[CQ-Contest] Real Time Scoreboards

[sawyered at earthlink.net]

Bob,

Thanks for asking for opinons.  My feeling is that this realtime scoreboard should be encouraged but viewing it should require a log on (so you know who's viewing) and it should be restricted to "assisted".  In my opinion anything that you are obtaining about Qs and activity directly off of the internet should make you assisted.  

Un-assisted is very straightforward.  If you are obtaining any kind of callsign or frequency/band information directly off the internet, you are assisted.  If you aren't, you are unassisted.

I have heard accusations of "populating the band map right before the contest".  In my opinion this should automatically put someone in assisted category.  Working anyone after 0000Z that you "click" on from an internet spot is ASSISTED, plain and simple.

I personally DO NOT feel that obtaining realtime propagation info on atmospheric conditions (not seeing who's running 10M and how fast) is ASSISTED.  I would put it in the same category as having the moving greyline map or sunrise/sunset tables.  This is INDIRECT information for which the operator then makes a decision.  To mix this in with someone who can say "wow, K5ZD just had a 200 per hour rate on 15 for the past 10 mins", I am switching to 15M, is very reactionary.

Advance the realtime internet stuff for everyone who wants it.  Just keep unassisted what it is, and should remain, unassisted.

Ed  N1UR