[CQ-Contest] A Contester's Dilemma, or when is it necessary to take the fall for someone else?

[Denis K7GK]

> If you work someone, and they have been given the impression that the QSO was > completed successfully (i.e. by completing it with "TU N2IC SS"), then you are > obligated to leave the QSO in your log. 
...
> Steve, N2IC
 
A related question is what is considered sufficient for completing the QSO, especially on CW?
For example (say in CQWW CW):
 
XX1XX: CQ TEST XX1XX XX1XX
K7GK:   K7GK
XX1XX: K7GK 5NN 14
K7GK:   R 5NN 3
XX1XX: <see below>
 
case 1:
XX1XX: TU XX1XX
case 2:
XX1XX: TEST XX1XX
case 3:
XX1XX: EE XX1XX
case 4:
XX1XX: EE
 
Case 1 is pretty clear-cut, I keep the QSO. Other cases are not so clear to me. What if I miss EE due to QSB or QRM, should I ask for confirmation? Clearly, this is where experience should help, it depends on how loud XX1XX in, how heavy is the pile-up on him, and so forth. Also, do I have to use some kind of confirmation in my reply (R in the example)?
All of this is of particular interest to me since I plan on using Win-Test in WW (for the first time seriously) and I'm figuring out all the messages/key mapping and related stuff.
 
73, Denis - K7GK
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