I see your point Lee but I am not sure it is our place to adjudicate in contests unless asked. There will always be cheats. Unless you take up Rolands suggestion of a shared user/password type database, it is almost impossible to do. Are you suggesting that we compare the IP address against some kind of IP address database? What happens if a user changes ISP?<div>
<br></div><div>73 Ian<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2009/11/25 Lee Sawkins <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ve7cc@shaw.ca">ve7cc@shaw.ca</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Hi Ian.<br>
<br>
I agree that registration does probably cut down on some abuse.<br>
However, the main purpose of the cluster system is to supply correct DX<br>
information. If the users aren't who they say they are, the spots that<br>
they are entering are not correct dx information. Some of these spots<br>
are from those who wish to win contests at any cost. One way is to spot<br>
themselves over and over again using a variety of calls. This gives<br>
them an unfair advantage over those who have to be wait to be spotted by<br>
someone who actually hears them. During non contest times some users<br>
simply spot themselves with other calls in order to not be accused of<br>
self spotting.<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
Lee<br>
</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
Ian Maude wrote:<br>
><br>
> 2009/11/24 Lee Sawkins <<a href="mailto:ve7cc@shaw.ca">ve7cc@shaw.ca</a>><br>
><br>
> How does registration work with DX Spider nodes? Can I just<br>
> log into a<br>
> cluster with any call I want and request registration and it<br>
> will be<br>
> given, or is there some checking to verify that I really am<br>
> who I say I<br>
> am?<br>
><br>
> I have been running registration for some time now Lee and it is<br>
> simply a deterrent. There is no way to prove that someone is who they<br>
> say they are but I have had no issues. I can also stop any abuse that<br>
> is seen by simply removing the registration from that user until I can<br>
> work out what is happening.<br>
> If a user wants more security they can have a password but that of<br>
> course works only on the node they normally connect to.<br>
> I have over 2000 registered users on the two nodes I run and I have<br>
> had no problems so far.<br>
> As a sysop, I feel it is my duty to check the cluster and try to be<br>
> aware of any issues that crop up. I also have the time to do it these<br>
> days :) Unfortunately, some feel they can simply install the software<br>
> and let it run itself, sometimes to the detriment of the network.<br>
> I strongly suggest that sysops require registration for their nodes.<br>
> I can check the IP addresses of locally connected users easily and I<br>
> can RCMD that information from another cluster with Spider. I cannot<br>
> look at the IP address of anyone else though of course. However, I do<br>
> not totally see the need to in a network with the simple addition of<br>
> registration.<br>
><br>
> 73 Ian<br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Ian J Maude, G0VGS<br>
> SysOp GB7MBC & HB9DRV-9 DX Clusters<br>
> Member RSGB, GQRP 9838, FISTS 14077 | K3 #455<br>
> <a href="http://www.amateurradiotraining.org" target="_blank">http://www.amateurradiotraining.org</a><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>