[UK-CONTEST] IARU Contest;Level playing-field?

[Bob Henderson]

I've been involved with contesting for 40 years and I believed I had 
developed a fair understanding of what is within the spirit of contesting 
and what is not.  There is something here that confuses me and so might be 
confusing to others.

For at least the last 30 years of my contesting experience, I have felt 
encouraged to consider pre-contest solicitation of contacts to be, at best 
unsportsmanlike and at worst, cheating.

It appears that pre-contest solicitation of contacts is acceptable when 
carried out on behalf of HQ stations in the IARU contest.  I wonder if this 
activity is restricted to HQ stations or open to all participants to engage 
in on their own behalf?  I see nothing in the published rules for the 2006 
IARU HF Championship, which either endorses or prohibits this activity for 
any class of entrant.

I also wonder if pre-contest solicitation of contacts is considered 
appropriate behaviour preceeding other contests?  If so, which ones?  If it 
is appropriate for some but not all, how should one discern which contest 
falls into which category?

Bob, 5B4AGN

.