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"Alert!!"
In my club the other day, my LHO opened a strong 1C, RHO responded 1D, LHO bid 2N (22-24) and RHO bid 3H. LHO took this to be transfer and bid 3S. RHO thought for a while before raising to 4S. They played in a 4-2 spade fit.
After the hand, RHO said something very interesting. He said to his partner "Why didn't you alert my 3H bid? Then I would know you were taking it as a transfer and I would have bid 3N."
I have seen this sort of a thing happening many times. People don't realise that this is highly unethical.. your alerts are for the opponent's benefit, not your partner's. If partner alerts your natural call, you are required by law to ignore the unauthorised information you have received (the information that your partner is assuming your call to be artificial), and you have to bid as if your call was not alerted!
Another thing I have seen happening is that somebody opens say, 1H, and the next person sits up in his chair and asks the opener's partner "What is 1H?" The answer to such a question is simple: "Both of you have 5 hearts!" Yes, such questions are asked only with length in the opener's suit. In fact, this exact answer was given by Shrikant Bendre to such a question at a monthly tournament, and he was proved right! When a bid is not alerted, while it is not illegal to inquire, frequently it is unethical.
LHO, playing strong club, opens 1D. RHO bids 1S. You have a good hand, but no clear bid, so you pass, waiting to enter the auction on the second round. However, to your dismay, LHO passes 1S! You now realise that opponents are playing a system where only a 2C response is forcing. What can you do?
You can (and should) call the director, who will give you full redressal. RHO's 1S bid was alertable. Though it was not alerted, you could have enquired whether it was forcing or not, but like above, that would be unethical. You would be announcing to the world (and partner too) that you had a good hand.
Things you should know about alerts:
1. 1N opening is not alertable, it is announceable.. this means that when partner open 1N (or 2N) you have to announce the range.
2. Similarly, when you open 1N and partner bids 2D or 2H (transfer) you have to announce "Transfer!", not alert.
3. Any call over the level of 3N should not be alerted, though it may be artificial. At that level, it is likely that the alerts will help only the alerters.
4. Stayman 2C does not require an alert.
5. Any call that gives more information than is normally expected should be alerted. For example, you open 1C (strong), LHO bids 1H, and partner passes. This pass gives definite information (that partner is 0-4 or stacked with hearts), and so is alertable.
6. Any call that is normally played as forcing, but is non-forcing in your system must be alerted. You open 1D, LHO bids 1H and partner bids 2C. If this 2C is non-forcing, it must be alerted.
7. Psyches are not alertable (how can they be?), but if from partnership experience you know that partner's bid is a likely psyche, it is ethical to alert it.
8. Finally, if you are not sure if a call (below 3N) requires an alert or not, go ahead and alert!