"xxx" wrote:

Once upon a time, ham radio was a great source of innovation. I
remember hearing about how this or that essential device that we now
take for granted was invented / improved upon / perfected / etc. by hams
who did that sort of thing as part of their hobby. It has been a very
long time since I last heard that said. Ham radio ceased to be forward
looking and innovative and has devolved into something more akin to
stamp collecting - interesting to practitioners, useless to the world at
large.

Yes, well, the world was a very different place 50 years ago.

Neither of my parents were required to sign an employment contract which
contains a clause to the effect of "anything you invent, even if its on your
own time, we own". Yet, such clauses are routine these days in virtually
every employment contract I've signed, or seen.

Perhaps we have the lawyerification of America to partially blame?

I'm not really sure. Maybe people are less altruistic today than they were
30+ years ago. Folks today seem to be less likely to invent something and
give it away. Instead, they want to invent it, package it, sell it, and make
a living/fortune. Can't say there's anything wrong with that, really, most
people today would (I think) do the same thing.

Perhaps the popularity of ham radio is declining not because of anything to
do with ham radio itself, but instead simply a matter of the changing
society in the world as a whole.

73
kh6hz