I have read now several hundred posts bemoaning the proposed shift in
contest rule and scores delivery. Memory getting dim about the no-code
business, but this seems about the biggest collective knee-jerk in
recent memory.
It might be the best thing that ever happened to us. Since they
dropped us from QST, we can say they owe us something in
responsiveness over the form and content of the internet replacement.
Including a greater incorporation of volunteers so we can reduce the
cost and improve the process.
Let them keep Field Day in QST, as they say. It's the best lead-in to
contesting we have going.
The internet focus will finally break the logjam focus on paper
magazine publishing, and remove the publishing lead-time from the
delay. We will be able to ask for and get improvements in the scoring
and presentation, including possibly a running claimed score page that
becomes available from day one as logs come in. Trust me, as long as
the final focus is making the magazine deadline, on-time and perfect,
other things will NOT happen easily. The internet medium is much more
easily corrected.
We will be able to publish COMPLETE scores on the internet. Maybe the
composite logs, for a price, on CDROM. Those of us with statistical
packages on our PC's would love to see what could be gleaned from
that.
Without the tie to paper, maybe the intervals for results will reduce
to something reasonable, like a couple of months after the contest,
with occasional corrections after that, for the record (possible using
internet publishing, practically impossible with paper scores).
Getting something right may simplify a good deal, with our having the
results in our face early on, while we can still remember what
happened.
None of the really good stuff is going to happen as long as we're tied
to paper. We've gone essentially paperless where I work at SAS
Institute, and after getting used to it, don't miss it at all. There
are distinct advantages. The amount of printing has decreased
enormously as people get their little personal PC tricks adjusted to
the network medium.
There will be those that say some will not be able to get the results.
Is there ANYBODY out there not close to and on good terms with someone
on the net and with a printer. If not, aren't there more creative ways
to deal with such situations (like requesting a printout from the
League for a dollar or something) than insisting that the League spend
money to publish a slow, often mistaken, hard copy of the scores in
the paper magazine for 3% of the readership?
Not all change is bad, I have to grudgingly admit, though those close
to me will say that I hate changes and surprises. They're right, and
my first inner reaction to this news you could have found in any of a
hundred posts I've read. After reflection, this one is different and
will make things better.
73 y'all, and think about it for a while.
Guy
K2AV
Apex, NC, USA
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