[CQ-Contest] Future of Paper Certificates

[AB2E Darrell]

I think Kelly has a very good point here about maintaining certificates for the first-time winners. In my early contesting years, it was really great to get a certificate for something in the mail (still is, actually).
Otherwise, the ability to download and print your own is a nice feature. This works especially great for any multi operation (all the ops can just go in the database and download their certificate). 
I don't mind if CQ saves some postage in the process.
You could either charge the others to still receive one as suggested, or just do away with them. The premium certificate is a nice idea too. I would be willing to pay for a "premium" certificate.
73 Darrell AB2E


> From: ve4xt at mymts.net
> Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2015 10:19:45 -0500
> To: r_bakalov at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Future of Paper Certificates
> CC: cq-contest at contesting.com
> 
> Send first-time winners a certificate for free. Charge others enough to cover the free ones, too.
> 
> Or: look at it as a money-maker. Surely, if ICOM can sponsor unsponsored ARRL plaques, Yaesu or Kenwood or Elecraft or Acom or even DX Engineering or HRO may be interested in sponsoring certificates. Charge cost plus to put some money in WWROF coffers.
> 
> Offer to sell "premium" framed certificates to some operators and use the profits to fund WWROF activities or the free first-timer certificates.
> 
> 73, Kelly
> ve4xt 
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> > On Aug 30, 2015, at 9:56 AM, Rudy Bakalov via CQ-Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
> > 
> > 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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> >>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >> 
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