[CQ-Contest] W2SC's ARRL DX LCR feedback

[Rick Tavan]

That's right, John - To maximize score, you operate to the standards of 
the log checking program, not the published rules. Those who write log 
checking software do the best they can to make it jive with the rules, 
but some deviation is inevitable. I try to observe the constraints of 
both the rules and the log checking software. I comb logs after the 
contest looking for confusing stuff like KH6's in Delaware. If the log 
checking software doesn't get smarter fast enough, it will just 
encourage smart programmers to write better log combing software. I'll buy.

Of course, some people think log combing is unethical. I disagree. A 
contest is more than a copying exercise. The inevitable weaknesses of 
log checking software send a clear message that meeting log checking 
criteria is more important than copying verbatim. And that is not a bad 
thing, just a feature of the playing field on which we compete.

/Rick

John Laney wrote:

> If I understand correctly, the CQ Contest Committee has real people 
> who look at what the computer has done and think about it and don't 
> allow disqualification of QSOs that are correctly logged.  But, the 
> ARRL is interested in having it all done automatically.  So, it must 
> be accepted as the computer spits it out. No real person has looked at 
> the results or thought about whether a particular QSO or group of QSOs 
> should be discarded.
>
> The message from ARRL appears to be:  Figure out what the logchecking 
> software is looking for and log everything that way even if that is 
> not what was sent to you in the contest.