[UK-CONTEST] Paper Logs/Time to Stop!

[Clive Whelan]

 Donald Field wrote:
> his implication that those who use paper
> are simply "bone idle" is one I would have to take issue with.
>


I think that was probably insouciant use of semantics, and what 
Nigel really meant (!) was not "bone idle" but "resistant to 
change". It behoves us all to change continuously and 
seamlessly, otherwise we shall suffer the fate of the dinosaurs, 
and so I have only limited sympathy with the OTs ( I am no 
spring chicken, as may be deduced from my callsign).

The point about competitiveness is very well made, and I can 
certainly say with authority that in ROPOCO at least, with a 
complex exchange, that no paper based entrant even approaches a 
winning position in recent times.

I can also cite the case of a more basic contest ( in terms of 
exchange) such as AFS, where a good friend of mine sank down the 
rankings in recent years, much to his chagrin. I had virtually 
given up telling said friend that he should shed his reptilian 
scales and adopt computer logging, when he discovered that he 
had effectively blown a potential winning position in 2001 by 
wasting time on achieving a high dupe count!
That was the straw that broke this camel's back ( sorry mixed 
metaphors!) and he adopted computer logging forthwith, and to my 
amazement used it live in AFS 2002 for the very first time. Much 
of his previously lost ground ( same QTH, same antenna etc) was 
made up, and he is now within striking distance of a winning 
position once more. This " dinosaur" is even older than me, so 
there is hope for all!


I strongly concur with Ian's position that paper based logs 
should be accepted, but listed only as unchecked, and not 
eligible for awards( not his exact words of course). This will 
not disadvantage the paper based loggers, since they are almost 
certainly not in the running anyway; surely this the ideal 
compromise?


The point about electronic formats is also well made, and 
presently almost as troublesome as that of paper based logs, but 
ultimately can and must be addressed by the sponsors/vendors to 
which paper based logs are not susceptible.


Of course this particular debate will probably not be visible to 
the paper veterans, and some reflection in RadCom is clearly 
desirable.


73


Clive
GW3NJW
gw3njw at gw7x.org
Contest Cambria-http://www.gw7x.org