Cecil Moore wrote:
AaronJ wrote:
Cecil Moore wrote:
From Webster's: "service - an administrative division,
as of a government"

From the Noah Pro definition of hobby:
"avocation, by-line, sideline, spare-time activity, an auxiliary activity"

Which of our definitions better fits ham radio, service or hobby...


It is by law, Part 97, the "Amateur Radio Service".

Ah, if Webster's fails then try again using the Federal Regs huh...

That part cannot be argued.

Your *usage* can be argued though. Heck anything can be argued...

The "service" that is performed is by the federal government for the
benefit of US citizens.

You said (quote):
"Seems to me that a ham who is a jack-of-all-trades-
and-master-of-none would be more valuable to the
"service" than one who is ignorant of most trades
and master of one."

If as you say the "service" is that performed by the Government for the
citizens, then how does your sentence make any real sense? Use hobby and it
makes perfect sense.

It also meets the definition of "hobby". It is not a choice of either/or. It is both.

It is both only if service = hobby. And service does not equal hobby, that was
my point. Everybody here knows what you meant including me. 'Service' has been
used for 'hobby' as long as 'CW' has been used for 'code'. And most hams think
that service means that we perform some kind of terribly useful service to the
public. But the truth be told, we are more a pain in the butt to both the public
and the government than any kind of real service. There. Now can we stop with
the semantics...