Bud (and other contest managers),
I’ll put aside my thoughts about the substance of the rule change, and
offer a thought about process instead.
WPX certainly isn’t a democracy, but it is an institution in which
thousands of people have participated – some over decades. Longstanding
participants can naturally feel some sense of emotional investment, due to
their longstanding involvement. For the current managers to make
significant rule changes by fiat, without consulting the larger community,
understandably invites some offense.
In contrast, I’d offer the practice of some past WRTCs as a good model. The
management releases a draft set of rules, and then invites comments for a
defined interval. A firestorm of feedback is received, including
impassioned pleas pro and con. The managers take it all in, and then make
a decision – informed by whatever bits of data they find persuasive in the
community comments.
In the end, some people are still upset. But each had an opportunity to be
heard, and that tempers the offense when the contest management establishes
a rule with which they disagree.
We all appreciate the hard work, for generally no-thanks, that contest
managers do. I’d simply suggest that you invite community discussion
before undertaking major changes.
73,
/Bill, K2PO
Portland, OR
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