I am interested in what current WriteLog users think might be changed in
WriteLog with respect to the comparison in this review:
http://www.pvrc.org/Newsletters/feb04.pdf (scroll down to page 8)
The specific points I wonder if I should pursue further are:
1. The reviewer thinks that "modes" in the program are good. That the
program should change its response to certain keystrokes based on whether it
is in the S&P mode or the Run mode. It has been my opinion for a very long
time that modes cause more problems than they solve?
2. zooming of the bandmap. how useful is this to you?
3. The reviewer takes away points from WL because its windows can be docked
instead of floating on the desktop. Surely I should not remove this feature
from WL?
4. The review takes away points from WL because we don't update the software
in real time during contest weekends and "updates come out infrequently". I
have been reasonably happy with our beta test/release process (which
routinely catches a number of bugs before they go out to thousands of
users), but that process pretty much guarantees that from a request to a
commercial release is a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks as that's how long it takes
to get through the beta test process. Would users really prefer that the
beta tests be publically available?
5. The reviewer had 3 or 4 month old information regarding the way we manage
the country files and multiplier files, so his specific complaints are
inaccurate, but it still raises the question of how that should be done. The
WriteLog FULL distributions have copies of those files that were current
when the distribution was created, and the UPGRADE distributions do NOT have
the files at all. This means that you have to download the new files, and
you get notices on writelog@contesting.com when they change. I don't think
its a good idea to embed those files in the UPGRADE installs because I think
there should be exactly one way for a user to get the latest files and some
users don't upgrade right before the contest, and some users upgrade their
software, but not necessarily to the most recent version (and so would get
old files if the UPGRADE had them).
I invite email comments to any or all of the above, either direct or on the
reflector. I personally value thoughtful answers the most (and prettymuch
ignore flames and my-dog-is-better-than-your-dog comments) and I try to
thoughtfully consider recommendations. However, I don't promise any action
or even a response to any email (and I confess that I am guilty as charged
in the review of not answered 100% of all email queries I get--I have no
excuse.)
Thanks for your consideration,
Wayne, W5XD
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