[CQ-Contest] Self spotting

[David Gilbert]

I'm not going to even touch the subject of spotting (self or otherwise) 
in general, but within a contest it seems to me that this entire 
discussion about what is proper and what isn't totally misses the 
point.  The contest sponsors, assuming they publish comprehensive and 
unambiguous rules, determine what is proper and what isn't.  Tradition 
might indeed have an influence on everyone's perspective, but it's not a 
matter of ethics.  It doesn't even matter if the rest of us feel some 
aspects of the rules make less sense than others ... they are what they 
are.  Where we as participants get in trouble is when the rules are 
non-specific or unclear and we have to interpret them based upon our own 
biases. 

If the use of other people's spots is explicitly allowed (for assisted 
categories) but self-spotting is specifically prohibited for everyone, 
so be it.  If we don't like it we can always try to lobby for a change 
or organize our own event, but it seems to me that trying to argue for 
or against well-written rules on moral grounds has very little 
justification.

73,
Dave   AB7E