On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:18:12 +0200 (CEST), George Orwell
wrote:

Al Klein said:

Eliminating a requirement is dumbing things down. But no one would
expect you to be able to understand that.

Well, let me ask, from the point of view of a potential noob to the hobby. What use is the code requirements?

In lieu of any other meaningful test (and there currently is none), it
shows a willingness to put in a minimum amount of effort.

But, given that many professional people like myself are stretched for time, what good does all the licensing
and code requirements do for you besides build up boundries to doing something new and fun?

You might ask that about anything. Given that insert group here
like myself are stretched for time, what do all the requirements for
insert something here do for anyone?

I'm in a pretty technical field, and I study to keep up in that field everyday, the last thing I want to do,
is have to spend my weekends studying to talk on a radio.

So don't. Buy a CB, FRS or GMRS radio and talk all you like. Those
are the services created for folks who just want to talk on the radio.

If less stringent requirements were there, I could
easily afford the tools of the trade, and would like to just jump in and start working with a ham setup. I'm
particularly interested in exploring the amateur radio/computer connections.

You won't like that - you'll have to devote a lot of your precious
time to learning things - electronics, both theoretical and practical,
programming, reading a waterfall display, keeping your signal
distortion-free ...

You can't just plug a radio into a computer and start using them.
Digital communications doesn't work if you do it that way.

Can you give me valid reasons as to what useful purpose in today's age they serve?

No, since someone who wants instant gratification can't be bothered to
listen to why that's the wrong way to do something. Your time is
probably much to valuable to spend it learning enough to understand
why you can't learn enough in an instant.

Go memorize some test answers, get a code-free tech, hook your
computer up to your radio and, in 6 months, you'll have your radio up
for sale on eBay, because "it doesn't really work".