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| August 2, 2001 | For Further Information Contact: Wayne Mills, N7NG |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fast on the heels of approval of the "Logbook of the World" by the ARRL Board of Directors, software design to support the electronic contact-verification program is continuing apace. ARRL Membership Services Manager and LOTW Project Manager, Wayne Mills, N7NG, said the ARRL hopes soon to make LOTW software modules available to vendors for incorporation into their logging programs. These modules are being developed as part of the Trusted QSL open-source project headed by Darryl Wagoner, WA1GON. (More information about the Trusted QSL project can be found at "sourceforge.net/projects/trustedqsl")
"We have been in touch with 15 or so developers of popular logging software," Mills said. "We're also looking at providing a basic, do-it-yourself program to get contact data to ARRL."
At the heart of the Logbook of the World concept is a huge repository of log data provided by operators--from individual DXers and contesters to major DXpeditions--and maintained by ARRL. Mills says the system will benefit big and little guns alike by providing quick QSO credit for awards offered by ARRL, and, it's hoped, for awards offered by other organizations as well.
Once it becomes available--which could be as early as the middle of next year--Logbook of the World will accept authenticated data directly from computerized logs via the Internet. "This is an e-mail based system that uses easy-to-obtain digital signatures for authentication," Mills said. "Once you get your digital certificate, a few keystrokes will do the trick."
Mills said the program envisions user access to the LOTW "confirmed database" so an operator can see what "matches" turn up--such as confirmation of new DXCC entities, states or grid squares. "We'll also publish a list of logs that have been submitted," he said, adding that operators may access the LOTW database once they've uploaded their own log data.
Heading up software development is ARRL Electronic Publications Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, along with Web Applications Developer, Mark Simcik, WA1VVB. Software specifications already have been established. Advising the project are Darryl Wagoner, WA1GON, Dick Green, WC1M and Ted Demopoulos, KR1G. ARRL staffer and well-known contester and DXer Dave Patton, NT1N, who conducted the original electronic QSL project study, is also assisting.
Mills said that he hopes to be able to announce a specific inauguration date for Logbook of the World within a few months, as the software design progresses.
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