[CQ-Contest] Contest Annual

Mon Jan 14 03:47:44 EST 2002

>
>I was never left with that impression from Mr. Bellows.

I may have read this wrong. I think when they took the DXCC listings out of 
QST they came up with the DXCC yearbook ( or something like that) if you 
wanted to know who made the DXCC list that year you had to buy the yearbook. 
I automatically assumed they would do the same with the contest results. 
Instead of putting them on the website they would publish all the results 
for the year in the Contest Annual. So I may have mistaken the suggestion of 
Mr Bellows

>You guys have this
>built-in hatred of the ARRL and the administration.

No we don't hate the ARRL ( at least I don't) we just don't like the way 
they are changing thinks. They have decided that this is the way it is and 
if we don't like it tough.
We would have at least had a chance to give some input on the changes before 
they were decided.

>Have you ever met these
>people?  You elected them.  Better yet, run for something useful instead of
>standing around and bitching about the price of your last field day pin.
>From my experience the ARRL staff devote an enormous amount of their time
>and effort to further the cause (oh great, more hate mail).  Rather than
>throwing axes at anything that moves, try making some positive suggestions.
>Don't just stand there making the rest of us listen to you mindlessly 
>moving
>your lips, do something constructive!

Ok this is what we need from the ARRL as far as contest coverage.
An article after each contest showing contesters in action ( hey guys this 
is where we come in to help hint hint).
A basic rundown on how this contest was better or worse than last ie

Number of logs submitted were better/worse than last year,
Overall scores were better/worse than last year
What Records were broken this year.
Maybe a few comments on how this year was better/worst than last year etc.

On the web site we need
Contest results posted in a timely manner ( a month or two) including the 
top ten and winners in each category that a award was presented
Access to all the logs submitted ( so we can see if the NIL was my fault or 
the other guys) and so we can plan strategies for next year
Have the logs searchable for stations like mine so I can see if I lost 
because of operator skill ( more than likely) or because the other guy had a 
better station but in the same class as mine.

I am sure others will add to this list.

>
>You assume that the annual will exclude all other media.  Did you read
>something I did not?

I did take it differently than you did yes. But like I stated above I could 
have read it wrong.

>Never have I been left with the impression that the
>ARRL hates contests, contesters, their scores>

They don't hate us but I would say most of the other members of the ARRL do 
especially during contest weekends.

>The "annual" or "yearbook"  was never a best seller in high school.  I
>seriously doubt anybody ever bought an annual unless their picture was in
>it.  I seriously doubt anybody would buy this annual unless their name and
>callsign was in it.  We are discussing culture.  What makes sense for
>contesting culture?  Does an annual make sense in addition to all the other
>media mentioned.  Rick said he would not buy it.  I don't blame him.  But
>there may be some hard-core enter every contest known types that would love
>a nicely done annual for the shelf
>
>Other posts have foolishly assumed that there would be no mention of
>contesting in QST.  Who said that?  Better yet, let's invent all kinds of
>silly accusations and just tear the ARRL down as much as possible.  The 
>ARRL
>is not the anti-Christ guys, get a grip!
>
>The pictures of contests, the exotic locations, the equipment, the sweat 
>and
>tears that goes into contesting, these are the topics that will bring 
>people
>to contesting, not the fine-print mention of KC9### with 100 Qs and a score
>of 400.  I believe the ARRL wants to deliver the best quality information 
>to
>participants.  It's entertainment guys.  They know it.  There isn't room in
>QST to make it entertaining.  Figure it out.  It's culture.  What do you
>want the tradition and the culture to be like?
>
>Beam me up Scotty.  I'm through trying to communicate with the evil aliens
>that haunt this list.
>
>Ford-N0FP
>ford at cmgate.com
>
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com

--
CQ-Contest on WWW: http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests: cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com

>From Silver Ward" <hwardsil1 at mindspring.com  Mon Jan 14 03:50:16 2002
From: Silver Ward" <hwardsil1 at mindspring.com (Silver Ward)
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 03:50:16 -0000
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Contesting, Ham Radio and the Internet
References: <3.0.5.32.20020113220849.009a3ab0 at pop.abs.adelphia.net>
Message-ID: <00c701c19cae$97697d00$34e7bfa8 at ward>

> As an old Doom player from the dark ages, of course I acknowledge that
> computer gaming exists on the Internet.  I feel that what is unique about
> radio sport is the competitive aspect of the communications themselves.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR

Yep - the Internet strives for 100% error-free pipes.  We thrive on pipes
for which the bit error rate is more like 25% and changing by the second.
It's like trying to swordfight during an earthquake.  It's utterly cool.

Yet, we have failed miserably at describing the awesome magic in language
that connects.  Couldn't be that we're all a bunch of techie geeks that
can't describe our way out of a paper bag, could it?  :-)  What we need is
about $2M in advertising budget and some seriously twisted individuals to
come up with the right media blitz.

How about some young gun with various body piercings and totally inorganic
hair - plus a hot young thang or two of the opposite sex hangin' on - sayin'
something like, "Total rate - it shreds!"  Lots of frenetic video clips of
hot operating, a throbbing music track, blistering cuts as the contacts
scroll off the screen - stand back and cash the checks.

Oh yeah, you have to learn Morse Code, though :-)

73, Ward N0AX

--
CQ-Contest on WWW: http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests: cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com