OK, so let me see if I've got this straight:
The packet cluster system was originally constructed for use by contesters
during contests. It was most heavily used during the Big Six contest
weekends (ARRL DX, CQ WPX, CQ WW CW & Phone) and most of the other majors
(ARRL 10M, ARRL 160, IARU, Ca QS0, Pa QSO, etc.)
To keep it active, DX'ers were encouraged to use it during other times with
the proviso that they vacate the cluster during contest weekends. To the
point that, for example, some poor schmuck who doesn't know this, who posts
a CW DX spot during a Major phone weekend will get yelled at or even locked
out for the weekend.
Now we have a proposal that to discourage packet cheats -- that is, those
who use the cluster in an unethical manners and/or in contrast to the posted
rules of the contests -- we flood the packet cluster with so many spots as
to force the system to break down and then be useful to no one. That or ban
use of the cluster altogether. All to force the "packet" guys to shut down
the cluster system that was originally set up, for better or worse, for use
by contesters during contests.
Am I missing something, or has this reached a new point of absurdity?
73, ron wn3vaw
"There must be some mistake. The Pirates in first? QRM on my end,
probably."
--John W3ULS (and there's no QRM, either)
From: "Bruce B. Sawyer" <zf2nt@candw.ky>
To: <va3uz@rac.ca>, <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Subject: re: [CQ-Contest] Dodgy spotting 'witch-hunt'
>Then it will be a "spot sending and reading Contest" and I'll be definitely
>out of it.
>Still vote for shutting down all the clusters during major Contests.
>
>73 yuri (still VA3UZ)
I still think the suggestion K5TR put out the other day (and credited to
N5KO) is the best I've heard yet. Allow self-spotting, and encourage
EVERYBODY to put out a spot on themselves every time they hit the F1 key (or
RTN for TR). Then the cluster system would be so flooded with garbage that
it would be useless to anybody and everybody. We would never be able to
convince the packet guys to shut down voluntarily, but if enough of us put
our heads together we could bring the worldwide cluster system to its knees!
CU Dayton? de Bruce, ZF2NT
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