[SEDXC] Contest Scoring

[Jeff Carter]

Hello all,

This may be rather well covered ground, but I haven't seen the discussion.  
I'd be happy to read any links that anyone might have on the subject.  I know 
there was a lot of anger back and forth about CW all over the InterWeb, but 
now maybe enough time has passed that we can talk about CW as thoughtful 
adults.

In any case, please read the entirety of this before screaming.

My question revolves around the fact that we as a community are holding on to 
two concepts that seem diametrically opposed to me, said concepts being (a) 
Nothing Gets Through Like Morse Code and (b) CW Contacts Are Worth More in 
Contests.

In short, we're rewarding at twice the rate something that we're also saying 
is The Mode That Never Fails.  Shouldn't we recognize and reward contacts 
based on difficulty across the board?  For example, we often recognize VHF or 
UHF DX for its level of difficulty.  Does it make sense to reward CW contacts 
at twice the rate if they're twice as easy to copy?

Riley Hollingsworth said at Dayton that Ham Radio is aging, and poorly, but 
whether or not you agree with him it does seem to me that as current Hams get 
out of the hobby or go SK and new ones come in,  the new ones will not be 
required to know Morse Code.  In turn, every year that goes by leaves a 
smaller and smaller group who could be expected to be able to take advantage 
of a contest scoring system that favors CW contacts.  Is the "Grade 
Inflation" for CW a method of protecting a mode?  If so, why would any given 
mode need protecting, particularly one that many claimed is the Best There 
Is?

So, in your opinion as individuals, which is it?  Is CW a mode that stands on 
its own for its ability to be pulled out of the noise when All Else Fails, or 
like so many subsidized and/or substandard things in this country that happen 
to have an emotionally attached following, should we continue to play the 
Grade Inflation Game where CW is concerned?

I'm not a very good contester, even though I enjoy playing.  Since I'm not 
very good at it, the ultimate answer to the question of what to do about this 
isn't going to affect me that much.  It does seem to me that whatever we're 
doing as a group, however, should make at least common sense, and I'm not 
certain this does.

What do you think?

Jeff/KD4RBG