Compute This B

[chalker]

Does learning Google search commands help with the competition? Also, the rules manual says the spreadsheet and the word processor may vary in different competitions (unless my coach/I are interpreting the rules wrong). Should I get comfortable with Google Spreadsheets and Excel 2010?

Note there is a official rules clarification that relates to this:
http://soinc.org/official_rules_clarif

Compute This 3.a. (12/21/10): Each Director in conjunction with the event supervisor must choose and announce which Office toolset/suite (and version) will be used 30 days prior to the competition. Contact your State or Regional Director (http://www.soinc.org/state_directors_list) if you do not see the information posted on your tournament website. Tournament Directors may utilize:
(1) an MS-compatible Open Office toolset (e.g. Google Docs, OpenOffice.org 3.2.1), or
(2) the online MS Office Web Apps toolset, or
(3) a traditional installed version of Microsoft Office suite, as in prior years.


Compute This 3.a. (1/3/11): If an Open Office toolset or the online MS Office Web Apps toolset is selected, supervisors must ensure that access, function, and performance are acceptable at the tournament location prior to the competition. Supervisors must also provide pre-registered online accounts for each team, with unique user ids and passwords, that will only be used for the competition. Student accounts are not permitted for competition use. If an installed version of Microsoft Office (Word and Excel) is selected, as in prior years, no additional preparation is required other than posting the version.



I recommend regularly checking the official FAQs and clarifications since they are constantly being updated:
http://soinc.org/frequently_asked_questions
http://soinc.org/official_rules_clarif

[JSGandora]

What years did Compute This have noaa.gov as the website they tested on? Also, what's the difference between a linear graph and a line graph?

[robotman]

in theory it would have been 4 years running ago I think

[yogoperson]

What years did Compute This have noaa.gov as the website they tested on? Also, what's the difference between a linear graph and a line graph?

That's a very good question. I probably can't answer you because I forgot. Mah luck.

[zyzzyva980]

Isn't it a three year cycle? That would actually make it 2008... unless there's a website I'm forgetting.

[JSGandora]

Hmm, according to the Compute This wiki, we have the websites by year to be:

2010- NASA
2009- USGS
2006- NOAA
2005- NASA

It looks like 2008 and 2007 weren't listed.

[AlphaTauri]

...That's probably because it wasn't an event those two years.

[zyzzyva980]

That would fit the event rotation schedule of two years.

[JSGandora]

Wait, so some events are taken out for two years? Why?

[zyzzyva980]

Well, they can't have all of the events each year, they can only have 23. Many are based on a rotation. Like Reptiles -> Birds -> Forestry (I think) or Fossils -> Rocks. The builds switch out a lot- Trajectory swapped out for StC this year in B, Bridges for Towers, etc. The only events that really stick around include Road Scholar, Experimental Design, Write It Do It, Anatomy, Ecology, etc, etc.