. You will learn much, much more from getting a bad score, and understanding why (fair or not), than if you had received 100%. As several have already said the person that gave you advice, which turned out to be wrong, is not to blame. At the very least, remember how it feels to be treated badly (by your current standards) and if you are ever in a position that you never treat others the same way.

diplomat61, The Redcrane Committee awards you the Medal of Intelligent and Helpful Response.

no offense to anyone else.

@Stany: We're actually going to do that later in the year.
@Alamothe: My teacher hasn't posted them onling yet.

@Stany on page 2: It swings for about 30 seconds before losing momentum. We were allowed to touch the timer during the test, so I just took 1 second to reset it after it slowed down, and added the amount of times I had done that onto the time.
@Redcrane on page 2: It caused my grade to go form an A to a B. Also: Almost every thread I make seems to be a bad call.
@stratagos on page 2: I'm at option 2 right now.
@everyone: I want to point this out. We could bring the device to school unassembled. It has to fit in the box when it's unnassembled. If my project had been unassembled even partly, it would have fit in the box. So how did my project break the rules?

73 replies... what the fuck.... at first I was like yeah okay that sucks but deal with it you break the rules accept the consequences. now im like really -who- -fucking- -cares- ?

you are 14, going off the other thread, this assignment means sweet fuck all for the rest of your life. you got a shit mark. whoop de doo. quit bitching and accept it. i guarantee you a year or two from now you will barely remember the incident and its going to have to bearing on your life.

i dont usually swear so much. but jesus grow the fuck up and lets gets something worth talking about on the freakin main page.

i realise the irony of my last post putting the thread on the main page

It broke the rules because you didn't bring it to school unassembled to prove it fit in the box. Real world example: A car has fold back mirrors so it'll fit in shipping containers nowadays. Engineer./design firms are told to design the car so it can, if partially disassembled, fit into a shipping container. One firm comes back with a car that fits and can demonstrate it. A second comes back and says it fits, but never proves it because they only have a functioning fully assembled model. Frim one gets the contract. Firm two is sent packing. You are firm two.

@Draugnar: We could have proved it. We could have disassembled it right there. But my teacher didn't let us. I do see your point though.

@ CM: What did the winning teams do, that you didn't do?

@everyone: You guys do realize I was just venting, right? I have no where else to vent.

@Jamiet: 1) Their timer was slightly better. 2) They brought it unassembled.

@ CM: I think (2) is the key here. Were you told to bring it unassembled?

@Jamiet: No. It could be either way.

Here are the actual rules:

IT'S ABOUT TIME CONTEST

Objective:
Build a mechanical (non-electrical) timing device that can accurately measure time intervals from 10 seconds to 300 seconds.

Rules:
· Work in teams of two students (no more, no less!). Sign up your team.
· NO commercial counters, timepieces, or parts of counters or timepieces. NO electric or electronic devices. NO chemicals or explosives. Any other materials may be used.
· Bring your timing device to school on contest day in a standard cardboard file box (approx. 15" by 12" by 10").
· Your entire timing device, with all its parts and materials, must fit inside this box. The device does not have to be assembled inside the box – you will have time to assemble it when the contest begins.
· You may NOT hang your device from a door, table, chair, etc. You may NOT hold your device up. If your device needs to be hung up or held up, you must build that into your device. The entire device, including anything holding it up, must fit inside the cardboard file box.
· The contest begins at the start of the period on test day.
· NO Late Projects - NO Excuses!

Seems clear to me. Must fit in the box assembled or unassembled. No excuses.

@Warsprite: But if it was unnassembled it could fit in the box. And unlike in Draugnar's example, I could have proved it, if the teacher had let me. Are you saying that it has to fit both assembled and unassembled? Because my friend had a pendulum that when assembled, was like 4 ft. tall, but fit in the box when unassembled, and they were fine.

"The device does not have to be assembled inside the box – you will have time to assemble it when the contest begins." makes it clear that it must be inside the box when you bring it to class. You screwed up. Learn and move on.

@Draugnar: What must be in the box? The timer? It was in the box. I think I will have to explain the whole situation again: Assembled, like it was, the timer did not fit. If it had been unassembled it would have fit. The timer was in the box, fully assembled, but the lid didn't close all the way. If I had partly unassembled it then, it would have closed all the way. The rules say that the timer can be unassembled in the box, so I should have been able to do that. But my teacher didn't let me. If you can show how what I just described is against the rules, I will move on. Otherwise, I will not.

I know your only 14, but read this for comprehension again.

"The device does not have to be assembled inside the box – you will have time to assemble it when the contest begins."

This means it must be fully in the box when you arrive. There is no wiggle room to disassemble it then reassemble it, only to assemble it when you arrive. you brokw this simple rule. It's plain English and yet you don't seem to comprehend this.

The rule does not say "You may disassemble your device to prove it fits then reassemble it to prove it works." What is so hard about the fact that it had to be fully inside the box when you arrived? It's the same as bringing a new design to a demo. You bring it the way it will be delivered to the customer, assemble it, then prove to the potential buyer that it works. It's a process and you didn't follow it.

May I ask what class this was for?

Thanks Draugnar. I was going to bang by head next. Unfortunately I've seen the same kind of thing with college grads also.