On Mon, 5 Oct 2009 10:27:05 -0500, Peter Laws <plaws0@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 00:38, Jim Reisert AD1C <jjreisert@alum.mit.edu>
> wrote:
> > Think of them as unsolicited QSLs. ?You still have to confirm them
> > yourself, either by uploading your log, or by manually confirming
> > them.
>
> That they can be sent is disturbing. You could do that with paper
> cards, too, of course, but a system can be designed to prevent this
> type of thing.
>
> > LoTW system is much better, IMHO.
>
> No kidding! And designed just so. If I were to sign up for eQSL,
> which I'm not likely to now that I see how it can be gamed, I'd have
> to return it NIL. Can you at least do that?
>
> Believe I'll stick with LoTW, warts and all.
>
Yeah, you can return eQSLs NIL no worries. There are a whole bunch of
reasons you can give for rejecting an eQSL, plus a "fill in the blank"
option. But before you kibosh eQSL entirely, think about just signing up
and getting verified as a courtesy to those who do use the system. Getting
verified is easy - you just enter your LOTW callsign and password and there
you go. You have to be verified for your "cards" to count for some of their
awards. (It's ironic that the easiest way to do that is through LOTW.) I
like LOTW better because the site is easier to use (uploading Qs is another
story), but some of the eQSL pictures are nice. I'm more interested in the
ARRL WAS right now, which you need LOTW for, but I upload to everything to
both because someday I'll work that one guy who needs Lake County, IL, EN52
for something :-).
Consider, though, that eQSL and LOTW were designed for different purposes.
LOTW was designed with awards in mind. eQSL was designed to exchange
virtual QSL cards - essentially just to avoid paying for postage and
printing cards and waiting on the mail. The awards were more an
afterthought, I think.
But, let's face it, the whole system of contesting, QSLing, and awards is
based on trust and honesty. The minute we can't trust the ham population in
general, the whole system falls apart. I'm fine with eQSL being the way it
is, really it's just like getting paper cards only with the convenience of
the computer. The other operator doesn't get anything out of sending you an
eQSL until you confirm it, just like someone that sends you a card out of
the blue doesn't get anything unless you send one too. As long as people,
in general, are honest about returning eQSLs NIL, it's a good system. But
even if everyone confirmed every eQSL they got, how many extra Qs would be
in there? A couple? That doesn't really happen that often. And like LOTW
you'd have to have some people in cahoots with you to send you eQSLs for
contacts you didn't make if you were really trying to game the system.
Having to sign your files and backup your keys and all that nonsense for
LOTW is a real drag. And just so everyone can be extra, extra sure I didn't
make up a WAS or DXCC? Oh, come on - these awards aren't that important.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that the important part of any award is
your personal achievment - what you did with your station. If someone
really wants those awards without earning them, they can do it more easily
with regular paper cards. If someone really wants to cheat, they can and
probably already have anyway.
73! Chris N9YH
--
Chris Burke
chris@n9yh.com
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