> Tim enters this hypothetical contest as Single Op Assisted; only to be
> bumped into the M/x category just because his buddy pipes up with a little
> something extra beyond the exchange...however well-meaning he may have
> been
> (or however unrequited said "advice" may have been from Tim's POV.)
There are an infinite number of shades of grey. (George Carlin's "But what
if they cross the International Date Line then, father?" comes to mind...)
This particular example shouldn't change the category unless you (a) request
the information ("Hey, can you tell me if 10 meters is open?") or (b) act on
the unsolicited information and go to 10 meters. Should this be an accepted
practice? If so, what separates it from a guy asking every contact, "Is 10
meters open?" or a club member tuning around to other members and telling
them "Bechuanaland is on 14195." The former - hey, unsolicited sharing of
information isn't a big problem and let's not make it one. The latter -
yeah, it's a problem, particularly for stations making competitive entries.
In the absence of precise definitions (which, to be fair, may really be
beyond the resources of contest sponsors to deliver) we have to consider the
intent of the categories. Assisted category is intended to apply to
stations using spotting information to find other stations. Multioperator
is intended to apply to stations using more than one operator to perform
"transmitting, receiving, logging, or spotting" functions. The definitions
of these categories were written ten or more years ago - time for a little
fine tuning, maybe? If the definitions for category rules aren't clear,
then you don't have a rule, you have an unenforceable mess.
Technology (i.e. - spotting networks) amplifies what was once just casual
operating give-and-take so that the boundaries of SO, SO-A, and MO get
pretty close together. Are you "pulling" information from other sources or
are they "pushing" it on you? No, this didn't use to be of any concern
because there wasn't enough of it to matter. Today, it matters because
there is so much high-quality information available in real-time. We didn't
use to care as much about accuracy either. Categories may have to be
adjusted to fit the realities of technology and to preserve enjoyment of the
sport.
73, Ward N0AX
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