At 06:15 PM 6/6/00 -0400, Andrew J. O'Brien wrote:
>The modern contesting software should allow for users to use their own
>favourite RTTY/PSK or CW software seamlessly, likewise their favourite
>logging program.
The following not as criticism, but as a seasoned observation from someone
in the IT trenches.
As a system designer, project manager and programmer, I have to say I
cringe every time I see something like this. "All it would take" is for
every writer of every such program to agree on a common format to exchange
information, for all of them to use non-buggy development platforms, and
exactly the same data interchange mechanisms. The odds of that happening
are about the same as having every ham use the same make, model and year of
transciever! Til then, we'll have to pick which piece of software does the
best at the jobs we are purchasing for.
Or, spend about 5 years learning how to program and 15 years writing your
own. :)
Granted, it would be much easier to satisfy a small population with
agreement and cooperation between a few of the software developers. But
these would be piecemeal agreements, not full spectrum. Wayne might make a
deal with the DigiPan folks to provide seamless workings between WriteLog
and DigiPan, but what about the AMSAT tracking software folks? Or the GPS
folks?
Things are MUCH better than they used to be. They will continue to get
better. Wayne's doing a pretty good job as far as I can tell, with the
staff size he has.
Mike N2VR
--
WWW: http://www.writelog.com/
Submissions: writelog@contesting.com
Administrative requests: writelog-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-writelog@contesting.com
|