[CQ-Contest] Future of Paper Certificates

[Rudy Bakalov]

If this is the case then the magazine has outlived its usefulness and relevance as a contest sponsor. Perhaps some of the equipment manufacturers would be interested in more prominent sponsorship in return for better visibility and publicity.

Rudy N2WQ

Sent using a tiny keyboard.  Please excuse brevity, typos, or inappropriate autocorrect.


> On Aug 30, 2015, at 11:38 AM, Randy Thompson K5ZD <k5zd at charter.net> wrote:
> 
> " The publishing business is all about eyeballs and without the contests
> there will be no eyeballs."
> 
> Sadly (for us contesters) this is not true.
> 
> If you look at reader surveys conducted by both CQ and ARRL, contest
> coverage and line scores receive some of the lowest interest marks.  This is
> why you have seen the line scores migrate out of the magazines and on to the
> web.
> 
> Let's say there are 75,000 active contesters.  And there are 200,000 active
> DXers.  Now compare that to a global ham population of 1.5 million hams...  
> 
> One of the great aspects of ham radio is its diversity of interest areas.
> Covering that range of passion is what sells magazines.  Contesting is just
> one part.
> 
> Contesters and DXers are active.  And they do buy stuff.  But, they are not
> the market makers.  This may have been different many years ago when there
> were fewer hams and getting on the air was more of an achievement.
> 
> All that said, we love what we do.  We take pride in building skills,
> improving international goodwill, and enjoy a competitive fun outlet.
> Contesting fulfills many of the purposes of ham radio and that's why the
> National ham radio organizations support and promote it.  The question is
> who should pay for it...
> 
> Randy, K5ZD
> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
>> Rudy Bakalov via CQ-Contest
>> Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2015 12:16 AM
>> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Future of Paper Certificates
>> 
>> I personally don't care about a paper certificate, but do remember the
>> excitement of receiving my first one. In fact, it was the certificate
>> that encouraged me to come back to the contesting world having left it
>> when I was in my early 20s.
>> 
>> One thing that I genuinely don't understand is what exactly is CQ
>> Magazine's sponsorship? If they have a problem with mailing the
>> certificates then what's left?
>> 
>> The way I see things, it is the contest that is funding the magazine, not
>> the other way around. Without the different contests the magazine will
>> have no appealing contest, circulation will go down, advertisers will
>> pull their marketing dollars, the magazine will cease to exist.  The
>> publishing business is all about eyeballs and without the contests there
>> will be no eyeballs.
>> 
>> Rudy N2WQ
>> 
>> Sent using a tiny keyboard.  Please excuse brevity, typos, or
>> inappropriate autocorrect.
>> 
>> 
>>> On Aug 29, 2015, at 9:15 AM, Joe <nss at mwt.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Extremely interesting.
>>> I like the idea of the printable also.
>>> Just curious tho.
>>> With the paper they make certs, how down the scores did they go in say
>> 2013? Where they automatically sent one to someone?
>>> I just looked for the fun of it, went to CQWW and entered my call, and
>> it tells me all the times I entered CQWW. Pretty cool, but then I see
>> that a cert is there too! what?!
>>> 
>>> Aparantly I took 2nd place for CQWWSSB 10 M low power 9 land, and I
>> never knew it. And too bad only ran 12 hours a few more maybe one more
>> and I could have had 1st place! I was that close in second place.
>>> 
>>> BUT I know for sure I never got a Paper cert. so just wondering I know
>> things may be changing, but in say 2013, how deep in the winners listins
>> did they go and send out paper certs.
>>> 
>>> Joe WB9SBD
>>> Sig
>>> The Original Rolling Ball Clock
>>> Idle Tyme
>>> Idle-Tyme.com
>>> http://www.idle-tyme.com
>>>> On 8/28/2015 10:01 PM, Randy Thompson K5ZD wrote:
>>>> There is an important conversation about the future of paper
>>>> certificates happening on the CQWW blog.  Please visit
>>>> http://cqww.com/blog/the-future-of-paper-certificates/ and add your
>>>> opinion to the mix.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Randy Thompson, K5ZD
>>>> Director - CQ WW DX Contest
>>>> email: k5zd at cqww.com
>>>> web: www.cqww.com
>>>> Facebook: www.facebook.com/cqwwdx
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>>> 
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