[CQ-Contest] Innovative Idea

[Hill, Russell C.]

Been watching the thread on scoring, both for the CQ WW recently, and
further back, for the CQ WPX.  The central issue of the debate seems to be
fairness, as it gets skewed by the accidents of political boundaries.
I wonder if a simple scoring scheme of 1 point for same continent and 3
points for different continents might not minimize the inequities while
encouraging maximum participation and fun.

I don't believe any point rule can completely eliminate all potential
inequities, but perhaps an easily understood and applied rule, which was
applicable to more than one contest, might be preferable.

The different multiplier rules, i.e. countries and maybe states/provinces
in the WW, and prefixes in the WPX, would give each contest its unique
flavor.

As an aside, I tnink anything which generates more contest enthusiam among
the US noncontesters has to be good for contesting in the long run. 
Telling the guy with a relatively small station that he counts as 0 points
for the vast majority of the stations he hears is probably not going to
build his enthusiasm for contesting.  On the other hand, if most of the
stations he hears and calls welcome the opportunity to work him, he may
think "Hey, this is fun!  When is the next contest?"

Anything which contributes to the perception of difficulty and/or elitism
to the "unwashed masses" is perhaps not in our best interests, in the long
run.

73,
Rusty
NA5TR


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