[CQ-Contest] Line Scores

[Ward Silver]

> I concur totally-- I used to wait eagerly to see "k5ucv" even with very
few Qs.  It was exciting-- recognition that I belonged.  I hate it that they
do not publish
> the scores any more.

Not picking on Rusty in particular...

Lets be clear - the ARRL *also* hates that they can't publish line scores in
QST any more.  Those pages were lost because there aren't enough members and
advertising dollars to support them, the reasons for which are well beyond
the scope of this discussion. Despite the modern tendency to find a
conspiracy behind every grassy knoll, this was not an anti-contester act.
The ARRL has been and remains the world's largest sponsor of contests by a
large factor.  They get an imperial ton of complaints about it, too...

While many of us greybeards - some with entirely more salt than pepper - may
cherish the printed page, for technically savvy individuals under the age of
40 (i.e. - the new blood we all claim to seek) the printed page is a lot
less important.  They have a different set of expectations and waiting for
months and months to see lines of 6-point type is a lot lower on their totem
pole.  We grew up with it and it is our standard.  They did not and it is
not.

At the time of the original announcement, a group of folks got together and
took a look at contest-related information.  We wrote a paper about where we
thought the information should go.
(http://www.designet.com/k1ir/Downloads/ContestProposal_071702.pdf)  This
tried to take into account the reality of publishing media today.  Some
things are good in print.  Stuff that is really data - like line scores -
costs too much for physical distribution in the publishing environment of
today.  If you think you know so ding-dong much about it, go start your own
magazine and show us :-)

Bud's comment about "feeder activities" and other's observations about
referencing their performance to local/regional standards point the way.
The information is out there and public.  We are all known presences in our
communities.  All we have to do is apply ourselves by combining the data
with the crucial personal touch that made the difference to us when we were
starting out.  Soon, you'll see those new calls in the pileups.  I've seen
it happen right here in our local club.

It's not up to "somebody else" - it's up to YOU AND ME.

73, Ward N0AX