"Michael Ferguson" wrote ...

Why do we
need this "upgrade" so desperately, when the current system obviously
works well enough?

You are making a wrong asumption. In fact, the current sstem does *not* work
well enough. It is extremely inefficient and is costing USCF a ton of money
in staff time and lost opportunities to earn money.

This looks like another Game Parlor disaster in the
making; why don't we just save the money while we have it, instead of
dumping it into another sink hole?

(1) Because we *aren't* saving money; we're losing money due to our current
inefficiency.

(2) The Games Parlor deals have cost us money; the computer upgrade, if done
right this time, should make us money because it will help make our Books &
Equipment business profitable and make every other part of the operation
more efficient. From what I've heard, USCF HQ is running Windows 95 on old
hardware--not a good situation.

Tim Hanke