[UK-CONTEST] Publishing results

[Ed - G3SQX]

I have to agree with Roger (G3SXW) here.  The single most important function 
of the various contest committees, in my opinion, should be to make radio 
contesting in the UK into a majority occupation instead of a minority sport. 
If we, as contesters of varying abilities and interests, don't do something 
to achieve this as soon as we can, our subset of the hobby will surely 
disappear.  We can't carry on arranging contests for the Usual Suspects, and 
hope that a few new people each time will join in the fun.  Somehow we have 
to get the number of amateurs in the UK entering contests (RSGB and others) 
up tenfold or more, so that contesting is in the mainstream of the hobby.

This aspect of making people aware of your interests, and encouraging them 
to join in, is what is known as "marketing", and it's not "bullshit".  I 
would agree that many aspects of marketing as carried out in the media are 
not edifying, and those who are mainly involved in the sales and marketing 
efforts of some companies are often not nice people.  However, even they 
have something to teach us, and it's not totally about spin.

I have been amused by the argument as to whether contesters should announce 
their claimed scores, and whether the organisers should collate these.  It 
brings to mind the well-known expression involving "deckchairs", "Titanic" 
and "rearrange", and is largely irrelevant to the greater issue.  That is, 
why are we, perhaps half a dozen people, having a heated discussion about a 
subject which would make no sense whatsoever to 95% of UK amateurs? 
Shouldn't we be doing something to get them involved, and if so, how?

I'm hoping that Don (G3XTT) in his new role, will be able to work out some 
ways of getting us all working on this goal.  Despite the dislike some of us 
have for it, I suspect that a big promotional campaign for the IOTA contest 
will be part of it, but that's something for Don to work out.  I'm sure it 
will need something akin to the bullshit of marketing, but I'm not as 
despairing as G3SXW, at least, not yet!

73,

Ed, G3SQX