[CQ-Contest] What is the contest community willing to accept from "cheaters" and contest sponsors?

[Michael Adams]

Doug KR2Q asks:

> "Are you OK with that?"


I'm answering here from the viewpoint of a relative newcomer to amateur
radio, one who enjoys contesting but has no real delusions of being a
"serious" competitor.

One of the reasons I fell into amateur radio so deeply, so quickly, is that
I was tired of being bothered by "stuff" in other pastimes.   For example,
I used to maintain a website for a different hobby, and I just got sick of
being bothered by working around the virtual canine landmines of spam and
advertising or in trying to keep with the latest developments.  It used to
be fun to me....but it's not anymore.

While it's possible to be exposed in amateur radio to some of the same
general kinds of frustrations I've had with other pastimes... really, it's
just kind of relaxing to let some time go by -- me, the transceiver, a set
of paddles, and a wire or two -- and see who, or what, I can find on the
bands.

Sure, I can see the appeal of walnut and wallpaper, and I wouldn't mind
having some to decorate the shack....but when I'm contesting, it's just an
extension of finding relaxation in seeing who/what is on.   I'm a little
pistol, playing without a real expectation of winning, just for the fun of
it.   Scores and rankings don't necessarily matter given my simple goals,
but they do add a bit of interest to the discussion surrounding the
contest, to extend the enjoyment of a particularly fun weekend, or to whet
interest in an upcoming test.

So, am I OK with cheating?   No, not really.  But as long as there's some
space for me to be able to play, as long as there is enough activity to
hold my interest, I refuse to be too bothered by it.  Why spoil something
that I enjoy by stressing over other people doing things I can't control?

I'm not opposed to anti-cheating measures, because I respect that the
competition is a big deal to some.  I just ask that those measures not be
too onerous on the more casual participants.

-- 
*Michael D. Adams* (N1EN)
Poquonock, Connecticut | mda at n1en.org