[WWYC] Cheating - where to put the borderline?

[Stefan Pfeiffer]

Hi!

Interesting discussion. First of all i want to emphasize that i do not
appreciate that kind of "log massaging".

But where do you draw your borderline of "cheating"? N2NL said it is OK
to work notes taken during the contest into the log afterwards. So it
seems to be OK that i noticed W8LU of his wrong logging of "DP1PÖL"
instead of DP1POL directly after the QSO on IS0. 

But what of other "helps" during the contest time? Logging should
reflect the operating skill. What if the software refuses to log a
callsign with an umlaut in it? Or if the software refuses to log DFL8XX
because it does not fit the german callsign scheme (OK, on HF one never
knows, but i am a VHF man...). What if a VHF contest logger would remind
me of the fact that JO86 is no valid locator square for a 9A-station,
and that i should try JN86 instead? What if the software reminds me of
the fact that there is a very similar callsign in my master.dta? Or that
i worked a very similar callsign on another band? To get lunatic: What
if i would be networked with other contest stations in the world, and
the software tells me about a suspicious contact based on the logs of
that other stations DURING the contest or even during the QSO?

Where does "correction" end and "cheating" start? How far may software
_support_ "better" logging? Are special files that mention US
vanity-callsigns in their "right" zone (For example a W1 in Zone 3)
already cheating?
Must logging software accept any, also obvious wrong, input?

Or to ask the other way around: When logging is only about operating
skill, should i stick tongue in cheek and do not tell my fellow comrade
in the M/M effort that he just made an obvious logging mistake, because
that is the legitimate penalty for his bad skill?

I am really interested in that, because i am writing VHF contest
software, and i very much like software that supports the operator as
much as possible in delivering a "good" log (DURING the contest,
certainly), even if he is tired or no more 100% concentrated...and up to
now, i did not consider that cheating. I just would like to hear some
more precise opinions...Thank you.

Vy 73 de Stefan, DL1ELY (NOT supporting log massaging AFTER the test)