[RTTY] U.S.A CONTEST

[Dick-w0raa]

Not sure why anybody would "flame" you, Tom, but rest assured there are 
those who will.

You are absolutely right.  We (and I include myself at times) just don't 
take the time
to read the rules.

A good example is this past weekend's NAQP RTTY contest.  Nowhere in the 
rules did
I see that a signal report had to be given.  I found it amazing that over 
50% had to send
a 599 (or worse yet, a 5NN).  I even made a macro that said "Drop the 
599...It's not
needed."  Yet, I heard those same stations continuing to send a 599 or 5NN.

Then there are those that just have to be super polite and say "Please 
copy...", and also
those that must insist on spelling out their state.  I saw OKLAHOMA, 
MISSISSIPPI,
MISSOURI, and TEXAS.  I guess they just felt that we would never be able to 
understand
that the normal abbreviations, such as MO, MS, OK or TX.

I have my flame retardant suit on, too.

Dick
W0RAA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Moore" <wx4tm at tm-moore.com>
To: <rtty at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 8:08 AM
Subject: Re: [RTTY] U.S.A CONTEST


> I've been watching this thread.  Its a reflection of whats wrong with much
> of our society today. I'm old and running out of patience with it. 
> Everyone
> seems to want to quickly blame the contest rules, or something/somebody 
> else
> when, 99 times out of a hundred, its their own fault. They're simply too
> dang lazy to go READ the rules in their entirety.  Honestly folks, this is
> basic 5th grade stuff. READ THE RULES. I understand. There's always the
> possibility of the unexplained exception.  But when its CLEARLY in the 
> RULES
> or DIRECTIONS, there's really no excuse except PURE LAZINESS. Check and
> re-check before you open mouth and insert foot! I come from the 'common
> sense' responsible generation where one who wants to play in a contest
> spends at least some time STUDYING the rules BEFORE the contest. If I 
> missed
> something and complained about it afterwards and someone showed me the
> answer was there all along, I'd really be super embarassed with egg all 
> over
> my face. I'm not sorry. If you want to play w/o reading/studying the rules
> FIRST then get upset because you feel jilted or left out because you think
> the rules weren't right or whatever, I really can't find it in me to feel
> any sympathy for you nor do I care one wit whether you play again or not.
> And don't even think "this ain't fair, you're not a good elmer". BULL! 
> I'll
> show you and help you, but I sure as *&^% ain't gonna do it for you. "You
> can lead them to the water but you can't make'em drink"! There. Got that 
> off
> my chest. I need a cup of coffee and a donut. And now I expect I'm gonna
> hear all about why my attitude is whats wrong with amateur radio today.
>
> let the flames roll.
>
> Tom WX4TM
>