I need some clarification of being "on the list"

[Splade]

So, I will be the first to admit, i'm a very casual player. I don't generally camp contested spawns, I dont poopsock, I generally just keep to myself and solo.
I started a monk and I want to get him j boots, so, I have to camp the AC (or buy them).
I camped the AC on my necro and it was pretty cool because 3 of us kinda showed up at the same time and we all hung out and got 3 AC's to pop in about 3 hours. We chatted and had a good time and took our rings in the order we showed up, no one left the camp the entire time.
I decided to check the AC spawn last night, there was some guy killing him and no one else around. So I thought "cool, im next in line". So me and that guy hung out and talked and there was never any mention of a list or anything like that, I guess he just thought I was there hanging out at a remote camp in the middle of the ocean for my health. AC pops and he kills it, random druid comes running up out of no where and is like, "Soandso on deck ... Splade up next"
Im like "whoa champ, ive been waiting here for an hour and a half"
He was like "I was next on the list"
I'm like "what list? I was never told of any list, and you werent here"
Anyway, an argument ensues, AC spawns within 12 minutes of last one dying, he can out nuke my necro dots no problem so I dont even try.
The original guy that was there sent me a tell and said "yeah, soandso was on the list"
"im like WHAT LIST?!"
I petition (havent heard anything back) but I ask around and apparently this "on the list" is an actual thing.
My first thought was, what's to stop the person who's camping said spawn from saying "oh my buddy is next in line" and then just shooting them a tell or text when they're about to leave or line jumping their friend to the front
...
So that brings me to tonight. I log in, same druid is sitting there camping. He has a hotkey made for "the list" with all the names on it. I /who all the entire "list" and no one is online. He says that it doesnt matter if they're online just as long as they're online when he leaves, 5 minutes later, he's leaving as the next guy "on the list" logs in (and they just happen to be in the same guild).
Anyway, this whole "list" business seems super shady and very easily abused. I remember on live for the contested camps it was whoever showed up and you sat your ass there, waiting to be next in line and if you weren't present, you weren't in line.
Furthermore, what happens if someone doesn't want to keep a list? I know this isn't live and I know p99 has somewhat different rules about things, is there anywhere I can go for clarification of "the list" issue?