[CQ-Contest] Contest Rules - was Check numbers again

[Dave at KA1N.CN]

Bill, 

Statements along the lines of "There is what the law says and what people want it to mean" are frequent, but at bottom they simply mean "I think the law is X."  It would be better to simply say, "I think the law is X because Y..."  Whatever the case, "the law" will always be a product of interpretations that are based on our understanding of words, morals, politics, and history.  When those interpretations are being enforced by someone with power to enforce them, we call them "constructions."  

That said, I think Jim et al have a point: the rule is ambiguous.  The rule does not "clearly" state that "that the CK should be the last two digits of the first year the person is licensed."  It says "You."  "You" could mean a number of things when it is addressed to an indeterminate number of people in varying situations.  In this case, "You" can refer to the operator's first year of licensing, the station-owner's first year, etc.  It is further complicated if someone first held a license in another country, and later obtained an American license.

Unlike other contest rules, relating to station-class, compliance with national laws, use of spotting, etc., I don't think that using a different CK does any structural damage to the contest.  Let's say I make up a number, and consistently use it as a check, nobody is prejudiced.  Sure, they might be deprived of the "truth" of the year I was first licensed, but most exchanges in contesting are not exchanges of assertions of the truth.  (If it was, then we would give accurate signal reports.)

Now, on the other hand, if we ignore rules about who can use packet spots, then entrants *will* be prejudiced.  Scores will not reflect the "type" of stations competing against each other.  

73,

 Dave/KA1NCN
dave at KA1N.CN

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