Hi Dave,
I think there's still a desire to have something "tangible", versus something
ethereal.
several contests do distribute certificates via email or a link to an online
location, for DX contests with worldwide participation, this does seem to be a
cost effective method.
I still have a fondness for engraved certificates, they have a substantial feel
to them, but they are history.
Some day, holographic awards will be the rage...
73,
Julius
Julius Fazekas
N2WN
Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html
Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/
Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
--- On Mon, 3/2/09, David Gilbert <xdavid@cis-broadband.com> wrote:
> From: David Gilbert <xdavid@cis-broadband.com>
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Award Plaques
> To: "CQ-Contest@contesting. com" <CQ-Contest@contesting.com>
> Date: Monday, March 2, 2009, 3:23 PM
> I'm sure I'm a minority of one on this, but it seems
> to me that hardwood
> plaques are becoming a rather inefficient way of
> recognizing contest
> achievement.
>
> 1. They cost a lot of money, both to make and to ship.
> Contest
> sponsors repeatedly have to request donations and
> sponsorships for even
> the most significant ones.
>
> 2. They take time to make and deliver. Some, at least in
> the past,
> have taken years.
>
> 3. They are limited in terms of graphic capability unless
> really
> expensive techniques to make them are used.
>
> 4. They take up physical space in the winner's shack,
> either on the
> wall or in a drawer.
>
>
> Digital certificates, on the other hand, have none of the
> above
> limitations. With a bit of creativity they could become
> gorgeous works
> of art that could be printed and framed if desired, or
> added to a screen
> saver if not. With the right file format they'd be
> almost impossible to
> alter, and if anyone really wanted to cheat it would be
> easier to do it
> with a hardwood plaque anyway (your local awards shop will
> make you
> anything you want). Digital awards would be cheap to
> produce, and I
> have to wonder whether it wouldn't encourage more
> serious contest
> participation if more awards were granted, as in 1st, 2nd,
> 3rd place for
> each country, zone, state ... grid square ;) ... whatever.
> I don't
> think it lessens the value of a #1 award if the #2 and #3
> positions are
> also recognized. It might even be amusing to see various
> contests vie
> for the most creative and attractive graphics each year.
>
> Certificates for lesser awards from major contests have
> already been
> distributed as attached pdf files instead of mailed paper,
> and it just
> seems to me that there's no great reason anymore to
> ship a block of wood
> even for the elite awards.
>
> I'll bet not a single active contester agrees with me,
> but I thought I'd
> bring it up anyway while we're on the topic.
>
> 73,
> Dave AB7E
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|