[CQ-Contest] This is Logic? - comment

[Tod -ID]

Bill et. al. :

I think that there is little chance that anyone can remove our personal
opportunity to do the things you write of in your second paragraph below.
The only thing that they can do is hamper your ability to compare your
results with others who choose to operate in the same fashion as you have
operated.

If the contest sponsors are imprudent enough to change the rules and define
an 'unassisted' situation as including use of Skimmer technology in any
manner -local, remote, networked, upstairs when you are downstairs, etc.
that really only affects the way in which they organize the scores. I admit
there may be a change in some of the contest dynamics, but since we already
have packet assistance it should not be extremely noticeable as one operates
during the contest. 

The crucial thing is to get such contest sponsors to require inclusion of
whether or not a Skimmer was 'in play' for the contestant and then for the
post contest listings of the participants to provide that data as well. If
the contest sponsors wish to aggregate scores from human operators and
human+Skimmer operators that is their right I would think.

But, if there is some indication of which stations were human+Skimmer in the
listings, those of us who wish to compare our performance to others with the
same definition of 'unassisted' can do so by downloading the scores and
dropping the ones we find not of interest.

In any case, I do not choose to let someone else define how I will do my
operating. I am quite content to work "fully automated stations or human
operated stations or human+Skimmer stations.

As a closing remark, the arguments presented in defense of the concept
"Skimmer is not assisted operation" remind me of the story about the Indiana
State Legislature in the 19th century passing a Law that stated "the Earth,
by definition, is flat". Statements and decisions are not required to be
correct -- they are only required to be decisions or statements. Correctness
depends upon data and facts, not wishful thinking.

Tod, K0TO


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> 
>          Exactly...and when this happens CW is relegated to 
> just another machine-to-machine digital mode.  This is the 
> end game of allowing Skimmer in unassisted.  Since we already 
> have RTTY contests, why create another computer-to-computer mode?
> When that happens, count me out.
> 
>          What I personally enjoy in DX-ing and contesting is 
> the *hearing and copying* of weak signals with my own ears 
> and brain.  Copying those weak fluttery signals amidst the 
> QRM and QRN crashes.  Remove that element and I'll go find 
> something more interesting to do with my time.
> 
>                                          73,  Bill  W4ZV