I believe his point was that the objectives are all still the same.
Even in the gaming world, games that merely change the scenery or method
of killing get old pretty fast, and usually get ripped in the reviews.
We get all enthused about contests like the Stew Perry that are
innovative enough to change the scoring system to something different
like distance for points and grid squares for multipliers, but even then
the basic objectives and strategies are very focused and pretty much the
same as they've been for decades. The tactics may have changed as
technology evolved (and as the solar flux changes from year to year),
but that's pretty much it.
I'll jump back to my basketball analogy. At best, radiosport is like
playing horse ... you get the chance to do some creative things but
you're basically competing against yourself until the final score is
compared. Online gaming is more like playing one-on-one, or
three-on-three, where you're competing directly against other players in
a dynamic environment that changes as a function of what the other
players do. Big difference.
73,
Dave AB7E
On 2/16/2011 8:14 PM, John Geiger wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jack Haverty"<k3fiv@arrl.net>
>> First, contests today are all mostly the same, and haven't changed much
>> in decades. Yes, there are variations in the rules - modes,
>> multipliers, exchanges, duration, points, etc., but mostly it's all
>> about getting on the air, making contact with as many stations as you
>> can, and staying in the chair as long as you can stand it to rack up the
>> most points.
>
>
> I have to respectfully disagree with this one. Yes, the objective is the
> same, but how we chase that objective has greatly changed. For example,
> there was another email on this reflector just minutes ago about how the
> logs submitted for the RTTY WPX contest have passed 1500 so far. That
> reminds me that I need to submit mine still. Wow! Who would have guessed
> that 15 years ago-that RTTY contesting would be so popular? Or so easy to
> get on for? No special TNCs needed like in the past. Just a cheap computer
> and some sort of sound card interface.
>
> What about CW skimmer? Who would have thought that it would be an issue for
> contesting rules even 5 years ago? 20 years ago we never would have
> imagined assisted categories and the controversy concerning the DX cluster
> and spotting during a contest.
>
> SO2R, electronic logging, Software defined radios, Steppir Yagis, dual
> receive radios, and panadaptors have greatly changed the face of contesting
> since I became a ham in 1980. Not to mention that you can actually work
> Albania in a contest today :)
>
> 73s John AA5JG
>
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