John, no one has ever been "forced" to learn CW to become a ham. Everything
in life has a price of admission. You may choose to pay the price or not.

I have never heard of "press gangs" capturing people and forcing them to
learn CW.

Neither have I seen a movie titled "Two Years Before The Key"

Like I say, I don't have a dog in the code/nocode fight. I personally feel
that it is a necessary tool. YMMV


"John Smith" wrote in message
...
Fred:

I have nothing against those who wish to maintain ancient technology for
when
the "madmax age" (I think I even look a bit like Mel Gibson--too bad the
women
can't see the similarity!) arrives we will be prepared, I am just against
FORCING people to do this.

I am against requiring them in being proficient in sending smoke signals,
shoot
arrows with messages attached, using carrier pidgeon or being able to pass
messages between villages by "african message drum" also, if we get there,
we
will pick it up fast enough...

John

"Fred W4JLE" wrote in message
...
John, the digital age can come to an end in a heartbeat. An EMP pulse
may
well wipe out the computers.

CW which requires nothing but the human mind to get data through will be
with us to the end of humanity.

As hams we need to be able to provide communications under the worst
imaginable scenario. I, and many of the hams on here could in short
order
build a simple transmitter and receiver capable of CW operation and get
a
message through. What if no one on the other end is capable of receiving
the
message?

I guess you can ride like Paul Revere as your car will no longer run
unless
you drive an old pre-computer model. The DMV may indeed be asking
questions
as to what to do when your horse takes a dump in public.

I don't care if the FCC and the rest of the world makes stupid
decisions, I
have no problems with anyone who enters amateur radio via slow/no code.
My
objection is with sacrificing a skill that may be required to save lives
and
property for the sake of increasing numbers.

Too bad a neat skill set was viewed as a determent...

"John Smith" wrote in message
...
Ohhh, ask historical questions...

Well, this is the digital age, fat chance of those questions ever
getting
there again...

However, when the DMV starts asking questions on how to properly groom
a
horse--and what to do if the horse ever farts in public--you will know
that
world is ripe for such...

John