[CQ-Contest] Ban all contest spotting?

[Robert Chudek - K0RC]

>>> People use packet for various reasons.  Some are looking for new DXCC
>>> counters.  Some are trying to maximize the score they contribute to 
>>> their
>>> club.  Some just use it to have fun.
>>
>> Yes - the use of non amateur-radio communications technologies may be 
>> quite
>> OK for people who want to have fun, or increase their DXCC counters, but 
>> it
>> is inappropriate at all times for contesters who submit logs.
>
> Being the devil's advocate, your argument of "non amateur-radio 
> communications"
> is off-base.
>
> Step back in time to the early 90's. No public internet back then. Packet 
> was in
> full swing, with VHF packet clusters in every USA metropolitan area. Many 
> of the
> clusters were linked together, using VHF, UHF and even HF links. Looked 
> just
> like the DX spotting we currently have, and was 100% amateur-radio
> communications technology.
>
> 73,
> Steve, N2IC

If "non amateur-radio communications technology" was/is a rule violation for
delivering spots, the contest sponsors should have made this clear and 
banned
it when the spotting network began migrating to the internet. That sequay 
began
about 15 years ago.

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN