Back in the dark ages when PCs first came out, many software programs
were copy protected to reduce piracy. Alas, it turned out that the copy
protection schemes really annoyed the users and they tended to use SW that
wasn't copy protected.
And, lo, the software publishers prospered and learned that you can't stop
cheating anymore than you can stop people from exceeding the speed limit. If
your product is good, people will buy it. The cheaters aren't lost revenue -
the fraction of them that would pay if they had to represent less revenue
than what is lost by the sales lost to more open products, and less revenue
than you would gain by enforcement.
Contest sponsors can't enforce logging software registration anymore than the
post office could enforce word processing software registration.
Callsign imprint is a good idea --- unless I forget enter WB2EKK/3 and have
to send *that* all the time! That would negate my east coast advantage, and I
would have to go back to bird watching with my dual switching, 999X binoculars.
John Pescatore
pescatore_jt@ncsd.gte.com
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