In article , "JAMES HAMPTON"
writes:

To some amateurs the how *is* important.

I would say that nowadays that's true for *most* hams.

In most of the developed world, the average person has a wide range of
communications options. Some are relatively new (cell phones with cameras in
them), others have been around a long time (Plain Old Telephone Service).
Almost all are tending downward in cost and upward in ease of use.

It wasn't that long ago that the average person had very few affordable
communications options outside of the US mail and Ma Bell. Sure, some folks
were hooked up with precursors to the Internet, TTY machines and even mobile
telephones, but those things were pretty much out of the reach of ordinary
middle-class people. In those times, ham radio offered communications that
weren't practical or affordable any other way.

For example, from the 1970s onward it used to be common around here for entire
families to get ham licenses in order to keep in touch via the local VHF/UHF
ham repeaters. Nowadays cell phones have just about eliminated that reason.
Lots of other examples.

Witness PSK, moonbounce, and
other stuff.

Yep. Like CW!

Of course there *are* times when ham radio is still the only practical or
available method of radio communications.

Anyone can grab a microphone and talk. Somehow, a lot of folks get
caught up in the code vs no-code argument that is getting *really* old.
Seems there used to be an am vs ssb argument back in the 60s as well.

Goes back into the '50s.

However, that *how* it is done is important if we wish to further ourselves.

If all amateur radio does is to emulate what is available other ways, it will
simply die out.

What we need to keep alive are the things that make amateur radio unique.

Like Morse Code.

73 de Jim, N2EY