Message-ID: <446@watcgl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Nov-84 15:44:04 EST
Article-I.D.: watcgl.446
Posted: Thu Nov 15 15:44:04 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Nov-84 04:48:55 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
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               International Orienteering Federation
          (in conjunction with the World Masters Games)
               Control Descriptions Software Project
               -------------------------------------

What is Orienteering ? : It is an  intellectually and  physically  demanding
     sport which combines cross-country running with the skill of navigation
     in the forest.   Strategy is the key to  success.   The  orienteer must
     decide what  route is  likely to be  quickest based on his/her  running
     and map reading skills.

What are the World Masters Games ? :   The  motto of the  World Masters Games
     organization  is  "Sport for Life".   Its  goals are to  provide a non-
     political  non-nationalistic  non-racial  event in which elite athletes
     from around the world are free to  compete on an  individual basis. The
     inaugural Games will  involve 22 sports,  including  orienteering,  and
     will be held in and around Toronto in August, 1985.

What are Control Descriptions ? :     An  I.O.F.  control  description  list 
     consists  of a set of  language-independent  symbols  that describe the
     precise  location of  control  markers in  the  forest.   

What is required of the proposed software ? :   At present, control descrip-
    tions are prepared by hand or with the aid of a special stencil. This is
    extremely tedious and time consuming, and potentially subject to errors. 
    A menu driven, interactive  graphics  system for this  task would be very
    valuable to event organizers throughout the world.

What hardware is the system to run on ? :  This is, of course, open to sugg-
    estions.   However  results of  preliminary  experiments  with an  Apple
    Macintosh make it an obvious choice.

Who will own the software  to be developed ? :  Contractual details, includ-
    ing ownership and/or royalties etc. is subject to  ongoing  negotiations
    with the Orienteering Masters Organizing Committee.   Bear in  mind that
    the world is your market-place and that the cost of advertizing through-
    out the I.O.F. community is nominal.

For more information on the software project:   mail to  rdickinson@watcgl ,
    preferably before November 21, '84.

For more information on the Masters Games contact:
               Masters Games World Headquarters,
               Box 1985,  Postal Station P,
               Toronto,  Canada,  M5S 2Y7
               (416) 927 1985
 
                                         Rob Dickinson,  14 Nov. '84