[CQ-Contest] The Next BIG Step in contesting

[Bruce Horn]

Although I've been interested in the concept of real-time contest scoring 
for some time, this idea seems to appear periodically on the reflector, 
generate intense interest among a few for a short time, and then disappear 
for 12-18 months.

Although W1VE has demonstrated a proof of concept implementation of this 
idea in the past, further work is needed to move the idea forward:

1) we need to establish a standard method of communication and standardized 
content for real-time score reporting that can be implemented by all 
contest logging programs.

2) we need to analyze the server and network requirements that would 
support the receipt of real-time scores and the display of real-time scores 
to determine for what size contest this will be feasible to implement.

3) we need to convince contest logging application authors to implement the 
capability to report real-time scoring in their software. It should be 
common, rather than the exception.

4) will contest sponsors view periodic real-time score reporting during a 
contest as something to be permitted or outlawed in their rules?

5) we need to know what percent of contest participants use a logging 
computer that has a real-time connection to the Internet during contests 
(for example, although I have many computers in my shack, the one I use for 
logging is not connected to my network). This will determine the number of 
potential participants. I suspect that users of Windows-based logging 
software, such as Writelog, are more apt to be Internet connected than 
those who use DOS-based software, such as CT/TR/NA.

6) what percent of those who do have a real-time network connection would 
turn-on the reporting of their score in real time if it were available in 
their logging software?

Without items 1-3 to build an infrastructure that enables this activity, 
we'll remain in the proof-of-concept phase. Items 4-6 will give us an idea 
of whether the idea is sustainable at this point in time, or whether we 
need to wait for further evolution of contesting computers from DOS based 
to GUI-based (Windows, Mac, Linux) network connected computers.

In past discussions on this reflector, I and others have suggested 
reporting "real-time" scores via a web form, but I don't believe this would 
achieve a degree of acceptance much beyond a proof of concept. I don't 
expect that many serious contesters will be willing to take the time to 
manually enter their score in a web form on some periodic basis during a 
contest.

Finally, we need to determine whether the interest in periodic real-time 
score reporting during a contest is primarily by those who are interested 
as spectators or by those who are competitive participants.

73 de Bruce, WA7BNM   (bhorn at hornucopia.com)