[RTTY] Wanted

[Scot Herrick]

All,

What Rick says is accurate. I'm not sure 'non-IT' hams realize the
tremendous effort it takes to provide a program that works as well as to
maintain. And the programs, while specialized to the ham market, are not
simple programs. I happened to be working with an IT person on a (real work)
project who noted (on the Friday of CQ WW SSB) that programs should be
designed with no more than four windows opened at the same time because it
becomes too tiring for the user. I then worked CQ WW SSB with 11 windows
opened at the same time. And this was a hobby.

You then throw in external interfaces (a programmers worst nightmare) to the
packet network, the internet, Windows plug-in's (e.g., keyboard mappers) and
it gets ugly real quick. Then throw in 30 contests with unique,
individualized rules for scoring and address that through programming. And
then program for 30 different reporting formats for the contest sponsor log
submission. And they change the rules so you get to constantly look at all
of that and see if your program needs changing - and the people who change
the rules don't give you a lot of time to change the program, test it,
announce it, distribute it in time for the contest.

And, on top of all of that, a group of users who are passionate about
contesting and not afraid to publicly flame the programmer for the smallest
problem or the need for the most arcane feature.

And the best part is that these same passionate users want all the
programming and exceptional support for free, or a nominal (one-time) cost
that will allow them to buy a part of the programmers soul for life. No
one's getting rich off selling contest programs to hams. If the programming
allows them to go on a DXpedition or a nicer vacation with their family once
in a while - after the cost of the web pages, the distribution costs, and
let's not even include their time spent - then more power to them.

And almost all of these people who program have real jobs and nice
(exceptionally tolerant) families. They do this because they enjoy it. Look
up masochist in the dictionary and see a picture of your favorite contest
programmer! I don't know how they do it.

So, a big thanks for the programmers out there. And maybe a little
understanding by the rest of us.

CU...Scot, K9JY

See WriteLog's complete user manual at
K9JY's WriteLog site http://www.k9jy.com

mailto:scot@k9jy.com


>
> > 32 bit Windows version of WF1B.
> Sure it could be done
>
> >  Must retain the look and feel of the Dos version.
> Many ham programs have tried this and it makes Windows programs
> hard to use.
> Windows has a set of style guidelines, so while the interface could be
> similar, it would not be exactly the same. It would need to
> conform to the
> style guidelines.
>
> Microsoft created the style guidelines because with DOS programs,
> there was
> no interface standard. Having the style guidelines make it easy
> to go between
> many Windows programs.
>
> >  No multiple modes, eye candy or other useless "features".
> What one person would consider eye candy, others would consider a needed
> feature. Since no two people are alike, you try to put in what the
> 'collective' wants.
>
> You can't please everyone. Some want it to rain and some want it
> to sunshine,
> both at the same time, and even God can't do that.
>
> >  Freeware or under $50.
>
> It costs about $150,000 - $200,000 to do a program from scratch
> and send it
> to market.  Keep in mind, Ray worked on this code for 13 years
> adding bits
> and pieces over the years.  Probably would take 9-12 months of
> development
> time.
>
> I did a survery with the TR-Log users about doing a contesting interface
> there. Most just wanted the DOS program to work correctly under Windows,
> which was impossible due to the architecture of the O/S. (especially the
> flawless CW on the LPT port due to Windows preemptive tasking
> environment.).
>
>
> So let me challenge the WF1B group.
>
> As you maybe or may not know, you can upgrade to Log Windows for
> $50.00. If
> we can get 4,000 WF1B users to upgrade in the next 90 days,
> that'll give us
> the revenue to hire the people to take on a project of this magnitude and
> we'll develop the contesting interface.
>
> Not only would this be good for ham raido, but we'd be able to
> hire more hams
> into a company that supports doing ham radio software. They'd
> make a salary,
> and everyone would win by getting a contesting interface ala WF1B.
>
> How's that for a challenge? Up to it?
>
> Rick - W4PC
> http://www.cssincorp.com
> http://www.logwindows.com
>
>
>
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