Dwight Stewart wrote:
"Mike Coslo" wrote:

I agree, Dwight. What I find most
distressing about NCI is that as a
late comer to the game, they were
in a position to offer some leadership
in the "brave new world" post CW.
While there is no question that Carl
supports retention of technical
acumen in the service, some other
members do not. If I were in charge,
I would have a plan all mapped out
to fill the coming vacuum. Of course
its hard for me to say what that plan
would be, because I support
continuned Morse code testing. 8^)



Agreed. By the time NCI joined the debate, the debate was pretty much
resolved. So, instead of linking themselves to this one issue, they may have
better served the Ham community by focusing more on what follows. But, I
don't think there is any consensus on what might follow. Since most are
satisfied with everything else, I suspect the code test debate may be the
last big debate in the Ham community. Of course, they'll always be small
debates, but not nearly as widespead or as all consuming as this one.


Probably so. I would venture that the immediate future debates will be
one last donnybrook over the Morse code testing, and after that is over,
remnants of the testing debate will go on a little while. The final
episodes of this will be when old pro-coders kvetch in similar style as
we occasionally hear from someone that is still incensed over incentive
licensing.

My guess on the debate of the future is one of testing regimen. I
predict that a new movement will arise that views testing per se as an
unnecessary nuisance, and will agitate for simplification of the test,
and eventually it's removal.

Variations on this theme include reducing the qualification process to
signing an affidavit that you have read a book or booklet on the ARS, or
perhaps granting a license after attending an informative seminar.

In the variations, my guess is that most people would prefer to sign an
affidavit, because the seminar might take up a big part of their day,
while the affidavit only takes as long as writing their signature.

The affidavit route has already been proposed, (NCVEC/W5YI paper) while
the seminar was something I just thought of recently.

Of course, the entire new regimen would only work efficiently if there
were only one license class, which would be another debate topic.

- Mike KB3EIA -