Topband: DXCC Program Integrity

[Tom W8JI]

> This one interesting sentence, made in another thread, may be at the root 
> of
> much of the disagreement expressed in the last few days with regards to
> DXCC. It does cause one to wonder why the award exists at all. If DXCC 
> only
> matters to the recipient, why wouldn't their logbook serve the same 
> purpose?
> For some, it does. What added gratification does that extra piece of paper
> provide? It's not exactly free. What makes the DXCC countries list so
> special -- why not use some other list? Why did ARRL go to great pains to
> make LoTW more challenging than online banking? Why are individuals
> disqualified from the program if the award only affects *them*? Why do we
> have card checkers that look for that dot between the "1" and the "8" like
> the guy looking for a "hanging chad" with a magnifying glass? Finally, 
> what
> does it mean for the League to call DXCC the "premier operating award" 
> then
> turn up their hands and basically say "we can't enforce any of this.... 
> it's
> up to you guys"?
>
> Larry K5RK

Larry,

This all just life no matter what we do. If we base our self-worth, or 
determine the worth of others by what **we** like or what we think they 
should do, we are destined to be grouchy unhappy people who spend a lot of 
time making ourselves and others unhappy.

It is this way in car shows, it is this way in automotive racing. It is this 
way in gaming and in sculpture and art.

The DXCC is the DXCC as the rule written for DXCC apply. If someone does not 
like the rules as written, they can try to change the rules or go find 
something else they like better.

In my opinion, and what makes me uncomfortable and ruins the spirit, is 
trying to disparage others because we don't happen to like the way the rules 
are written.

As for cheating, which really means breaking a rule (not what we might 
personally WANT a rule to be), that will always go on. The best we can do is 
try to minimize it by careful thought.

We seem to be becoming an increasingly angry society who like to not see 
anyone else having fun. We make extreme statements, invent conspiracies, and 
intentionally take things out of context just to be whining "drama queens" 
or professional curmudgeons.

The weirdest part of it all is we worry about and get all dramatic about 
small meaningless stuff, while we do nothing to rationally work on real 
problems. I think maybe we are all getting old, and getting some of that 
infamous Brooklyn syndrome.

73 Tom