I don't understand the motivation of cheaters, either. I have been a
"little pistol" in many many contests, with no hope of winning anything.
I've entered purely for enjoyment and to contribute a little score to my
contesting club. I've been involved in a few large multi operations where
we DID win something. I have also operated in many VHF+ contests as a
Single-Op (QRP) Portable from remote locations. In all of the above,
neither I nor anyone else involved in the multi efforts cheated.
At one time I was hopeful of maybe taking the #1 US spot in a VHF
contest in the QRP Portable class. Now I don't think that's ever likely to
happen. I've come close - I've been # 4 in the nation before. I guess
that's about the best I'm going to do. This part of the country just
doesn't have enough activity these days for me to run up a large score in a
VHF contest compared to other areas. But I haven't cheated. That gives me a
good feeling. And it's fun, so I'll keep doing it.
73, Zack W9SZ
On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 5:58 PM, <w5ov@w5ov.com> wrote:
> Charly,
>
> You've got a few years on me in this game, but I have been contesting for
> 40 years now, so I think I've got some "cred" when I generally disagree
> with your summary.
>
> I don't think there is nearly as much cheating going on as you seem to
> think and I don't think that contesting overall is tainted. It is my
> opinion that the vast majority are trying to obey the rules. If they
> weren't, why would anyone bother with commenting on or being concerned
> about what the rules are? I think the most controversial subject of
> discussion here is contest rules, and especially when suggesting making
> changes to them!
>
> Even so, there are cheaters out there and the contest adjudicators do a
> remarkable job in doing what they can to find them - given that they have
> very limited access to the evidence that would be needed to do a 100% job.
>
> W7DRA offered a very good insight with his comment that cheaters must be
> able to consider what they do as "right" in their own minds, and for the
> life of me, I cannot imagine how they can do that. I don't understand the
> motivation of a cheater. While in Lance Armstrong's cheating, he was doing
> so for fame and fortune, but we don't get much of the former, and none of
> the latter in amateur radio, so what their motivation is, I haven't a
> clue.
>
> So, I would say that while there are going to be bad people in contesting
> like there are in all other human activities, I don't think that there is
> a majority of contest participants who are cheaters. To be honest, I think
> the vast majority of people who are participants in contests are only
> motivated because it's fun for them and they have no expectation of ever
> winning anything. Granted, there are those who apparently derive some sick
> and inexplicable joy from deceiving others, but I cannot let them ruin my
> enjoyment of operating a contest. I'd encourage you do enjoy it, and not
> be concerned with the few "rotten apples".
>
> 73,
>
> Bob W5OV
>
>
>
> > I contested from 1959 to about 1990 exactly obeying the rules and
> > especially really believing that all contesters were doing the same. I
> > even gained a very few wins of my category or top 20 rankings. Then,
> > various acquaintances began to slip around me with comments that led me
> to
> > see that cheating was common, and often among some big scores. I think
> it
> > is true today, and I think that some clubs encourage cheating and assist
> > certain members to cheat and score big.
> >
> > The result has been that I still contest but my enjoyment is reduced, not
> > because I am driven to win, but because I feel involved in a tainted
> > activity. More often, I work, say 500, but do not bother to send in a
> > log. Sending a log feels pointless. Awareness of the tainted process
> has
> > helped me to see other taints, especially in DXCC, and to be aware and
> > repulsed by the "insiders" of the hobby, the "old boy" arrangement at
> high
> > places.
> >
> > I am further repulsed when I see so many widely lauding ham radio as the
> > last honerable activity with the idea that when one enters the ham realm,
> > one mingles with a special breed. Hams buy and sell radios in a
> > remarkably
> > honorable system; hams climb other ham's towers for a pizza dinner; and
> > hams, otherwise strangers, stay over in each other's homes during visits.
> > I wonder if I am expecting too much to have that ham spirit include
> > contests, too. Also, I know honorable hams who will stick to their
> honest
> > guns personally, but will not speak out about "others."
> >
> > A real characteristic of "the ham spirit" avoids openly calling a spade a
> > spade. We know Italian ops are world infamous as the worst DX operators,
> > for example, but we keep quiet about it publically. Maybe we need The
> Old
> > Man back with his Rotten Radio notes. I have been surprised at how
> deeply
> > hams want to put their heads in the sand. I have been banned from five
> > ham
> > reflectors for speaking my observations about everything from the CW
> > Skimmer to how a well-loved radio model is not better than sliced bread.
> > I
> > may be banned from cq-contest, now.
> >
> > My answer to your question, NO, I AM NOT OK WITH THAT.
> >
> > Charly, K4VUD
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 1:32 AM, Michael Adams <mda@n1en.org> wrote:
> >
> >> Doug KR2Q asks:
> >>
> >> > "Are you OK with that?"
> >>
> >>
> >> I'm answering here from the viewpoint of a relative newcomer to amateur
> >> radio, one who enjoys contesting but has no real delusions of being a
> >> "serious" competitor.
> >>
> >> One of the reasons I fell into amateur radio so deeply, so quickly, is
> >> that
> >> I was tired of being bothered by "stuff" in other pastimes. For
> >> example,
> >> I used to maintain a website for a different hobby, and I just got sick
> >> of
> >> being bothered by working around the virtual canine landmines of spam
> >> and
> >> advertising or in trying to keep with the latest developments. It used
> >> to
> >> be fun to me....but it's not anymore.
> >>
> >> While it's possible to be exposed in amateur radio to some of the same
> >> general kinds of frustrations I've had with other pastimes... really,
> >> it's
> >> just kind of relaxing to let some time go by -- me, the transceiver, a
> >> set
> >> of paddles, and a wire or two -- and see who, or what, I can find on the
> >> bands.
> >>
> >> Sure, I can see the appeal of walnut and wallpaper, and I wouldn't mind
> >> having some to decorate the shack....but when I'm contesting, it's just
> >> an
> >> extension of finding relaxation in seeing who/what is on. I'm a little
> >> pistol, playing without a real expectation of winning, just for the fun
> >> of
> >> it. Scores and rankings don't necessarily matter given my simple
> >> goals,
> >> but they do add a bit of interest to the discussion surrounding the
> >> contest, to extend the enjoyment of a particularly fun weekend, or to
> >> whet
> >> interest in an upcoming test.
> >>
> >> So, am I OK with cheating? No, not really. But as long as there's
> >> some
> >> space for me to be able to play, as long as there is enough activity to
> >> hold my interest, I refuse to be too bothered by it. Why spoil
> >> something
> >> that I enjoy by stressing over other people doing things I can't
> >> control?
> >>
> >> I'm not opposed to anti-cheating measures, because I respect that the
> >> competition is a big deal to some. I just ask that those measures not
> >> be
> >> too onerous on the more casual participants.
> >>
> >> --
> >> *Michael D. Adams* (N1EN)
> >> Poquonock, Connecticut | mda@n1en.org
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> CQ-Contest mailing list
> >> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Charly, HS0ZCW
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|