[CQ-Contest] combination of, bragging, back-scratching

[Tom Haavisto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Leigh S. Jones, KR6X" <kr6x at kr6x.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 9:20 am
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] combination of, bragging, back-scratching
To: cq-contest at contesting.com

> I have been trying to understand why a group as seemingly  competitive as
> contesters would even think of spotting stuff for their rivals to benefit
> from. They spend small (or large) fortunes setting up hugely elaborate
> stations in order to beat "the other guy" and then turn around and tell 
 > "the other guy" where the points are.
> 
> So far, I have narrowed it down to bragging (Hey! Look what I 
> worked!) and
> back-scratching (I'll spot stuff for you if you spot stuff for  me). Maybe 
> a combination of both.
> 
> 73 -- Paul VO1HE

My take on this is as follows:

Contesting, by its very nature, requires that participants support each other to some extent.  For example, I could try and "hurt" a fellow contester by not contacting him (thereby denying him points, and possibly a multiplier).  However, in doing so, I would also hurt myself by denying myself the contact and points as well.

One also needs to consider that by spotting a rare station, I am going to send my competition into the fry in order to work him.  Consider that I "find" a rare station, and quickly work him.  Then, I spot him.  What happens when this gets out?  A huge pileup ensues, and maybe my competition will get "stuck" there for several minutes trying to work him.  This can give me several minutes to try and maximize my points while my competition is "stuck in traffic" as it were.

I am sure there are other lines of thought as well, but the bottom line is that we all need to play nice together, and everyone "wins".