Paul wrote:
>
> I think you might be partly right. However, I think
> many people who don't try getting into contests might
> be misinformed, ill-informed or just plain haven't
> gotten around to it yet. None of these people would be
> able to contribute to the knowledge base here. On the
> other hand, we know that there are many different
> reasons why those who participate do. It would be
> prudent to place more emphasis on this source of
> information, in my opinion.
Our dilema is not unlike that of the skiing industry several years ago;
declining numbers of skiiers. The issues are the same (they're both hobbies,
after all). The answer for them was that their own policies were getting in the
way of having fun!
Oh, the returning ski-ers (who were aging) were still having fun...but the next
generation wasn't having fun. They wanted to use the slopes, but were told that
THEIR version of fun was off limits...they were hoodlums...snowboarders!
Now...change lanes to the one labeled Amateur radio.
What's "not permitted for contest operation"?
o Digital modes on EME contests
o Rover tracking using BEACONet's CU2QSO (oops...reverse that, but not until
after a s-i-g-n-i-f-i-c-a-n-t amount of damage is done to the development
of the project) -- by the way...another digital mode
The problem is: we are looking at this from the ski-ers perspective (we are
having fun, and can't imagine why no one else is), and should be looking at it
from the Ski-industry perspective (why aren't more people coming?). The snow
boarders couldn't answer that question...because they were banned from the
slopes. Sound familiar? :)
So...we need to find our version of "snow boarders" and ask them "what could be
more fun?" and "why not submit a log?".
Ev, W2EV
ps...finding some subtle flaw in the above parallel is easy...understanding the
principle and knowing it fits takes courage.
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