[DogParkList] Re: MacLoggerDX Contest Log Fields

[B. Scott Andersen]

     "Programming is like pinball: the reward for doing it well is to do 
it again."
        -- old programmer's saying

Well, Don, you've sure done it well. Now, look at all the people who 
want
you to do it again!    :-)

Don wrote:
> I think that the constraint will be adding as much support for 
> contesting as possible without downgrading the user experience for the 
> DX'er.

I think that this a good trade-off point. MacLoggerDX is a very nice 
logging
program to use on a day-to-day basis. Is has been fun to show the 
program to
PC-using friends because they are stunned by the elegance of the look, 
the
grayline map, the DX spotting stuff, and how "comfortable" the 
interface is
to use. I wouldn't want to give that up!

Comments and suggestions by John Bastin (K8AJS) and Jonathan (G0DVJ) 
provided
pretty good insight into the real problem at hand. The question 
becomes: should
MacLoggerDX fill that need?

I fall into category 2
> 2 - people who make a serious or semi-serious attempt to improve their 
> scores over last time and send in an individual entry to some degree 
> of competitiveness
and I believe that the program can modified (slightly) to handle this 
without
compromising the experience we have with the program day-to-day.

It might also be nice if casual users, type 1 from the list
> 1 - people who work a few QSOs in a contest and effectively give 
> points away to the serious entrants but who probably don't bother to 
> send in an entry themselves.
could be encouraged to participate in contests and even turn in a log 
(since
we've made it so easy to do so!).

CONTROVERSIAL CONJECTURE: really, a bare bones, lighting fast, 
multi-seat
contesting interface might actually be better built with a CURSES 
interface
in a terminal windows!

I'm off to the office (I'm trying to finish something before I leave
for JavaONE in San Francisco). Sorry about not looking over the new
software before commenting, Don. I'll try to do that tonight when I
get back.

-- Scott

B. Scott Andersen    | "Magic is real, unless declared integer."
bsandersen@mac.com   | -- The collected sayings of Wiz Zumwalt
Acton, Massachusetts | Amateur Radio ==> ne1rd