[CQ-Contest] CQ WW Committee blog post - audio recording

[Ron Notarius W3WN]

OK, so we have a little potential ambiguity here, based on interpretation.
 
A per Jorge's recent post:


C. Audio Recordings: Any single operator entrant (see V.A.1) competing for a top three finish at the (a) World, (b) Continent, or (c) USA levels, must record the transmitted and received audio as heard by the operator for the duration of the contest operation


So... follow the scenario here:


Someone who is operating in the contest as a Single Operator does better than s/he expected.  Sends in his/her log, nor expecting to win anything, just to see their call in the listings.  For any of a variety of legitimate reasons, and much to their surprise, ends up on the Top 3 at one or more of the levels noted in the rules.  But a question comes up, and the committee requests the audio recording.


Does this mean that this individual, who was at the time of the contest operating for fun and personal goals, but NOT operating with the intention of competing for a "top three finish" at any level, now gets DQ'd (or at least potentially DQ'd)?


At the time this rule was put in place, I was under the impression, and please correct me if I was/am wrong, that the intention of it was to ensure that those who operated with the expectation that they were in contention for a Top 3 or better finish could be further scrutinized if and as necessary -- but ONLY those operating with that expectation would have to be concerned.


Is this rule now being interpreted or implemented to imply that ANYONE who submits a non-check log, regardless of their intention at the time they are operating the contest or immediately thereafter, needs to start recording the contest, just in case the dominoes fall in their favor and they end up as a top finisher?


This is not as absurd of a scenario as it may first appear.  Should you have some top tier scores reclassified to another category or outright DQ'd, it stands to reason that others now move up.  So the guy who thought he placed, say, a distant 5th is now suddenly in 3rd, because one station ahead of him got DQ'd, and another voluntarily changed to a check log or got put in a different category.


I ask not because I want to exonerate, let alone justify, those miscreants who are caught.  But we don't want to throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater, either, in our zeal to catch and nail the cheaters.  Or do we?


73, ron w3wn