I am reading much comment of log verifications to validate "significant?" Contests.
I am in favor of increasing the integrity of these contests....evenhough I have been semi-QRT for several years.  A lot of amateurs invest quite a bit of time and money and even put marital relationships at risk to participate.  Like Ron White says..." I know, I did it."
I have A Question proposed as a suggestion........Wouldn't it make the contest in question more meaningful if the exchange RST/RS (which is 99% insignificant, superflous, and also false, i.e. automated 599/59) were changed to a serial number or significant number which would require synchronization to validate a QSO?????  As we all know, the signal report, in 99% of the contacts, is a farce, and the spirit of the meaning of the report is abused by programming 599 into a keyer.
Either way, can anyone give me a valid reason not to drop the Signal Report Exchange from this contest?  And wouldn't the substitution of a serial number vastly increase the integrity.  With everyone sending 599, even if a station is in your log....a person has access to the CALLSIGN and ZONE even without a copy.  All it takes sometimes is a guess who the call is(youcan see it on the cluster spots) and the right timing and one letter of your callsign allows log entry.  A serial number would serve to make the contact legitimate and individual and unique......more unique than RS/RST.  Yes, it would slow down the rates. Yes, it validates, really validates the contact.  Yes, guessers and cheaters would hate it.  It would invalidate them.
Sounds like the Russian hams who wrote this report have presented a good question and plea.
Looks like there may be a need for a change.
Miss everyone.
73, Val
N4RJ