[CQ-Contest] Packet Cheerleaders

[Kenneth E. Harker]

     It should be obvious to most now that packet presents serious 
challenges to fair play in radiosport.  Not only is the use of packet 
spots by an operator who claims to be unassisted a problem, but the 
obvious problems of self-spotting and what, for lack of a better term,
we call "cheerleading."  Most packet spots are generated by the 
disinterested and favor no particular station in their selection - 
but cheerleaders spot one particular station over and over again with 
the objective of improving that station's score and place in the 
results.

     Contrary to IV3TAN's assertion, it is not always Italian stations
that find themselves suspect of the cheerleader phenomenon.  The most
extreme example, which was discussed at great length on this reflector,
was ZF2MM in the 2002 ARRL DX Contest, Phone.  That was a USA op 
being spotted by numerous cheerleaders in his home USA contest club.
There was a great deal of discussion about whether or not this level
of off-site cheerleading support should be considered fair or in good 
sportsmanship.


      Imagine the following scenario.  Two hams travel to a contest 
station.  Ham A operates the radio for 48 hours as a single-op unassisted
contest entry.  Ham B's main purpose in life for those same 48 hours is 
to watch A's radio dials and logging software, and every time A changes 
his run frequency, or his rate drops below a certain level, B spots A 
on the cluster network, using B's callsign (which might be in a different
country from the contest operation.)  Since B never actually touches 
the radios, he's not an operator, and A claims "unassisted" status.  
Since the spots are only ever sent by B, and B is not an operator, it 
doesn't count as self-spotting, right?  


      I don't believe this is what happened at D44TD in the CQWW SSB 2004,
but it could have already happened somewhere by now.

-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/