I believe you say so, only because in general exploting is mayb not even merely a sin. currently most poeple exploit by accident, and sometimes don't even know. So most people won't be really angr if someone from time to time exploit a bit, what won't really matter as long as people won't know, coz their experience will be maybe 0.0000000001% lower.
Whats about speeding? we all know why there are limits. They are to decrease car accidents and thus save lives. You can't really compare saved lives with decreased exploiting in a comp game.
And so even if you didn't saw the limit, you are still speeding. If you exploited by accident, you are still exploiting, only nobody will care about that. What you didn't saw the limit and got caught, you pay because maybe next time you will be more carefull. Some goes bout exploting, you could realise faster that you may be exploting. Only it it is so unimportant, that if you tell that you did it by accident, people will leave you alone (even if you didnt heh xP).
I don't know english terms very well, but when somebody killed someone else, there are two options:
- he did it on purpose
- he did it by accident
In both cases he is guilty, only in the second, you will get lower punishment maybe.
I gues there is exactly the same case about exploting.
If you were exploiting by accident, and somehow you made the whole PS character database to corrupt, without any chance to fix it, what will force devs to wipe it, so that we have to start with our chars all over again, do you think people still won't care? ;P
The guy will say: sorry, I did it by accident! Don't hate me <o>. But i don't think everybody will say: no problem, it could have happened to anyone.. haha

And nobody will know they guy did it on purpose. People you can't be sure, like with speeding

Am I enough convincing?