[CQ-Contest] Proposed new packet/assisted rule

[Ron Notarius]

Huh?

I'm not sure how this "solution" relates to the problem under discussion.
And based on what little I know of the many versions of software out there,
I doubt if this is feasible, even it it were desireable... which it isn't.

And doesn't this "solution" imply that any station who chooses NOT to opt
out... even assuming that they're aware of the option, which they might not
be... then must be classified as Assisted, even if they choose during the
contest period to not access the cluster themselves in any form?

I'm sure John meant well, but let's not make a bigger problem than the one
we already have.  Bottom line is that "cheerleading" -- and by that I mean
arranging for a group of stations to constantly spot your station on a
frequent basis to stir up activity and spots -- should be discouraged.
Whether or not there is a simple, practical way to write that into the rules
of a given contest is "the devil in the details" that there may be no easy
way around... but IMHO, it shouldn't be neccesary, it should be part of
basic contest ethics.

(Yes, I know that this then opens the can of worms of what is ethical, and
we all know of operators whose idea of ethical deviates from our own... like
the KW MM who calls you on your frequency and then tries to grab it from you
by overpowering you, or who fires up 2.5 kc off your frequency and then
slowly "slides" down on top of you, or who doesn't know how to set his mic
gain to anything other than full clockwise... but we can at least try)

73, ron wn3vaw

----- Original Message ----- 
> Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 13:51:15 +0100
> From: "Simon Brown, HB9DRV" <simon at hb9drv.ch>
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Proposed new packet/assisted rule
> To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "John WA2GO" <xnewyorka at hotmail.com>
>
> > The packet sysops shall maintain an "Opt Out" database of stations who
> wish
> > to NOT be spotted. In order to enter as Unassisted, a station must exist
> in
> > the Opt Out database continuously for the entire contest period. (Opting
> out
> > can be done by sending a command to the packet system, or perhaps
sending
> an
> > email to a robot connected to the master Opt Out database, which would
> > presumably be replicated to all packet nodes as needed.)
> > If someone attempts to spot a station who has opted out of being
spotted,
> > the packet system shall ignore/drop the spot and not post it.
(Optionally,
> > it shall notify the spotter that the station has opted out - not sure if
> > that is feasible or not.)
> >
>
> IMHO this is not feasible, I run a DX Spider node myself.
>
> http://www.ham-radio.ch/dxc/
>
> and
>
> telnet://www.ham-radio.ch:7300/
>
> If you don't want to learn how the technology works how on earth can you
> believe that your suggestion is possible?
>
> The good contest operators need no help.
>
> Simon Brown
> www.hb9drv.ch
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest