[CQ-Contest] ARRL and Open Logs - Time for the next step?

[Michael Coslo]

On Jul 30, 2008, at 11:07 AM, Stan Stockton wrote:

> Have not read much of this but generally agree with W4TV and K0HB on
> this subject.
>
> I don't think LOTW will allow you to print out a chronological log for
> someone else's contesting effort.
>
> Making the logs public will just raise mostly illegitimate questions
> that will have to be addressed about someone's operation. I guess I
> missed out by not reading everything what the purpose would be of  
> making
> them public?

If I were to hazard a guess, I wouldn't doubt there might be some  
correlation between people who think cheating is rampant, and support  
for public logs.

It will be possible to go back through the logs and subject them to  
scrutiny for years after a contest is over.

Perhaps the logs could be provided in comma delimited text? 8^)

It's not all bad of course, there are a lot of things that can be done  
by folks on the outside. They can spot trends for both entire  
contests, and individuals. All sorts of things that the sponsors don't  
do because they are busy enough already.

But I don't doubt for a minute that there are some who may harbor a  
grudge against another Op who might just spend a lot of time trying to  
prove some malfeasance.

But I have to say that in the end, I'm not all that hot about public  
logs. They will raise as many questions as they answer.

New subjects for righteous umbrage will be just how much wiggle room  
is there? I can sometimes cut someone some slack for various problems,  
such as incorrect clock settings, exchanges that are almost correct,  
For the poor schmedlock that set their clock wrong or had a typo in  
the exchange, but we knew exactly what it was -I know some programs  
that will take any old exchange typed in. So now, do we DQ these folks  
or change their logs (horrors!) And if wiggle room goes away,  
publishing results will be somewhat easier, because a lot of logs will  
go away.

And please, not "If you don't have anything to hide" comments. That  
has been used to excuse some pretty horrible stuff, and doesn't do the  
pro public log argument any favors.


-73 de Mike N3LI -