Hmm. I respect your question, Mark. My comments are intended as questions, too. I am not grasping how I come across as "encouraging" anyone to change the course name at the top of a certification map. Maybe you can help me understand this. Then, maybe I can write more lucidly in future posts.
What I am questioning here is the purpose and the practicality of having an unenforceable rule. I am looking for a rational approach that incorporates the tendency of human nature to seek the path of least resistance - in this instance, of RDs simply finding the certified course map they want and then modifying it for their own use - which, as we know well, is done frequently despite any USATF prohibitions against it. My thought process here is comparable to that of music download management in response to the previously common practice of users circumventing legal restrictions on distribution. Most owners are now mostly in control of that intellectual property.
We are thinking this through as we go, hopefully. To me, it doesn't seem like anyone has all the answers to the issue here.
The system I proposed really isn't "hugely complex", IMO. Especially since USATF, RRTC, and measurers gain a new revenue source that pays for itself.
- Anti-scraping and digital watermarking are mature technologies.
- USATF already has an online store in place, which can handle payment acceptance.
- The problem with "certification poaching" mostly disappears. No one needs to send any "finger-shaking" emails to RDs.
If we are happy or mostly complacent with frequent violations of our rules, which it seems some of us are not, we can just do nothing, and individual certifications will continue to be used for multiple events without approbation.
I am proposing a solution here. Some people will not like it because they feel it is unnecessary, because they did not come up with an idea to fix the problem, or because they may want course certification and our products to forever remain in the non-professional realm. I am simply voicing an opinion that we should think about doing one of two things in the interest of evolving into a more professional and more respected institution:
- Come up with an online system to enforce our rule and provide acceptable revenue to USATF and the professionals who perform the labor required to issue a new map and new certificate.
- Stop wasting time pursuing an ineffective and unprofitable policy.