It's really disappointing when the teams haven't finished the project by the end of the day (they're always getting unofficial extensions the following morning). Maybe if they were given design time previous to the contest, the machines would be more successful. I'd like to see more of the discussion that goes into the design process. Maybe this could be broadcast the evening before on TV or the net. Then give the teams net access and an email address each, and let the public write in with suggestions for their favourite team.

-- Henry Collingridge (henry@nospamcollingridge.net), November 18, 2000

Answers

This process would actually demean the whole concept of the contest.. I feel that a time limit is a time limit. Whatever isnt finished in the alloted time is an incomplete project and is either disqualified or operated as is. To allow design time and outside input would only act to lessen the difficulty and lessen the sweetness of success. JUST MY POINT OF VIEW......

-- daniel proffer (danny76240@yahoo.com), November 19, 2000.

I fully agree that more time would make a much better show. The time constraints are much too extreme for most projects. I believe another day would take nothing away from the excitement at all. The deadline would loom just as large, the drama would be just as great, but the end result would be a less pathetic example of too much haste and less prone to falling apart at the competition. There would also be less need to "cheat" on the projects (we do see it) and more creativity would show itself in the final result.

-- Greg Popove (gregp@telusplanet.net), November 19, 2000.

I like your idea, and think the show could be better, but alot of people say the teams need another day, and I can see they do cheat and rush a bit more then they shound, i think just a few more hrs. is all that should be added, like make it 12 hrs.

-- Jonas Quimby (Jonas184@hotmail.com), November 24, 2000.

Jonas said:
"...i think just a few more hrs. is all that should be added, like make it 12 hrs."

Won't make much difference. You run into another axiom:

A Job Expands To Fill The Time Allowed

-- Jim Janecek (isetta@earthlink.net), November 24, 2000.

I think that the allotted time is good. the teams are told in advance what the project is how else would they know hwo to pick for the specialist.

-- Fritz Speeg (Fritz101_@excite.com), November 25, 2000.

The teams do not know what the challenge is in advance. We really do find out on camera, the morning of. Its part of the fun.

The production company finds, then assigns the experts to the teams. We don't get to pick. We meet them the night before, in the hotel bar. They aren't allowed to tell us what skill they have, that causes them to be there. All we learned about our last expert was that he was an amateur league cricket player.

Watch us build a submarine December 6.

http://www.the-nerds.org/

-- Jeff - The NERDS (dp@the-nerds.org), November 25, 2000.

Since the shows main theme is a contest it fall sort of flat if one team can't finish the project. Therfore maby some sort of extention in time could be granted after both teams agree. If I were in this competion I would like a sporting contest, maby you can asses some sort of penalty like a diferent start point or longer distance for the team with the extention.

-- Rickey Durand (rdurand@nternet.com), November 25, 2000.

I think they way it is now is perfect. It is better not knowing what you have to design, before the contest.

-- Martin D. Cunningham (martymart19@hotmail.com), November 28, 2000.

Perhaps this is hubris, but my team was much more interested in what team we were facing. I say hubris, because it implies that we were confident that whatever they asked us to make, we would oblige.

We were also curious as to what got built in prior episodes, and what soulitions they chose. More a case of "that would have been fun" and not "well cross that one off the list of possibles".

-dp- Watch us build a submarine December 6.

-- Jeff - The NERDS (dp@the-nerds.org), November 28, 2000.