I HAD a real-time leaderboard site running (worked only with Writelog)
that we ran for a season or so of contesting (CQWW, ARRL DX). I'd say
5 or six guys tried it, but did'nt seem like there was much interest.
It reported full score breakdown via a web page or a window right in
the Writelog application... If people are still interested, I'll
revise it and put the client code out again. It has a very simple API
and I'm sure others could write interfaces to update from other logging
programs.
If there had been more interest, I am sure we would find a contest
sponsor.
73,
Gerry, W1VE
> Contest Rate Sheet for April 23 = Ward N0AX said:
>
> >Hmmm. I log on, run the application, work the contest, and in a few
> >minutes all of the log checking is complete, the winners announced
> >with validated scores, and the reflectors immediately fill with
> >post-contest analysis. It does give one ideas, doesn't it?
> >
>
> Wow.
>
> Ideas like:
>
> * real-time leader boards via the Internet
> (sliced and diced by category and locale at viewer's discretion)
> * real-time club standings
> * How am I doing versus X1XYZ?
> * band status reports (total Q's reported in past 10, 30 or 60 mins?)
> * mult status reports (number of mults / list of mults reported in a
> time period;
> number of mults / list of mults reported since contest start)
> * total Q's reported by band and hour; i.e. a global rate sheet;
> could be tracked separately for different geographies
> * time-delayed QSO rejection to allow makeup Q's
> (I.e. who says a bust has to be irrevocable?! Perhaps enforce a
> penalty for
> an uncorrected bust and a smaller or zero penalty for a corrected one?)
> * additional features for spectators (commentary, busted Q
> considerations, etc.).
> * ...
>
> How about someone (individual or organization) sponsoring a contest
> specifically to try out stuff like this? Ward noted correctly that
> today's Internet may be too "sluggish" for realtime online logging of
> our current types of contests. But for those who do have fast
> connections, it should be tenable to do at least semi-realtime. Forget
> about secure transaction processing; just do something like "tailing"
> log files using FTP or something similar that can buffer around
> slowdowns. (Non-geeks note: Tail is a Unix command that copies records
> from an open file as they are added at the end. FTP is a file transfer
> protocol. Buffers are holding bins that would let Q's accumulate at a
> station or on a remote server until they can be processed.) Adjust the
> rules such that no one's score is dependent on performance or accuracy
> of the Internet features and disclaim responsibility for errors induced
> by the system. Participants must agree to accept such errors in the
> infrastructure like umpires on a ball field, as "part of the field" even
> if they cause specific, individual interferences. A contest like this
> would help us to learn good features and practices and should evolve as
> the majority of contesters establish high speed, always-on connectionsj,
> as the Internet world catches up in other ways and as the online contest
> infrastructure matures. Agree up front that this contest will be so
> plastic that the concept of tracking records from year to year is
> meaningless. Maybe call it an "experiment" rather than a "contest." Once
> the infrastructure and other technologies catch up, true real-time will
> become feasible using similar features and the possibility of
> transaction-level integrity and a stable rules set.
>
> Please don't attack me about any specific suggestion above that you
> don't like. It's intended to be provocative like Ward's original teaser.
> I'm not sponsoring this thing, just trying to goad someone smarter than
> me into doing so. I hope that any followup to this posting is on the
> concept. It would be great if some person or organization then offers to
> set up infrastructure for a specific set of rules and sponsor a contest
> around them. That would be the time to discuss specific features, but
> the brave volunteer would have to be the supreme arbiter since it will
> be his, her or their copious spare time that will have to be invested to
> set it up.
>
> I am prepared to sponsor awards and/or prizes for the organizer and
> winner(s) of the first successful trial of Internet augmented
> contesting; details TBD.
>
> 73,
>
> Rick N6XI
>
>
>
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Gerry Hull
Hull Computer Consulting
Custom Solutions for Broadcast Automation
POB C, Greenfield, NH 03047
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