[CQ-Contest] Soliticing contacts or announcing an activity?

[Bernd Och]

Hi Jeff,

First of all, I don't know why you start this campaign and irritate the
casuals. I'm pretty sure you know the rule very well - same as us.
It says: [...] DURING the contest. Full stop.

What we do, is ADVERTISING. And it is "before the contest". Everybody
does advertising and sends out messages to the world: "Hey, I'm going
to Aruba for the contest...". This banner ad is just one more link in the
endless world of cyberspace. There are thousands of other links, we do
not even know of, because they are on private websites like NG3K's
contest expedtion calendar and many, many others.

You have to clearly differentiate between ANNOUNCING an activity and
SOLICITING contacts. I do fully agree with you that soliciting contacts
using non-amateur means during the contest is unfair - as well as self-
spotting on packet. We will NOT use ANY of them, nor do we encourage
others to do this in our name. Unfair ways are (and there are more...):

* self-spotting on packet with your own or a faked callsign...
* sending out or accepting telephone messages during the contest...
   (be aware: we will shortly announce a telephone number on our website.
   This is intended for alarming us in case of 50 MHz openings, when our
   6m beacon is hearable somewhere. But this will be used ONLY for this
   reason, and only BEFORE the contest. The respective mobile telephone
   will be switched off well before the contest...)
* sending out or receiving Emails during the contest...
* publishing actual running frequencies on Internet websites, with or
   without the support of online webcams...
* sending out bulk email (=spam) to thousands of radio amateurs...
* being in an ICQ or other (internet) chatroom related to amateur radio.
   Hey, did anybody ever before think of such an idea???

I say it again: we don't like the use of those means either - and we will
not make use of any of those.

On the other hand we do not feel having a banner ad somewhere in
cyberspace leads to soliciting contacts, as long as you don't display
actual running frequencies during the contest like: "We're on 14.185 -
please go there now". Neither in the banner, nor in the target website.

Our idea is that banners can rise some activity in general. When we
can encourage a casual op to switch on his radio and work us, he will
most probably not only work us, but hopefully at least a few others, too.
And remember - he still has to find us on the air, not on the internet...

When the contest has started, the name of the game is "contesting".
And that's exactly, what we will do. Hope to see you soon! Our truck
is leaving on Sunday...

73 Ben
DL6FBL
CN8WW


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