I don't think you guys are being fair to the SSB crowd. I played
around a little bit in NAQP phone this weekend. A prime example
of the problem occurred when I worked Merri, AB0MV on 160
meters. Now I know from seeing her posts on the Internet how
"Merri" spells her name, but it does sound just like "Mary".
Unless Merri spells her name phonetically, there is no way to tell
that she uses an uncommon spelling unless you know that ahead
of time. The information just isn't there unless you use phonetics
(who knows maybe she was using the nickname "Mary" this past
weekend). In communications lingo - this is called an ambiguity. On
CW this is not a problem since each letter of the name is being
sent.
Since the rules don't state explicitly that you have to get the spelling
correct, I guess most people take the liberal interpretation. Bruce
has said that this is acceptable, so I don't see what the problem is.
You still have to copy the correct pronunciation (e.g. "Rick" is
considered a busted version of "Rich" whereas "Jon" is considered
a legitimate alias for "John" because they are pronounced the same).
If we want people to get the correct spelling, then the rules need to
state that explicitly. Of course if that rule change is made, I wouldn't
be surprised if everyone changes their contest nickname to "ED"
(try "Echo Delta" versus "Mike Echo Radio Radio India").
73 de Mike, W4EF.............................................
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