ODjr Reflector 
 
I hope that existence of the ODjr reflector at least raises some 
interest into what we are getting and what we are paying for it, with 
respect to ARRL E-mail reflectors. 
 
I set the ODjr reflector up in less than 3 minutes. The cost to the 
ARRL for the reflector is zero. 
 
The individual that hosted the ODjr reflector was mischaracterized 
here as being "a private individual not associated with or employed by 
ARRL." Actually he has been an unpaid consultant to the League for 
some time. The ARRL has reimbursed his airfare costs on trips to 
Newington. As an aside, the ARRL even shortchanged him by not paying 
for one of the trips apparently due to some foul up in the 
reimbursement process, which in spite of that, he continues to assist 
us. 
 
He provided the League with the system and all the software to receive 
contest logs electronically. He provides a computer, located in 
California, that stores copies, on each of two hard drives, of every 
contest log submitted to the League. ARRL's log-checkers use his 
computer to receive log information. The logs are also stored in 
Newington. 
 
He did receive $2000 last year, (with a accompanying 1099) which he 
used to buy a new computer for League contests. 
 
He is not "a private individual not associated with or employed by ARRL." 
 
ODV Reflector 
 
The ODV reflector started having difficulties with messages from users 
of Google's G-Mail in January. The problem made it impossible for 20% 
of the Board to communicate ideas without the content being 
overwhelmed by the framework in which they were received. 
 
It has taken almost 3 months for this to be fixed. And it was finally 
fixed two days after the announcement of ODjr. 
 
The ARRL is paying money to operate the ODV reflector, I suspect both 
in software costs, employee expenses, and it appears, to an outside 
vendor. 
 
Prior to sending my second test message last night, I received a 
message from Richard Pendelton of "Interbridge" telling me that he 
had apparently fixed the server. So, we now see that the ARRL-ODV 
reflector is also apparently hosted off-site. 
 
I guess that is acceptable, because we are paying money for it. 
 
Summary 
 
Case 1 - Unacceptable -Bad 
3 minutes 
Zero cost 
Unpaid consultant 
 
Case 2 - Present Practice - Good 
3 months 
Cost 
Outside vendor 
On SPAM blacklists (more about this later) 
 
In response to an E-mail sent to me, I guess I'm now supposed to 
apologize for doing something that "represents divisiveness and 
unwillingness to work within our establish (sic) way of doing 
business." 
 
73, 
 
Dick Norton, N6AA 
 
For Vice directors: ODjr was a reflector that I set up with a three 
minute telephone call. It contains the officers and directors. It has 
not been used, and likely will not since the ODV reflector apparently 
now works.