[CQ-Contest] Spotting & Such

[Ward Silver]

On Fri, 22 May 1998, Matt--K7BG wrote:

> Not that we need more fodder for the grist mill, but here's some anyway. I
> believe the argument could be made that even spotting could be unfair over
> the COMPLETELY non-packet stations. By spotting, a station is knowingly or
> unknowingly letting others know that he is available for Q's. For example,
> VE8XYZ is single opping in SS. He spots stations, but has SH/NODX enabled.
> This tells other stations that he is on the air. He may be S&Ping or he may
> start calling CQ near the station he just spotted. He will more than likely
> get contacts that he wouldn't have otherwise. 
> 
> The same thing with single banding in DX tests. If you are SB on 10 and you
> see 3Y5DX spotted on 15, you might turn your antenna that way on the half
> hour and listen and hope he's QSYed to 10.

I only have a problem with messages that directly solicit QSOs or solicit
information about QSOs.  There are many non-contact messages that occur
even on the contest bands during a contest - "Hey, Matt...you worked VT? 
Yeah, there was one on around 21275 about fifteen minutes ago."  And so
forth. 

The logical end game of all this is that we would not be allowed to do
anything but:

a) Call CQ
b) Answer CQ's

BOOOOORRRRRRIINNNGGGGG...and I don't suggest it to be BG's intent to
restrict us to such limited behavior, but that's where we would wind up.

We must decide: Is everything permitted that is not forbidden or is
everything forbidden that is not permitted? 

Here is something that I have run into in many ways in many different
situations: Simple Rules or Simple Behavior, take your pick.  Once you
make a simple, clear rule, then reality sticks its nose into the tent and
the loopholes, exceptions, unintended consequences, and fairness issues
begin to erode the clear border defined by the original rule.

On the other hand, take the simple behavior that you want to encourage and
try to write a set of rules that constrain the participants to that
specific behavior.  Take lots of erasers with you because it will take a
very long time and a lot of words.

73, Ward N0AX



--
CQ-Contest on WWW:        http://www.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests:  cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com