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Re: [CQ-Contest] A new "DX cluster" experience for contesters

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] A new "DX cluster" experience for contesters
From: "WT2P - C. Fred Johnson" <fredwt2p@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:18:05 -0400
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Ok... Let me frame it in a context that I am most familiar with (and 
some of you are as well):

High Frequency Trading.

Back before the mid 90's. You called in an order down to the NYSE (or 
CME/CBOT/etc.). Your skill was to be the first to get in on what 
rudimentary information you had at the time. Then came SOES in the mid 
90's. Bypass the broker completely, go to the NASDAQ. People howled that 
was "unfair". Now, you take for granted your ability to trade without 
having to call down to the broker and get your face ripped off for 1/4 
cent. The people who whined about the "unfairness" of it all find 
themselves out of a job.

HFT is now the hot subject. Computers doing the trading/marketmaking. 
It's about who has the fastest pipes, the fastest tech, the brightest 
quants. You still need to employ STRATEGY. Any noob with a modicum of 
programming skill can now hook up to a broker's API and trade 
automatically. But, if you lack the same rudimentary SKILL, you will 
STILL get ripped off. Those who fail to adapt, eventually -- will be 
replaced. Same goes for radio. Any noob can hook up 
skimmers/decoders/whatever, but if they lack skill, they are going to 
thrash around. There's still skill involved even when using the new tech 
crap -- having intuition of being on a band, catching an opening. 
Knowing how to effectively operate, how to maximize the discrete 
interactions you have with people on the air during the contest. It 
comes down to even a choice of words. I was schooled on this by some of 
the best in W9 land years ago. You can have the Lambo, but if you don't 
understand the fundamentals, you are going to crash and burn or look 
like a complete fool.

I know, it's a hobby. Supposed to be fun. Not supposed to be work.

wt2p
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