[CQ-Contest] Holding a QRG: ethics vs rules

[Alexander Teimurazov]

        Hi Doug,
 About parking I think its not very good example because in our part of the 
world is very common practice when you visit place even restourant if you 
VIP customer they are have barrikade and allowing only you for parking :-)

 About other things
 I think that practice is moove Multi operator to Extreme category because 
its like member of their team doing additional work for them and same for 
SOAB
 You can imagine if for example some one will keep freq for me on the low 
bands for example and then I qsy and start running pileup immediatly thats 
great advantage
 Problem is its not easy to approve people is using that practice
         73          Al 4L5A


> Well, this discussion seems to be floundering a bit, so I'll add to the 
> confusion.
>
> As we all should know (and many do), there is a difference between RULES 
> (laws) and ethics.
> Many societies embrace certain ethics/moral issues/mores so closely, that 
> they institute laws
> around them.  Contesting is different in that we (?) apparently want basic 
> rules which do not
> involve what many here call "lawyering."  Who wants a set of contest rules 
> that runs 1900
> pages?  Probably some, but not most.
>
> So, is it ethical to hold a frequency for a friend?  Let's try some 
> analogies.
>
> 1.  In a major city (and probably other venues too), it is a major chore 
> and cause for
> celebration to find and hold a parking spot on the street.  If you leave 
> your spot, it is now
> up for grabs.  Would it be ethical to have a friend stand in the parking 
> spot or to put up
> some sort of barricade so as to prevent others from using "your" spot 
> while you are not there?
> Most of us would say that this is "not fair" to the others; it is 
> unethical.
>
> 2.  What about waiting in line?  If there is a large queue for something 
> of value (tickets to the
> world series or the opera or rock concert or Dayton), is it OK to have 
> someone stand in line
> for you while you take a bathroom break or go shopping or whatever?  For 
> me, the answer is
> that YES, this is OK.  Why?  Because nobody is being injured.  Everybody 
> behind you is still
> maintaining their position in the queue.  In fact, it is not uncommon for 
> strangers to help each
> other: tap the person behind and request that they "hold this spot" for 
> you while go to the
> water closet.  Part of the concept is, "I may need this same service, I 
> will help out."  Not
> quite altruism, but close.
>
> So why are these different?  Well, in one way (for the latter) there is no 
> harm to any party.
> The person "in front of you" doesn't care what happens "behind them" and 
> the people behind
> you have no impact from your actions.  It is transparent to them.  And 
> besides, moving up one
> position in the queue won't matter; it does NOT change the sequence (order 
> of finish).
> The status quo is maintained.
>
> But in the former, something of value to others is being denied AND they 
> have to do something
> different because of it.  Their outcome may be negatively affected.
>
> If this "hold my place" scenario were to have taken place on 10m, nobody 
> would care; but that
> would be because it didn't matter (10m is dead).  But what if it K3LR or 
> LPL or some other big
> gun were in the CQWW contest and asked someone to HOLD the bottom end of 
> 20cw for him?
> Would that be fair (ethical)?  Please ignore the RULES and just focus on 
> ethics/morals/mores.
> The act itself (to me) seems reprehensible; he is taking an unfair 
> advantage.  Those of us with
> big signals (maybe not like those guys) would just LOVE to "get" the 
> bottom of the band.
> Why?  Because it is of value (perceived or not).
>
> So to answer the question, one has to also determine if this action 
> effectively denied others
> of valuable real-estate that potentially would have helped to up their 
> score.  For me, the mere
> fact that someone requested this points to some inherent VALUE in that QRG 
> by at least one
> party to the action.
>
> So irrespective of the RULES, such an act (hold my QRG) is very likely to 
> be deemed unethical
> in terms of sport.  If you feel strongly that it should be in the rules, 
> then petition the sponsor.
>
> End of professing.
>
> de Doug KR2Q
>
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