[CQ-Contest] The Cheating Thing

[Steve Sacco]

Hi Everyone -

It's been awhile since I've been QRV, but I went QRT after the hurricanes of 2004, and have slowly been getting things back together, and hope to be on the air soon.

When the station is functioning, it's pretty good, and I've done well in the contests.  I've been contesting since the late 1970's, and have been lucky enough to have been associated with some of the very best folks out there.

I re-subscribed to the cq-contest reflector in anticipation all this, and wanted to get back into the groove.

After digesting the last several day's worth of discussion, I thought it was time to say something, so here goes:

1) There have always been a small minority of cheaters.  That doesn't make it right; it's just a fact.  There will always be cheaters, in any endeavor.

2) Technology has made it both easier to cheat, and easier to catch cheaters.  

3) Given that these activities are done for fun, not profit, the cheaters will always have the advantage.

4) Given:
   a) That we cannot ever have a level playing field due to different geographic locations and station setups, and,
   b) That computer technology has advanced sufficiently to allow programs like Morse Runner to simulate amazingly real CW contest conditions, and that, in conjunction with
   c) Telecommunication technology has advanced sufficiently to support MMOG ("Massively Multiplayer Online Games")

I believe the time may have come to move the CW and digital contests into "virtual world".  (Phone 'tests won't be far behind, pending sufficiently powerful voice recognition applications).  

Think about the advantages: the possibility of a level playing field for all, realtime scoring, instant results, and given a way to verify the actual person operating virtual station, no ability to cheat.  Obviously, this could be extended, just like other MMOG's, to allow personalization of your own antennas/equipment/location.  Perhaps you could "buy" better hardware or locations with the points you earned from your previous contest efforts.

The possibilities are endless, really.



73,

Steve NN4X
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