On 31/03/2019 17:12, Carey Fisher wrote:
All I have to say, and I've been saying for some time now, is that
maybe developers will now think twice before releasing software such
as this as Open Source.
Carey,
that shows a major misunderstanding of both Open Source software and the
complexity of WSJT-X. WSJT-X uses two major components provided by
third-party teams that are themselves Open Source. There are no other
free equivalent components of sufficient quality and scope and writing
our own would take many man-years of effort and ongoing maintenance.
These components give us an essential leg up to providing a portable
cross-platform application of the highest quality with reasonable
development timescales. There are reasons why many closed source
applications are Windows only and these factors are high on the list.
Aside from that, of the latest two "robot" offerings being touted, one
does not require any changes to WSJT-X source code and the other is
being offered as a contribution with the contentious robotic parts
removed. Either way the WSJT team have no interest in WSJT-X being used
as a QSO robot and the automation that has been provided already is only
in response to large scale user demand. For example auto-sequencing and
"Call 1st" were deemed necessary for FT8 because the small thinking time
between decodes completing and the next transmission period requires
super-human concentration and reaction times. For QSO modes like FT8 we
have a basic user interface rule that each QSO must be initiated by some
operator action, e.g. calling CQ or replying to a CQ. At the end of a
QSO for normal DX contacts the user has the final say on whether a
completed QSO is logged, WSJT-X will prompt the user to log a QSO but
they must take further action to confirm a good contact or reject a bad
one. There are other operator aids for high QSO rate situations, like
contest operating and running a rare and popular DX operation, related
to logging QSOs but the requirement for an operator action to initiate
each QSO is always maintained.
What is worth noting is that the small WSJT development team expends a
lot of thought and time on how to combat rogue patched versions and
add-on tools that attempt to exceed the levels of automation we deem
sufficient. These are either misguided or malicious. This detracts from
core development and maintenance and we would rather not have to give up
that effort.
On a personal note; my opinion on QSO robots, aside from their
questionable legality in many countries, is that most Amateur Radio
operators would not consider a QSO with a machine to be worthwhile and
to find out that they had done so unknowingly would be very annoying.
For those that attempt to deploy such robots, I suggest they go a step
further and dispense with the radio equipment and use their PC skills to
mock up the certificates and awards and print them directly, that way no
one else is being disappointed and they can save themselves a whole lot
of cost and time building, operating, and maintaining an Amateur Radio
station.
73
Bill
G4WJS.
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