[CQ-Contest] Contests, on the air or internet?

[Mike Fatchett W0MU]

That highlights the problem that contesting has always had.  We have a 
very large group of participants and a much smaller group of 
competitors.  We do not want to discourage the participants or chase 
them away because that will leave less people for the competitors to work.

I see this more and more in daily activity.  Hi Ken....I don't and never 
have used my first name.

Are people using the lookup for more than a name?  Does it really matter 
with participants that are there only for fun?

This is one of the reasons there is talk of allowing everything as there 
is no way to stop this.  While there is a desire to keep a boy and his 
radio(s) only class, it is hard to enforce unless you have total control 
of the environment, which we don't other than WRTC.

There are too many technologies that cannot be monitored.  Slack, other 
chat programs, using remotes outside your circle, etc.

Contesting has become a blend of on the air and internet.  We all used 
to get on 3830 after the test, now we run to the internet.

This is where contesting is much different than any other competition.  
We have no idea who the participants or competitors are before the 
contest starts and we encourage non participants to jump in and the 
participants can be located all over the world. The majority of 
participants are not actually competing, they are just having fun, 
working friends, new dx, or casually engaged.

Does it really matter if people are using lookup routines to attempt to 
personalize a contact?  We have asked that people not massage their logs 
and most don't but I bet some still do.  We made that harder with log 
deadlines that are much shorter than in the past.  Does this action give 
an advantage? We have seen over and over in log checking reports where 
people are using their own databases or lookups where the data does not 
match what is being sent and many people just press enter and move on at 
their demise.

We can only encourage people to follow the rules and hope they do.

W0MU

MIKE



On 12/14/2023 6:56 AM, Mike Smith VE9AA wrote:
> I seem to be seeing (and experiencing) more than the usual number of
> messages on various contesting logging software forums lately about folks
> wanting instant lookups (in real time) from qrz.com (or wherever) or their
> own homegrown programs as they punch a callsign into their logging program
> in a contest.
>
>   
>
> I feel this is becoming quite popular in EU.  I get "Hi Michael"(I never use
> Michael) from time to time in the bigger DX contests from people that I have
> no idea who they are. (I don't mind this from people I know) so I
> rationalize they are consulting on online database of some kind.
>
>   
>
> Shouldn't the contest take place on the air?  If I give you a "Hi Hank, Lee,
> Bob, Steve" in a contest, you can rest assured, it came from between my 2
> ears.
>
>   
>
> Thoughts?
>
>   
>
> Mike VE9AA
>
> p.s.-in SSB contests, more than once I have got a "wow, that's a big antenna
> on your car" in response to a "59 5" in CQWW SSB.
>
>   
>
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