[UK-CONTEST] Guest Operating

[Ian White GM3SEK]

Chris Rolinson G7DDN wrote:
>
>The main point I was/am trying to make is that Gordon's point could be 
>addressed more positively by the introduction in many contests of more 
>appropriate sections.
>

I'm not sure that would address the point, because there can never be 
enough sections to satisfy everybody.

It would also be missing a far more important point that has already 
been made several times: for most of us, the *real* contest takes place 
within the "sub-sections" or challenges that we make up for ourselves.

What we actually seem to be talking about here is the difference between 
personal satisfaction and public recognition. Contesting can give back a 
huge amount of personal satisfaction from "doing well" - however you 
personally choose to define that, and that's what the vast majority do.

At the most basic level, all contesters gain great satisfaction from 
beating our own previous scores. There will never be any certificate for 
that... but that isn't the point.

A different example: when operating SO40M, I know that my 4-square 
cannot beat a big, high 40m yagi, so I'm not disappointed when those 
stations come ahead of me. Instead, I set myself the personal challenge 
to be "best of the rest". On RTTY I can sometimes manage to achieve 
that, with a very respectable World ranking ahead of several yagi 
stations. That gives me great satisfaction and spurs me on to do it 
again; but this is my own little challenge, personal to myself. I don't 
expect a separate section with a certificate.

By the way, if a 40m 4-square seems too rarefied an example, consider 
this: the reason for building a 4sq was because I was already beating 
4sq stations with a simple GP, so to avoid stagnating it was time to 
raise the bar and try harder.

It's all about the attitude that you - personally - decide to take.



-- 

73 from Ian GM3SEK
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek