RadioBanter - View Single Post - So you want to be a hacker? Join the Navy

April 22nd 06, 09:49 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy

On 21 Apr 2006 19:21:04 -0700, wrote:
Ok, since you doubt the credibility that fine. I did work Navy
communications for 20 years. Just for grins I am posting a copy of the
recent E9 selection board results. Wonder why it's all in caps??????
[snip]

Certainly not because the equipment is using Baudot or can't support
lower case. It's in caps because the Navy chooses to do things that
way; not because it has to.

You asserted that TTY equipment can't do lower case, and I replied
that isn't true. As a matter of fact, standard Navy messages are
often produced with special software which runs on ordinary desktop
PCs running Windows. The standard character code set for Windows is
not Baudot. It is typically ASCII or some ISO superset of ASCII such
as UTF-8.

Secretaries are typically selected to be trained in using the message
software, as well as in the somewhat arcane rules for constructing
Navy standard messages. Substantial costs are incurred for training,
software maintenance, and man hours in order to support the use of
those messages. The content or format of the messages themselves is
irrelevant to this thread, because it is the use of monocase sprinkled
with Morse code abbreviations which was originally at issue.

I maintain that it's a throwback to an earlier era and based mostly
upon tradition. A Navy which brags about how modern it is really
ought to do away with those things and replace them with something
more 21st century. It would probably save the taxpayers some money
too.