From: "Dee Flint" on Sat, 7 Apr 2007 22:23:24
-0400

Subject: What Revolution?

wrote in message

One thing that may happen is lots more new hams
as the word gets out. Another is that the word may
already be out, and the recent flurry of activity may
not last.

Time will tell.

Trouble is unless people already know about amateur radio, they had no idea
what the requirements were and that they have recently changed. Changing
requirements does nothing to let people know that amateur radio exists and
why they might be interested.

Excellent point, Dee!

Those whose entire life experience seems tied up in amateur
radio have, generally, lost the ability to look at it from
the outside. From them there is NO sign that they are
encouraging "civilians" to "enter their service." Or, rather,
"THEIR service" since they ARE tied up in it and are very
possessive about Their idea of What It Should Be.

The ARRL can do only so much. It is for their membership
of those Already In amateur radio. In my opinion, the
League has yet to do much and is too wrapped up in getting
high-fives for a job (not) well-done from those IN amateur
radio.

For a boost to the "civilians" (who might know something
about "radio"), there's a better chance of getting promotion
aimed at "civilians" through newsstand magazines. One example
is Popular Communications...sometimes derided by the IN crowd
in amateur radio because it is not solely concerned with ham
radio. [CB users might out-number hams by 5:1 to even 7:1,
hard to tell since CB isn't licensed] [neither are SWLs]

Hams beating their own drums IN amateur radio isn't doing a
thing for getting "civilians" interested. Those hams are
too insular, too wrapped up in themselves, to see their
negative effect on the hobby. But...they can't be told that
because their own egos cloud their mental visibility. :-)

73, Len AF6AY