[UK-CONTEST] Log massage

[Clive Whelan]

Steve/CKP makes an interesting point about log massage, although 
I would prefer to discount his initial ROPOCO remarks.

It is surely very much a matter of conscience, as is our 
behaviour towards our fellow human beings on a day to day basis, 
and there is therefore no definitive answer, until/unless the 
rule makers address the issue, which seems unlikely. At the one 
end of the scale I might log GOCKP instead of G0CKP ( O instead 
of zero), and if I notice this, I will certainly correct it, 
since it is not a typing contest, and my conscience is clear. 
However, some of us can recall getting emails from other 
contestants, asking us to confirm a certain part of the 
exchange. I certainly would not do that, and studiously ignore 
any such requests. In any event, the amount of work involved in 
sanitising a log post contest is not inconsiderable, especially 
when the QSO total is in the thousands, and is surely not 
viable. 

On a topical theme, and referring to WAE, it has been widely 
rumoured for many years, that many top operators simply record 
the QTCs and copy them post contest. No great technology is 
required for this, although it is clearly easier than it has 
ever been. I have always preferred to think that the top dogs 
are copying live, but this is certainly more difficult now that 
computers spew the QTCs out at the touch of a key or a mouse. I 
have no problem copying the stuff, but getting it into the 
keyboard is another matter. In this respect, retention is 
clearly the key, and I am in little doubt that Anno Domini is 
complicit in a degradation of such an ability. Now if only I had 
learned to "copy behind" when I was a sprog. Ah well.

Turning full circle, such an ability is also germane to ROPOCO, 
where the Post Code has do definite expected format, especially 
where puerile M5 operators ( no I know they're not all like 
that) are involved, as has been observed. I only got such stuff 
from trusted operators, but if I did recognise the source as 
malevolent, I think my response would be a curt QRU, trash the 
QSO and press on. Just my two penn'orth as it is de rigeur to 
disclaim!


73


Clive
GW3NJW
gw3njw at gw7x.org
Contest Cambria-http://www.gw7x.org