Kelly,
> It has always been clear, spelled out in many rules, that
> "assisted" classes refer to those operators receiving spotting
> information (callsigns and QRGs, not merely spikes on a bandscope).
> There has never been a mention of automation of the administrivia
> of contesting being "assistance".
You do not have the right to define the debate on your own terms.
"Assistance" has always been a shorthand to define a situation
where information was provided BY ANOTHER OPERATOR who was not
actually making the contacts. The "assisted" entry category was
created as a way to avoid the need to combine those who used
packet/internet "alerting networks" into the multi-operator,
single-transmitter class. "Assistance" has always been about
the additional operator and not the presence or absence of
productivity enhancing technology.
In order to claim that "assistance" includes product enhancing
technology, ALL productivity enhancing technologies - including
electronic keyers, memory keyers, voice keyers, computer logging,
computer duping, CW decoding, multiple radios/receivers (i.e. SO#R),
band scopes, propagation predicting software, third party history
files, third party SCP databases and every other technology that
eliminates or reduces the user input necessary to operate a contest
must be considered assistance. To argue that technologies that have
been used individually or in limited combinations for many years
(SO2R/second receiver, CW decoders, bandscopes and a "bandmap")
suddenly becomes another person when combined into one piece of
software is not credible.
Arguing that if one places one technological implementation into
the "assisted class" the individual components of that technology
must also be assistance is not a red herring. It is hubris to
argue that one implementation of the technology is a suddenly the
equivalent of a non-licensed second operator. That technology has
the ability to do what a human operator can do it not new. If the
technology did not have the ability to relive the human operator
of some portion of the effort necessary to operate the station -
none of if would be used.
Again, "assisted" is an artifact of the attempt to avoid the need
for those who accept "assistance" from other operators from being
reclassified as multi-single. Skimmer is not another operator and
does not belong in the "operator" classification any more than any
other productivity enhancing technology like, for example, SO#R.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of ve4xt@mts.net
> Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:21 AM
> To: Joe Subich, W4TV; 'Kerr,Prof. K.M.'; 'Michael Coslo';
> 'cq-contesting cq-contest'
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] The Skimmer Rule Challenge
>
>
> It seems the only people now arguing that computer logging,
> auto-tune amplifiers or the like should
> constitute "assistance" are those arguing for the unfettered
> release of Skimmer into the contesting
> ethos.
>
> It has always been clear, spelled out in many rules, that
> "assisted" classes refer to those operators
> receiving spotting information (callsigns and QRGs, not
> merely spikes on a bandscope). There has never
> been a mention of automation of the administrivia of
> contesting being "assistance".
>
> So to argue that to place Skimmer into "assisted" classes
> means that you must also place any other
> automated feature of a station into assisted is simply a red
> herring. The smart readers of this forum
> have not bought into that particular bit of seafood.
>
> I am not anti-Skimmer: but I do not buy the argument that our
> forefathers intended to restrict the
> definition of assistance only to that information coming from
> other people. Spots are spots.
>
> 73, kelly
> ve4xt
>
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