Ward Silver wrote:
> A simple response is to only spot prefixes. It would be an interesting
> feature for logging software to offer a "Spot Prefixes Only" option.
I think I typed up a similar proposal in a private email to someone else. It
would work like this:
Modifications would be made in node software to establish optional "obfuscation
levels".
Bit 1: If set, the callsign in each received spot is replaced by the country
prefix.
10105.0 ZD9T 02-Dec-2010 0624Z up 2.350 YES!! ZD9
<W5GZ>
- becomes -
10105.0 ZD9 02-Dec-2010 0624Z up 2.350 YES!! ZD9
<W5GZ>
Bit 2: If set, the frequency in each received spot is replaced by the lowest
frequency in the subband.
10105.0 ZD9T 02-Dec-2010 0624Z up 2.350 YES!! ZD9
<W5GZ>
- becomes -
10100.0 ZD9T 02-Dec-2010 0624Z up 2.350 YES!! ZD9
<W5GZ>
Bit 3: If set, any comments in received spots are stripped.
10105.0 ZD9T 02-Dec-2010 0624Z up 2.350 YES!! ZD9
<W5GZ>
- becomes -
10105.0 ZD9T 02-Dec-2010 0624Z ZD9
<W5GZ>
Any combination of bits could be set -- if the "obfuscation level" is 5, then
the callsign is replaced by the country prefix and comments are
stripped, but the frequency is posted as spotted.
If *no* bits are set -- "obfuscation level" zero -- each spot is relayed as
received.
This level would apply both to spots relayed to logged-in users, and to spots
relayed to other nodes. (possibly, the node op could choose a different
level for users and for other nodes) You could even provide for a simple
database including a callsign and a level. In the past, some DX stations
have expressed a desire to not be spotted -- maybe setting Bit 8 for a specific
callsign would cause spots for that callsign to be ignored altogether.
While this scheme would obviously work best if *every* node supported it, it
would be worthwhile if even only a small number of nodes did.
The idea... is to allow the use of the network to keep track of propagation --
to know, for example, that 15 meters is open from W4 to Europe -- or to
know that a needed country is on the air -- while still forcing anyone wanting
to actually *work* the DX to be able to *copy* the DX.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View, TN EM66
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