When you develop content for a site (like the K9JY WriteLog User Site), you go through some hoops trying to figure out how to organize the information, how to present it, and how to keep it updated. As you do updates, the site becomes unwieldy and more difficult to use.

So it is with the ARRL contesting rules area where there are “general rules” for all contests and rules for specific contests. I could never tell when a “general” rule applied and when a specific contest rule applied. Not that it was tough, but it could be confusing.

On the contesting reflector, Sean, KX9X, notes that the ARRL (i.e., Sean) will be updating the ARRL Contest Rules for easier reading. He notes:

This will include posting ALL rules for any given contest together, and eliminate the need to bounce back and forth between contest-specific rules and general rules.

With the development of the new arrl.org website (underway as I type this), more information such as a contest-specific FAQ will be included, with specific examples of what is allowed and what is not. This will take some time, but it is in the works.

Obviously, this includes the contesting area, but it was nice to see that the ARRL is looking to update the entire web site. It needs to be updated and I’m happy to see they are working on it. Updating websites is no small task as I can attest.

While I would never call the ARRL technology leading edge, in just the past year they have added Twitter accounts, are updating the web site, changed the formatting of the Contest newsletter, and started some blogs (though I don’t define them the same way they do…).

This is an encouraging sign from the League; part of their technology initiative. The fact that they are doing these on-line tasks means they will learn from what has been done and then continuous improvement can take place to make them better.

Maybe we’ll kick the ham community out of the technological Stone Age yet. I sure hope so.

Related posts:

1. New ARRL Contest Update Delivered The NEW HTML version of the Contest Rate Sheet is now out — and it is MUCH better than the old text version. Of course,...
2. New ARRL Site up The ARRL has put up another blog site using the same software (but different hosting) as used here at K9JY.com. The site, called We Do...
3. Update on WriteLog User Site – 07-AUG-2007 Just a quick update to let you know that I’ve been making some fairly good progress on getting the WriteLog User Site back up and...
4. Update on WriteLog User Site — 10-AUG-2007 Here’s the latest on the update to the WriteLog User Site: Completed sections: First Time Setup Files Radio Settings Setup Window Functions Saving Your Configuration...
5. ARRL Starts New "Contest Blog" Sean, KX9X, has started a “contest blog” off of the ARRL site. I don’t think it is a blog, but it is certainly a web...