[CQ-Contest] Merging Social Media and Contesting

[Paul O'Kane]

On 14/03/2020 01:29, Stan Zawrotny wrote:

   >  <snip>
   >
   > We can't stop innovating. That's what ham radio is all about.

The clear and immediate danger is that we will "innovate" ham radio into 
something else entirely.

Do we innovate chess tournaments by permitting computers?  How about a 
new Single-Player Assisted class :-)
Do we innovate ski-jumping by introducing wingsuits? - 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingsuit_flying

   > Many of the
   > naysayers are also naysayers of the newer digital modes -- Mats 
won't allow
   > those dadgum FTs on his radio.

The newer digital modes are semi- or fully-automated machine-to-machine 
modes - my computer processing your computer's data, and vice-versa.  
There's clearly as a place for them, but please don't refer to them as 
ham radio.  FTx takes the ham out of ham radio.

   > Where would we be if we had listened to the
   > naysayers of SSB 70 years ago?

The comparison is illogical.  Unlike the FTx machine-to machine modes, 
all forms of phone are person-to-person - individuals communicating with 
one another.

   > But, just as we put SSB in a separate category from CW, I think we 
need the
   > no-limit category added to all contests. Giving them a place to be,
   > legally, will encourage them to further innovate while separating 
them from
   > the naysayers and, more importantly, those who don't have the 
resources to
   > be so innovative.

Please see 
http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/CQ-Contest/2014-09/msg00251.html

73,
Paul EI5DI