[CQ-Contest] Log checking and deadlines

[Michael Coslo]

On Feb 3, 2009, at 11:38 AM, Tree wrote:

>
> One of the frustrating things I have experienced working as a log  
> checker
> for a number of contests is how late some of the competitive logs are
> submitted.
>
> There are always some logs - and typically that are from the same  
> guys -
> that show up very close to the end of the log checking deadline.  Of
> course, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to name names...  but they  
> know
> who they are.

hehe, sounds a bit like my XYL. She considers being a half hour early  
for something
a half hour late.


>
> Why are these logs always submitted four weeks after the contest (or  
> even
> longer)?  Most of these people put their score up on 3830 (although  
> some of
> them don't even do that - thinking that secrecy is a big deal).
>
> There is no doubt that some of these people are taking time to  
> cleanse their
> log - perhaps checking callsigns against some database - making sure  
> their
> received exchanges match the 3830 postings - checking the call book  
> - who
> knows what else....  this is NOT contesting.  This is something else  
> that
> happens after the contest.

There are many reasons beside massaging the data. I've had people who  
just plain forgot to send it. And sometimes people just tend to run  
late. While I can understand the frustration - there isn't much that  
can be done about it - although see below for a suggestion.

I'm pretty lenient, as noted the last time this subject came up, I  
tend to give the benefit of the doubt. The tardy person needs to get  
in touch with me, and if there's an understandable reason, they can  
submit it. I will note that one time an Op who submitted extremely  
late for the third time  tried to have me lynched when I made a  
mistake on his score. Late logs carry a higher risk of mistakes  
because they take everything out of it's proper sequence. I suspect he  
will need a very, very good reason before I take his log late again.

>
> It just doesn't seem fair when the majority of the serious competitors
> submit their logs the day after the contest - and a small number of  
> people
> feel it is necessary to send theirs in the day before the deadline.
>
> I will always have more respect for those guys who send in their log  
> without
> delay.  For the CQ 160 CW contest - I have about 1400 logs already  
> and a
> significant portion of the log checking activities have already  
> started.
> Forty percent of my log is being cross checked now.
>
> I propose that the log submission date be something that gets posted  
> along
> with the top scores.  Again, sunshine is the best disinfectant.   
> Also, maybe
> shorter log deadlines would help - although I hate to be punishing  
> those
> who have legitimate reasons for submitting later.

Ahh, I don't know about that. Too many of us already see contesting as  
the most corrupt activity since Chicago in the 1920's. I'd hate to add  
another scarlet letter where suspicion is cast upon someone because of  
when they submitted their logs.

In addition, if I do make the decision to allow a late decision - or  
any sponsor for that matter, then I'm having my procedures called into  
question.

>
> BTW - whenever I have a small decision to make that might somehow  
> give an
> advantage to logs submitted early - and the answer cold go either  
> way, I
> always bias my decision towards that direction.


And you see, there is the problem. The good operator submits early,  
and you'll give him the advantage. Now you'll need to have a scale  
upon which to determine that advantage.

I fully understand the sentiment though, as the sooner the logs come  
in, the sooner you can work on them.

	Here is a way to positively favor the early submission of logs. Bonus  
points. Use the same deadlines as before, but have a prorated bonus,  
starting at some small but significant enough number of points that  
are added to the score. Make it a fairly steep curve, diminishing to 0  
added points after say the first week.

Let someone lose a close division because of turning a log in after  
bonus time will cause them to get religion quick! 8^)

You'll at least get a lot more of the logs a lot sooner. The  
procrastinators will still run late, but not much we can do about them.

My help and I have talked about bonus points for a number of things,  
from encouraging software choice to log submission times. Would it not  
be heaven to have everyone use the same software, or at least the same  
file submission? And posting those bonus points would in a backwards  
way show when the log had been submitted.


-73 de Mike N3LI -