Anyone else noticed the spots saying ‘SOTA program is over’? Earlier ones included call ‘G0SOTA’. What is going on? Not good for SOTA PR.
David/G4CMQ
In reply to G4CMQ:
Let’s hope MT are quick to issue a statement to deny these unfounded rumours!!
73 Mike GW0DSP
In reply to G4CMQ:
hi David,
think it has something to do with new orders from the MT. The marylins-rules , the strictly 150m-rule is now adopted to all other asocs. think a few assocs has the 100m-rule. at example for DM its the end for SOTA in DM/NW, NS and ND. Also many other Assocs. in Europe have to delete many summits. Its very difficult to set the marylins-rules to other european country due to the different topo. alone in DM/BW many summits are on highlands and most summits are on summit-riches and i think we lost abt. 80% from the possible summits. think the boom of sota in DM ended with that new order.
hope i´m right with my informations about that , and the management team can say its the true.
greetings from the black-forest…klaus DF2GN
P.S. i also don´t understand the spots in the cluster, thats no way !
In reply to DF2GN:
Hi Klaus
I hope you are well and that your training is going well.
Thanks for this info, I’m very disappointed to find out this way though and await an official response from MT.
Vy 73 Mike GW0DSP
In reply to GW0DSP:
How about “rumours of the demise of SOTA are greatly exaggerated!”
73
Brian G8ADD (replying off his own bat!)
In reply to G8ADD:
Thanks Brian and I appreciate that you are not quoting as MT. How about a full explanation from MT?
In reply to DF2GN:
Hi Klaus
I wondered if it was something like that. What a PR disaster. Why was any MT decision not communicated to all after we were told that discussions were taking place with the other Associations?
As Mike says, it is time for an MT statement.
Greetings from the East Anglian flat-lands.
David/G4CMQ
In reply to G4CMQ:
Unfortunately David, that’s what we have come to expect from MT, they will make a statement when they are ready, I’ll say no more or I will be treated like Mick 2E0HJD!!
73 Mike
In reply to GW0DSP:
Thanks Brian and I appreciate that you are not quoting as MT. How
about a full explanation from MT?
Only just seen this and I know a couple of MT members are out of touch today so please bear with us.
However, I can assure you that nothing so dramatic as the demise of SOTA is happening! All that has been happening are some fairly lengthy discussions bringing clarification regarding the definition of SOTA summits and inevitably as with any change, there are some who feel they may be losing out.
However, these discussions are still ongoing with the AMs but hopefully we will be able to report soon.
73, Jon
In reply to GM4ZFZ:
hi all,
i wrote that i have hear something in that direction.
i´m also very interrestet in a statement from the MT !
vy 73 klaus DF2GN
In reply to GM4ZFZ:
Thanks for that information Jon, it should ease some peoples minds. I appreciate that it is difficult to amass all MT members, even more so midweek.
I think that under the circumstances in which this news broke, that it is essential for MT to make an official statement asap for the sake of sota pr.
73 Mike GW0DSP
In reply to DF2GN:
As usual, the mushroom management team prevails with its usual approach to informing participants of any SOTA news/developments.
Developments of TITANIC proportions are afoot I feel.
Sad…very sad
Remember we are just participants!!!
Now can someone turn off the lights… 
In reply to 2E0KPO:
Jon GM4ZFZ has made a statement regarding getting all MT members together, so let’s be fair and wait for the official MT statement.
No point in us making matters worse on this reflector.
73 Mike GW0DSP
Gentlemen,
I am sure we will make some kind of update statement very soon, due to this spilling out into the public domain. However, please bear with us. You must understand that we cannot all (7 of us) meet instantly and respond within minutes.
A series of discussions have been taking place between MT and all the association managers, looking at ways forward for the contentious issues of summit eligibility and prominence. Those discussions are ongoing, and a final conclusion including timetable for any changes has not yet been reached. So there is no need to worry that decisions have not been communicated - they are not yet finalised, so to announce them would be premature and inappropriate.
Some of the rumours above are not correct, so it is best to wait for the MT and AMs to complete and finalise the discussions, and then everything will be properly announced.
Thank you.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to DF2GN:
Hi Klaus,
I understood that 100 m is also accepted in some cases but it will not become a general rule
I think everybody have already expressed how important DM/DL regions are for the SOTA programme, so I do not need to repeate that here.
73, Jaakko OH7BF/F5VGL
In reply to 2E0KPO:
Guys, guys, guys…
How do you think the MT works?
Do you imagine hushed-voiced consultations over port and cigars in an oak-panelled committee room?
The business of the MT is conducted by exchanges of e-mails. An e-mail is received, its contents mulled over, and a reply is made. Since being invited to join the MT I have so far read over 2,000 emails with over 4,000 still to go just to give me a grounding in the way the MT works and what its concerns are! Working through e-mail conferences it can take many days for a consensus to be reached and then the wording of an announcement be arrived at. Bearing in mind that the particular topic of SOTA rules is involving participants in a number of countries speaking a number of languages besides English, you must see that progress cannot be fast. Indeed, Klaus’ contribution above suggests to me that, as Terry Pratchet puts it, “rumour can run around the world while truth is getting its boots on!”
My personal opinion is that these malicious postings on the cluster are the work of the same warped individual who seeks out SOTA activations on the LF bands to make feeble attempts at QRMing them. Don’t, however, expect the MT to waste its collective bandwidth in commenting on the antics of the insane!
Is that enough light to be going on with?
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to M1EYP:
You must understand that we cannot all (7 of us) meet instantly
and respond within minutes.
Thank you.
Tom M1EYP
Hi Tom, I was under the impression that MT was 6 in number, would the 7th member be John WGV? I thought he had resigned.
Mike
Dear All
It’s no secret to us all that there have been ongoing discussions between MT and AM’s over the last few weeks. We all seemed to agree that letting these discussions run their course was best before further communication.
I’m still of this opinion and rather than bullying the MT again, perhaps it would be best to direct our frustration at the misguided individual who maliciously posted such irresponsible comments on the cluster today.
They are the party in the wrong. No one else…
Now regardless of whether any of the above “rumours” are correct or not, I still prefer to wait for the considered response rather than the “tabloid knee-jerk”… and bear in mind I have no axe to grind either way although I would indeed be a potential “Humps” beneficiary down here in the flatlands… 
… but I’m not concerned either way, it’s still enjoyable isn’t it?
73 Marc G0AZS
In reply to GW0DSP:
Yes Mike, there are six of us on the ‘executive’ MT. John G3WGV is the 7th and non-executive member, although his thoughts are obviously valued when shared.
Tom