OK - A real question:

The aspect of the program I find most fascinating - The extent to which communication and organizational properties of the teams dominate success. You get the Bodgers (motorcycle club), the Long Brothers (nice bunch of guys from PA), who dominate - And the super-competitive techies who don't.

Actually, it is such an overwhelming phenomenon that I have concluded that they must be, as well, the dominant influence in that -original- Scrapheap challenge - The birth of civilization, and development of modern man.

(Og - oog-ug-grunt-thump-thump-snort) - Translation: "Hot damn! Og, guess what, - while I was out foraging for nuts and berries, I stumbled across a Kawasaki 750 motorcycle with a creamed front-end that still has a good power plant!".

The question: Have you ever considered attempting a scrapheap challenge with individual applicants chosen by lottery, and brought together as teams? It does add one more obstacle in a program that is already tenuous by nature, but it could be interesting.

-Tim

-- Tim Raisbeck (RaisbeckSv@cs.com), May 07, 2001