Rowe Hessler 52.27 BLD former WR disqualified

[qqwref]

If someone else did something like this I feel as though they would have been punished much more.

What is the punishment?

I think the only punishment was to remove the time itself, because he worked with the WCA by notifying them himself and being open about it. This kind of thing has happened before (with a much, much shorter time gap) and since getting a scramble again isn't a deliberate attempt to cheat the typical punishment is not to ban the person or anything, but to just get rid of that solve and give them a new one, and of course in this case we can't give Rowe a replacement solve.

I can't explain why nobody said anything about this until now, including people who were at the competition. I have a theory but it is pretty silly.

May I ask how long this record stood?

From November 22, 2008 until December 6, 2008, so about two weeks.

 

[tim]

This is no reason to hold him high on a pedestal.

Knowing Rowe a bit I'm more amused by this whole thing than pissed. I probably would be really angry if this cost me a world record, though. Did anyone not get to celebrate a world record because of that?

What kind of punishment would you even give him? It was the judges mistake, even thought he should have told.
May I ask how long this record stood?

Wether it's the judge's fault or not is irrelevant.

 

[qqwref]

Did anyone not get to celebrate a world record because of that?

Nope, the only change this makes to the WR history is to remove Rowe's time from the list.

 

[Escher]

Good for him for saying something about it, even now.

Given the number of competitions held each weekend these days I imagine this happens all the time and many people won't say a word simply to lower their competition PBs. The relative level of dishonesty isn't affected by the fact it happened to be a world record time, even if those getting slower times think it does. Adulation and a newspaper article or two are irrelevant to the act.

 

[Tyson]

If I steal from someone today and turn myself in four years, I get punished equally for how I get punished if I got caught today. That's the way law works. You did what you did and now you have to deal with it.

But nothing was stolen here. It's more similar to you buying something, and I give you too much change by accident. Or let's say you go and eat at a restaurant, and I don't bill you for something.

Obviously, it's preferable, and I would even say expected that someone should speak up if they receive something they shouldn't have received. But I don't feel it's the same thing as actively cheating.

 

[Noahaha]

Let's not forget that punishing Rowe for this would discourage other people in similar situations from coming forward. The attitude should be: "turn yourself in rather than getting caught."

 

[tx789]

In athletics there been people who game out(amiting drug use) years later and then get so much hate a records wiped and banned



Still 4years is a long time in cubing

 

[InfiniCuber]

His apology thread is up...(Rowe's)

 

[MWilson]

In athletics there been people who game out(amiting drug use) years later and then get so much hate a records wiped and banned



Still 4years is a long time in cubing

That's not a very accurate analogy. What Rowe did is more like player A committing a foul against player B, and when the referee calls it wrong as a foul for player B, player A just lets it happen even though they know it's wrong. Incidentally, that happens all the time in "professional" sports, along with faking injuries for advantages and all kinds of other BS. Rowe did not enter the competition with an intent to break the rules, and then carry out some sort of evil plan. The rules were broken by another person, the judge, and it happened to be in his favor. Yes, he should have set it straight back then, but it's not even close to the same as doping in athletics.

 

[fastcubesolver]

Let's not forget that punishing Rowe for this would discourage other people in similar situations from coming forward. The attitude should be: "turn yourself in rather than getting caught."

I agree with this completely. If Rowe receives no further punishment, then people will be more apt to stay quiet if the same thing happens to them. Even if they don't get a WR, they could improve their PB, bumping down others in rankings.

 

[rowehessler]

That's not a very accurate analogy. What Rowe did is more like player A committing a foul against player B, and when the referee calls it wrong as a foul for player B, player A just lets it happen even though they know it's wrong. Incidentally, that happens all the time in "professional" sports, along with faking injuries for advantages and all kinds of other BS. Rowe did not enter the competition with an intent to break the rules, and then carry out some sort of evil plan. The rules were broken by another person, the judge, and it happened to be in his favor. Yes, he should have set it straight back then, but it's not even close to the same as doping in athletics.

Its 100% my fault this happened this judge was inexperienced I should have said something.

 

[Noahaha]

I agree with this completely. If Rowe receives no further punishment, then people will be more apt to stay quiet if the same thing happens to them. Even if they don't get a WR, they could improve their PB, bumping down others in rankings.

It seems that you took what I said to mean the opposite of what I meant. I think that if Rowe IS punished, other people will NOT come forward for fear of punishment. But if he is NOT punished, people WILL feel comfortable coming forwards.

 

[fastcubesolver]

It seems that you took what I said to mean the opposite of what I meant. I think that if Rowe IS punished, other people will NOT come forward for fear of punishment. But if he is NOT punished, people WILL feel comfortable coming forwards.

Oh, I see what you're saying. i suppose it can go either way. I just think it's unjust that he can get off with being dishonest for all these years.
Also, how/why should we trust him in the future?

 

[MovingOnUp]

So surprised this wasn't a surprise challenge. But seriously, why now? why not like after the hype died that he got WR if at any time?

 

[gasmus]

Oh, I see what you're saying. i suppose it can go either way. I just think it's unjust that he can get off with being dishonest for all these years.
Also, how/why should we trust him in the future?

Do I detect a hint of bias?

In my opinion this makes someone more trustworthy than before. How/why should we trust anyone else?

 

[jackdexter75]

Well dang, that kinda sucks...

 

[fastcubesolver]

Oh, just a mere hint.
We just have to trust that people will come forward at the moment something like this happens, not 4 years after. We tried this with Rowe, and it clearly did not work. People need to be honest, without delay, and encourage others to do the same.

 

[JonnyWhoopes]

Oh, just a mere hint.
We just have to trust that people will come forward at the moment something like this happens, not 4 years after. We tried this with Rowe, and it clearly did not work. People need to be honest, without delay, and encourage others to do the same.

That is an unrealistic expectation. Whether or not that is what we should do, to expect that that is what will actually happen is unrealistic.

Also, because I know you personally, I get it. You don't, and haven't liked Rowe. That doesn't justify you being a jerk right now. Every time you've given a complaint or a biting remark, Rowe has come forward and agreed with you and has been respectable and in general degraded himself. You've made your point, and Rowe hasn't tried to refute it. Move on.

 

[fastcubesolver]

That is an unrealistic expectation. Whether or not that is what we should do, to expect that that is what will actually happen is unrealistic.

Also, because I know you personally, I get it. You don't, and haven't liked Rowe. That doesn't justify you being a jerk right now. Every time you've given a complaint or a biting remark, Rowe has come forward and agreed with you and has been respectable and in general degraded himself. You've made your point, and Rowe hasn't tried to refute it. Move on.

Fair enough.

 

[David Zemdegs]

A fine example to all. Well done Rowe.