Here is rule # 11
11. Issues concerning remotely controlled operating and DXCC are best
dealt
with by each individual carefully considering the ethical limits that
he/she
will accept for his/her DXCC and other operating awards. As the premier
operating award in Amateur Radio, DXCC draws intense scrutiny from its
participants. As DX chasers climb up the Standings there will be
increased
attention given to these achievements and the owner of these achievements
needs to be comfortable standing behind his/her award and numbers. Peer
attention has always been a part of awards chasing, of course, but in
these
times with so many awards and so many players it is more important than
ever
to 'play the game' ethically.
"ethical limits that he/she will accept" ; "more important than ever to
play
the game ethically"
Which is why I never have worried about awards, and when someone tells me
they worked YYY of this or that, I care less. This is not new. The first WAZ
160, or one of the first WAZ's, was someone who never operated 160 ( at
least who I never heard on 160, despite being a few miles from me).
It would appear to me that the ARRL has given up and now relies on, or
pleads with the operators to have 'ethical limits'. Yes it is more
important than ever because the ARRL has little control over ethical
limits.
So the ARRL is aware of the cheating that goes on and will continue to go
on. That coupled with the decline in ethical values in our society
seriously affects the DXCC award.
People have different ethical limits. Some could feel that breaking an
'unreasonable' rule falls within their ethical limits. Yes it is left up
to
the individual to decide. But when all DXCC chasers are put in the same
game, i.e. posted standings, it only encourages the bending of the rules.
This is one of the reasons why drag racing changed from heads up or index to
bracket racing. Ham radio is no different, and this is not a recent thing.
It is impossible to make it a level playing field without major complaints.
People should just be happy with what they do, and not worry about the other
guy. In about 20-30 years most of us will be dead and forgotten anyway. Why
ruin our lives worrying about the other guy, instead of having fun?
73 Tom
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