[CQ-Contest] Radiosports for the 21st Century

[Joe Contester]

--- wd0t <tdravland at pie.midco.net> wrote:

> 
> Help me out here.  Who defines what is fair, and who
> defines what is a level playing field??

I was hoping that someone would ask this question.  I
believe that _we_ define it (many here seem to have
already, haven't they?), then we compete to whatever
that definition is.  Submitting to a central authority
is nothing more than the public recognician of our
participation.  "Categories" are nothing more than a
way to segment the printed results when the medium is
a page in a printed magazine.

What if we weren't afraid to think entirely
differently?  Imagine a Radiosporting world where
there is a combination of several of the ideas already
floated here (tnx K0HB, W6WRT, K1TTT, K5TR, W2EV and
others):

1. Identify all of the factors that come to play for
scoring potential and design a client that captures
them all.  Stations would input their information in a
"setup screen" prior to starting the event.  Note:
input is still being sought on this -> off list,
please.

2. Create a cluster of Internet-based Telnet servers
that the client-side software would send statistical
information to (not QSO-specific -- simply stats)
periodically.

3. Those servers would send back stats to the client. 
The client would present them on a Dashboard,
according to two styles: (1) them vs. the entire
playing field and (2) them vs. the competition as THEY
have defined it.  Example: Single-op, Single Band, 40,
50-200 watts, 0 dBd antenna, 40-60 feet high.

4. At the end of the event, the full-log is submitted
automatically (be accurate, it's part of the
skillset!) and the results are posted in score-order
(no categorization) by default with the ability to
resort the results in a way that is similar to the way
that the ARRL does in it's online system.

5. DQ's occur publicly, with the reasons being
announced openly.  Replies to rules interpretation
will be made publicly so that all participants will
have the benefit of having the same knowledge.

Bottom line: you want to appear higher in the list as
it shows up by default?  Address it by enhancing your
skill, station, etc so that your score increases.

Much of this is in discussion on this list.  There is
an active effort under way to make such discussion a
reality.  There are many aspects yet to consider. 
Keep the thread alive.  There is much value in public
discussion on this topic.

"Welcome to the next level" :)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Radiosporting/



		
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