Hi, Mike.
I understand very well your points.
>I am the guy who originally persuaded you to include transceiver offsets
for VHF/UHF contesting and helped you debug the >serial port drivers for the
JST-245. That's a LONG time ago. Version 6 on 1.44 floppies as I recall.
>I've paid for a whole bunch of version upgrades over the years and I
patiently waited for YEARS to get some VHF
>contesting
I am one guy who asked long time ago for Writelog filtering spots not
"beloging" to the contest configuration: actually, it's very nice having
spots from the 30 meters band, mainly if you are doing RTTY with low rates
and there's a Dxpedition going on in the bands, but what the hell, could you
name ANY other contesting software which does handle non-contest band spots
in your spot window???
Anyone can have an oppinion about spotting and contesting: my best contest
results (and personal achievement experiences) have been *whitout* spot
support, but hey! There are different contest categories for everyone
entering the contests, and sometimes I don't have the energy to do full
contest, and I prefer chasing some ones for my wall paper collection. And
yes, I know, there are people who hates wall paper chasers, as there are
people who hates SSB, and people who hates CW, and people who hates HF, and
people who hates DX, and people who hates raw-chewing, and people who hates
6 meters, and people who hates CB, and put_here_what_you_hate.
>bugs fixed that you back-burnered or didn't believe were broken for your
own particular reasons.
I agree. My "your own particular reasons" were written by Wayne some time
ago in the CQ Contest mailing list: he simply HATES spotting, so he thinks
the spotting support in Writelog is more than enough (if not droppable at
all). And a software developer CAN'T go this way, a developer MUST hear his
users: is a very known software development principle.
Fire CT, connect to your cluster, and you won't get WARC spots. Go to your
radioclub with your laptop, fire Writelog, feed some spots, say "oh, wait, I
must set some filters for the contest! Oh, yes, after the contest, remember
to unset them!". You already know the comments.... "What a piece of crap!".
DXTelnet
Yes, CT does not RTTY, I know, but please take my point, not the example.
Writelog's motto is "I prefer a hundred users going MY way, than me going a
thousand users' way". VHF? Nah! Spotting? Nah! And (drum sound here):
>I'm happy that Writelog has continued to be supported over the years, but I
no longer use it. Why? Because it is so
>difficult to get running correctly if one does not have a secret decoder
card for the .ini files. One would think that a
>commented, sample file wouldn't so hard to include with the distributed
program. Yes, I've tried to use various web
>sites that purport to explain the mysteries of proper .ini setup. I guess
I'm too dumb or value my time too highly to be
>able to figure it out, even though I have a degree in electrical
engineering from a reputable institution. My degree is
I CAN'T agree with you more... I've been professionally in the computer
world for 20 years, and the configuration complexity for Writelog is
(unnecesary) harder than many Linux system daemons configuration! Heck, even
the .conf files that you use in Linux are commented out for its functions!
How may times have newcomers asked :
-Why couldn't they use the COM6 port? Wouldn't it EASIER updating AT ONCE
the "Ports..." window?
-Why couldn't Writelog filter WARC spots? Don't you already have an C++
array populated with the bands for the contest?
-Why contest named X does not score me as a DX? Couldn't WL asks me for my
CQ zone just AFTER selecting a new Contest?
-Put_here_anyone_asked_that_is_answered_redirecting_user_to_web_link_or_ini_
setting.
>I'm disappointed that it has come to this. It's no personal attack to
point out a sticking point of frustration for so
>many users and potential users.
I agree. For the first time since 1998 (maybe not a too long-time user for
some) I didn't renew my Writelog key as for 10.58 (mainly for economical
reasons, but the points stated in that serie of mails help putting WL behind
some other priorities) and what a pitty! Looks like I will move on to other
payable crap (or finally I will develop my own full of sh*t as I already do
for normal logging).
Regards from someone who wanted to love WL, but wasn't allowed to do so...
Fidel Leon - EA3LF
ea3lf@ea3lf.net
(Proud buyer of Swisslog, CT, RTTY, CapMan for DOS, DVK for DOS, MK keyer
for WL, LOGic 5, WinQSL Pro, 45 eBay-stars, YAST, Eudora, Opera, Avast!
Antivirus, AVG antivirus, Sunbelt Kerio firewall, donator for eQSL, SETI,
and many other my beer-hit brain does not remember for a shame!).
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