[CQ-Contest] Real Time Scoreboards

Sat Oct 21 15:02:46 EDT 2006

Bob, Vladimir, and Contesters...

I'm addressing two topics here:

First, the concept of Single Operator seems to always get "beat up" when new technology is introduced into the contesting game. In the true sense of SO, you would have to lock the contester into a shed with no phone line, no internet, no 2m rig, no assistant bringing food & water, no nothing... just a radio, coax, and antennas for the contest duration (and maybe even a treadmill to generate the electricity too). In the real world, every operator is certainly "assisted" in one manner or another.

Regarding real-time scoreboards, this perceived assistance is at the bottom of the list along with that treadmill. It provides no competitive advantage to an operator. What it will do is increase the overall interest and participation in contests. My vote is real-time scoreboards do not put an operator into the assisted category.

Second item, which Vladimir introduced regarding using after the event log posting, is a great evolutionary idea. I support this idea. All contesters are aware of the 3830 reflector which serves a similar purpose. We go there and review our unofficial scores in the weeks following an event to see how we've done compared to other competitors. As has been mentioned by others, the thrill is gone if 6 ~ 11 months have passed by before the ranking is revealed.

In fact I have taken the 3830 scores and brought the data into Excel to provide some fundamental analysis. I do this for the contests I have an interest. You will find the 2006 CQWW RTTY analysis here: http://tinyurl.com/qvnfg  Grab the "Rev 5" file with the latest updates.

I would expand Vladimir's idea of contest log posting to include fundamental statistics on the webpage along the lines I put into my spreadsheets. The first step in implementing this is already in place by virtue of the "log collecting robots". But the existing tools need to be improved. For an excellent example take a look at the online California QSO Party log import / report robot. The existing log robots need to be improved and expanded with new user feedback features.

Computer logging, live internet connections, 3830 reflector, real-time scoreboards, log robots... the pieces are all there waiting to be integrated for the contesting community. To move a project like this forward a source of funding would be needed. Anyone have ideas on this?

73 de Bob - K0RC in MN

------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 08:10:28 -0500
From: "Vladimir V. Sidorov" <vs_otw at rogers.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Real Time Scoreboards
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>, <live at cqww.com>
Message-ID: <004801c6f512$47d51080$6400a8c0 at PC240214425287>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original

Please kindly consider the 2 following ideas.

--- Would't it be better just to publish full contest results in 1-2 months 
after it's over? Virtually the interest to the online scores has come (IMO) 
because people is tired to see results of the contest only just before the 
NEXT YEAR'S one, when all emotions calmed down and all memories went 
South...
Somehow RSGB has recently released (on a perfect way BTW) results of the 
IOTA contest which took place less than 3 months ago...

The CQ Contest Commitee does realize that basic (OK, claimed) results can be 
seen/traced even ONLINE nowaydays, during the contest itself. Then why the 
Commitee still needs 11 months to publish official results???
It's the 21st Century, gentlemen!

--- And another idea, never seen anywhere so far. Actually, its a kind of 
revolution, eventually, not more not less...

Why don't you consider the LOG CHECKING PROCESS traceable online?
I mean, with every log arriving to you, more and more logs will be checked 
vs. eachother and you publish the results online. Like, there are 5 logs 
arrived, they are cross-checked and the finner so far is XXX. Then there 
come 100 more logs, and the winner turns to be YYY at this stage...
I am pretty sure, people will watch your site non-stop or at least will jump 
into that very often. It will be such a show!... A real show. Nobody will 
need 3830 or online scores amymore (is it good or bad, I don't know), 
because the REAL show begins right after the contest...
It can be even made widely public, offered to TV or so to broadcast it every 
a few hours or days...

How about that?

Thanks and 73,

Vladimir VE3IAE - EU1SA

---
>
>
> Dear Fellow Contester,
>
> The CQ WW Contest Committee is discussing whether use of real-time
> contest scoreboards is likely to convey information about band
> openings and profitable tactics to an extent that participants using
> the scoreboards should be categorized as assisted. The 2006 CQ WW contest
> rules have already been published and they will govern the 2006 contests.
>
> We welcome your comments on this, and suggest the possibility of also
> sending the comments to the CQ-Contest reflector so that others can
> see them and possibly follow up.
>
> Comments can be sent to live at cqww.com
>
>
> 73
> Bob, K3EST
> CQ WW Director
> For the CQ WW Committee