[CQ-Contest] Line Scores

[N7MAL]

Congratulations Ward any politician would be proud of you for being able to speak out of both sides of your mouth at the same time without blinking your eyes. I, still, believe there is more to the contest line scores being removed than we are led to believe. 
Contesters, as a demographic group, I suspect make up the largest group of QST subscribers. If the contest community seriously wants line scores back in print then there a very simple solution. Organize a petition saying we will take some action against QST. and in particular the advertisers. Then make sure AES, HRO, Kenwood, Icom, and Yaesu all get copies of the petition. Remember first and foremost QST/ARRL is a business controlled by the 'bottom-line'. 
If we really want those line scores back, and I for one do, then hit QST/ARRL right where they live, in their pocketbook.

MAL               N7MAL
BULLHEAD CITY, AZ
http://www.ctaz.com/~suzyq/N7mal.htm
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ward Silver 
  To: CQ-Contest Reflector 
  Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 5:32 PM
  Subject: [CQ-Contest] Line Scores


  > 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  do not publish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


  _______________________________________________
  CQ-Contest mailing list
  CQ-Contest at contesting.com
  http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest