[PaQSO] Why PAQP's Quirks are GREAT

[Glenn O'Donnell, K3PP]

I've been supremely entertained by the discussions going on here about 
one of my favorite contests, the PAQP. I must say, I'm also pleased by 
the relative civility to the debate. The absence of personal attacks 
proves that PAQP is still a gentleman's (and lady's) contest. Is this 
one of the "quirks" that makes the PAQP so wonderful? Absolutely! I've 
seen some downright vicious, inexcusable attacks in other forums and 
it's refreshing that we haven't had them here.

I LOVE THE PENNSYLVANIA QSO PARTY!!  I love it because it **IS** 
different. There's been a lot of mention and complaining about the 
PAQP's quirks. I get annoyed by people who want all the contests to be 
similar (I know that hasn't been suggested here explicitly). If they 
were all so similar, I think most of us would get bored stiff and many 
would leave contesting. The variety is the spice of contesting! I like 
the WAE primarily BECAUSE of the QTCs. I don't see them as an annoyance! 
The QTCs make the event delightfully different.

PAQP is delightfully different too. I like the following quirks (feel 
free to add to the quirks):

    * Saturday night shutdown lets us all rest - ALL of us, which levels
      the playing field.
    * It electrifies the entire state of PA with activity in (usually)
      every county
    * It electrifies the other states, provinces, and DX because there
      are so many three-landers to work
    * It truly is a polite contest! I've had stations pause their runs
      to allow me to work a mult and I've done the same.
    * QRP is NOT a terrible handicap because most participants are
      running medium power, reducing QRM
    * You CAN be competitive with medium power. I've run what I thought
      were great QRO efforts and I've been beaten every time by a few
      medium-power guys (with obviously better skills than mine!)
    * The bonus station really does little for the score, especially
      high scores, but it adds a unique element of fun. Even with the
      biggest scores, you still want to get the bonus station because
      it's a competition within the competition.
    * The half-point scoring is maddening, but kinda cool too. These
      days, the main people inconvenienced by the half points are the
      software authors and software can adapt to anything. I'm in the
      software business. I know!
    * County-line operations are fun. Are they needed? Probably not, but
      people hunt down good county line QTHs just for the fun factor and
      the rest of us like working them for the same fun factor. These
      days, the main people inconvenienced by the county line issue are
      the software authors ...

Can we spice it up a bit? Probably. Is that a bad thing? Not 
necessarily. Change is wonderful, as long as it has a purpose. I thrive 
on change, but I despise change just for the sake of change. Are there 
things that could be fixed? Probably, nothing is perfect. Should they be 
changed? Only if the change has a purpose. I think the points raised on 
this reflector are worth discussion and open, civil debate is healthy. 
It will keep this the best contest on the planet.

Some people prefer to eat vanilla ice cream all the time. Some like to 
mix it up, a little butter pecan here, some chocolate marshmallow there, 
and yes, vanilla from time to time too. I'm in the latter group and I 
think most of us are. Maybe PAQP is like Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby 
flavor. There's nothing else quite like it and that's precisely the 
attraction!

To all of you who have made the PA Quirky Party the coolest, maybe 
quirkiest contest in the land ... THANK YOU!!
Goody, you've stirred up a bit of a hornet's nest!  Keep up the good 
work!  You're awesome!

VY 73 de Glenn K3PP
http://www.k3pp.com (under major reconstruction)

P.S. As much as I love PAQP, work commitments have killed my ability to 
play (this year I was in PY-land). I'm working to get back, though. 
Hopefully, I'll be in the fight in 2008, QRO, QRP, QR?, whatever ... as 
long as I'm playing ... and I'll be playing to defend my Carbon County 
record!