[CQ-Contest] Contest Ethics - problem not new

[Jay O'Brien]

The packet cheating issue is not new.  I posted the following message
on our cluster in 1994 and placed my log extract on my BBS for anyone
to download and review.  The net result was that I received some 
support but mostly criticism for "exposing" the "respected" callsigns.

The local "Unlimited club" in particular made it very clear to me that
I should mind my own business.  They won that year, with many of the 
entries in question included in their score.  There was never any 
contention about whether or not the stations captured in my log 
actually made the transmissions, but many criticized me for making it
public that they did.  An ex-President of that club, who used packet
and entered as S/O, called me the Packet Police.

The QRP "winner" in our section that year was a heavy packetcluster 
user, actively soliciting spots.  The "real" QRP winner got nothing, 
even after the QRP "winner" admitted that he entered the wrong class,
"in error".  The QRP "winner" sent me several abusive messages when he 
found that his transmissions were captured in the log that I made 
public.

I sent all of the details to the person who was our CAC representative 
at that time and no action whatsoever was taken.  

I hope that this issue can be resolved, but I am concerned that todays
attitude seems to be that anything is ok as long as you can get away 
with it.  And that isn't just in contests!

73, Jay
    w6go at quiknet.com


>From   : W6GO
To     : ALL
Date   : 23-Apr-1994
Time   : 2209Z
Subject: SS - Incorrect Single ops
 
I have compared my PacketCluster node's log, captured during the 
phone Sweepstakes contest, to the scores published in QST.  The 
information captured was DX announcements, announcements, and talk 
messages.  I did not include stations merely connected at some time 
during the contest.

I am distraught to see that several users of this cluster have 
entered as "single op" even though my records show their active use 
of PacketCluster during that contest.   The offending calls include 
a league appointee, a volunteer examiner, ex-club officers and at 
least one DXCC card checker!

It bothers me that our cluster is used in a way that hurts people 
who follow the rules as written.

Kudos to those who used PacketCluster and entered as Multi-op. You
followed the rules!

Thanks to N6UR's announcement during the contest which I quote below. 
Terry's announcement prompted me to save the data for later review.

To ALL de N6UR <1918Z> :  I HOPE ALL YOU GUYS LOOKING FOR UR LAST 
SECTION ON HERE ARE NOT SINGLE OP STATIONS ! 

73, Jay


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