Planner and Controller Responsibilities

Andrew M Posted: 3 May 2003, 9:20 AM   Hey all, Just a few words about the changing responibilities of the Controller and Planner. Im my opinion the influx of technology has made running orienteering events easier in the last couple of years but made them open to some problems. There are a myriad of programs such as OCAD, CONDES or WINCACS which will help you set out courses on a computer, calculate distance and conviently arrange control descriptions. In addition, the advent of electronic punching (EMIT or Sport Ident) has streamlined the calculation of results and removed the dreaded jobs of checking desriptions. However all of these technologies will lead eventually.. (but hopefully not) to some mistakes that would never have happened in the organisation of an orienteering event a 10 years ago. For instance, the simplistic job of copying control cirles from a map to a computer program is prone to errors. The printing of maps is prone to errors many of which are outside of the control of the organisers. My question is, are the Controllers and Planners well trained to using all the new technology, and are they aware of all of the potential pitfalls and problems of using it so intensively? For example I consider myself rather computer savvy, but spent a good two months pulling my hair out over a damn computer program called Wincacs to organise the courses for the NZ Secondary School Champs. We didn't have any serious problems but worked around numerous issues which could have crippled a course had we not scrupliously checked everything. One of our other computer literate collegues spent a good week trying to work the latest version of OCAD to create the courses for the NZ Short Champs in the short time span before everything had to be at the printers. In either of these cases it is hardly desirable that the planner or even the controller are plagued with computer programs in the lead up to an event. My pointer is 1.) One of the controllers responsibilities is to ensure that the timing facilities are correct. How many of our current controllers would feel comfitable checking the legagiliy of the Sport Ident system if something went wrong? 2.) Planners may choose to use OCAD for instance to set out there courses. They will generally learn there trade as they go. But there are so many small pointers that many may miss. For instance during the Easter Carnival there were a few instances where control circles should have been cut so that crucial details where not obscured. In OCAD it is nigh impossible to cut cirlces, so did they just planers just conviently avoid the problem? Anyway I would like to see some aspects of OCAD and Sport Ident training included in Controller Clinics in the future. In addition I would like some information made available to Planners who wish to learn how to use Course Planning programs, or even training days. An perhaps a few more references made from the Technical Committee about the new technology. Comments welcome Andrew.   jeffg Posted: 5 May 2003, 3:27 AM   Hmmm, very good points Andrew. It's a bit daunting getting to grips with all the responsibilities of being a new controller, and the arrival of SportIdent has added another layer of complexity. It is probably worth mentioning a perhaps unappreciated benefit of the series of score events that the Northwest Club has been running for the last couple of years. The setting requirements are to place 27 control points on a map, 9 each of yellow, orange and red, so that beginners can visit a few controls without too much effort and top elites have more than an hour of running to visit them all. The OCAD demands are much less than for an OY and the demands on the controller are also reduced. This is perfect fodder for new setters and controllers to cut their teeth on, and at the moment I don't think the SportIdent system can handle score events. Perhaps it should stay that way! Jeff   bendover Posted: 5 May 2003, 7:58 AM   software is available online for using sportident at score events. its made by a german guy and can be found at: www.sportsoftware.de a description of the program is at: http://www.sportsoftware.de/eng/oescore.html Edited by - bendover on 5/05/2003 16:00:19   ecurb Posted: 19 May 2003, 1:42 AM   Andrew, just a small point .... you said that cutting circles in OCAD was nigh impossible. In OCAD 8 you cut circles just as you cut any line. Nothing could be easier in fact