[CQ-Contest] Convergence and Change

[Yuri Blanarovich]

Maybe my English not so good, but in all other language I am proficient, 
"assistant" is another person who is doing assisting.
I don't call my car, washer, radio, pencil, paper, keyer, computer, 
software, headphones - assistants.
I call them tools, gadgets, things.

"Assisted" SOA was born by OTHERS providing information about call/freq, 
first via telephone, then via packet, VHF, then via computer whatever 
and then - it was reclassified to "anything that assists you operating", 
even keyer.
It boils down to how you do your hunting: by yourself with your arsenal, 
or picking up dead bears, served by someone else via whatever, just 
click on it, voila - you da hunter.
Just try to run skimmer at your own station, while kW CQing. Not the 
same as clicking on someone else's on band map.

I hope I am trying to point out the distinction of using "assistance" by 
someone/something else outside of your station vs. using the tools - 
technology at your station within the (well) defined rules.
Get it? You find and kill the bear with your arsenal vs. "finding" and 
killing bunch of (dead) bears, with red flags on them, or even using 
someone else's remote gun.

Sailboats using wind power do not allow outboard engines. And they enjoy 
competing in their own categories and rules. We hams are soooo much 
smarter, we have assistants, live and dead, we don't need no stinkin 
huntin, we can click, click, click....

Aw, fuggetaboutit, I had fun and enjoyed the old days when hunting was, 
now the assisted are taking over, clicking their way to glory, 
clobbering poor rare one that dares to show up to be snowed up by packet 
pileups. Hunting in the ZOO, fishing in the aquarium, with "assistance" 
- way to compete.

Sorry if I sound like sour grapes, but DXing was poisoned for me and 
others by lists and nets, now the contesting is heading for exclusion of 
SO hunters, leading the way by "clickers" to where? Quo Vadis? Maybe 
time to rethink the rules, definitions? I'd like contesting to flourish, 
rather than lose its magic.

Thanks for bunch of private emails and your support.
YOU doesn't mean you George, it is meant to them YOUZE GUYZ :-)

Back to my cameras and lenses, no contest this weekend for me, got two 
weddings at our resort.

73 Yuri  K3BU.us
www.MVmanor.com
da place for conventions, weddings,.... 



http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assistance
assistance - the act of helping or assisting someone : help or support
Any assistance you can give me would be appreciated.I'll be happy to 
provide you with whatever assistance you may need.



 On Thu, May 26, 2016 at 01:59 PM, George via CQ-Contest wrote:
 
 > I must admin that I never thought about running a skimmer at my own 
QTH.  If I did, that would seem like I would be ASSISTED!
>
> I bet this starts up this discussion all over again, just when I 
> thought it was dying out.
>
> 73, George, K5KG
>
> On 5/26/2016 11:38 AM, Yuri Blanarovich wrote:
>> Why is it so hard to accept and use sensible definitions of SO and 
>> SOA?
>>