[CQ-Contest] Skimmer and the paradox of the desire for fairness

[José Nunes CT1BOH]

"Paradoxically, one of the most powerful motivations for cheating, according
to scholars who study decision-making process, is a desire for fairness"



When I was tipped of the Skimmer existence, I sent a memo to friends saying
- this is the end of CW Contesting as we have known. CW Contesting will be a
different game in the future.



SO1R operators view SO2R as an unfair advantage. SO2R operators do a 77 hour
contest (48 on radio1 and 29 on radio2, listening to radio2 while radio1 is
transmitting) while SO1R only does a 48 hour contest. Also SO2R is not for
everyone. Very few people (less than 2% of the 2006 CQWW CW) have the
physical, mental and concentration skills to do it. And the ones who do it
are at the stop of the score board.



Assisted operators do not appreciate the lack of recognition when compared
to non-assisted operators. All the contest sponsors highlight the
non-assisted category and treat the assisted operator as lesser gods. It's
almost embarrassing for them to have to report the assisted category.



Add the desire for fairness, the desire for recognition, different cultural
templates, lack of on-site referee control and you have in a nut shell, the
explanation for cheating in today's contests.



Fortunately contest adjudicators had tools that could highlight to some
extent packet cheating and two radio cheating in the SOAB category, but
skimmer will change all that.



There is absolutely no way to detect "true" SO2R mults from Skimmer mults,
if the Skimmer operator does not get too greedy. And I see no difference
between being helped by Skimmer or being helped by Packet in the end result.


We may very well see the end of the assisted and non-assisted category, and
the birth of the "One operator" category.

If that happens, it is the end of contesting as we have known it, but it
will still be contesting, and it surely will be lot's of fun.

73
José Nunes
CONTEST CT1BOH - http://www.qsl.net/ct1boh