"Dwight Stewart" wrote in message
hlink.net...
"Dick Carroll" wrote:

You know, Dwight, I've noticed something about your
writings. Everything you say is couch in such terms that it
can be easily denied and you can always say "I never said
it" when that becomes the attractive out. Of course what
you meant is......


No, I'm just very cautious about what I say, Dick. After years of
writing
in these newsgroups, I know any word, no matter how minor, can be blown
out
of proportion or even twisted to suggest something I never intended.
Because
of that, I'm very careful about the words I choose and the way those words
are placed in a sentence. Of course, there is a benefit to the readers
also - they can be assured I often mean exactly what I write.

For example, in that last sentence, the word "often" was added. With
that,
I'm suggesting the sentence above is not always the case. Of course, like
others here, I do occasionally write things that are provocative or
intended
to pull someone's leg. However, that is usually obvious (out of character
or
not in my normal writing style) and rare (even more so if the topic is
serious).

I suspect most others here, including you, do the same thing to some
extent. However, because it is so consistent, perhaps my effort to do so
is
a little more obvious. Or perhaps it is obvious because I do it so
poorly.
Whatever the case, it serves me well.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/



Y'know what? Speaking of words. The whole CW issue is defended (by many)
as being the defense of some premier communication mode and that is usually
enhanced by some submission of why the mode should be revered. However,
aside from that--when the meat and potatoes of the argument (not debate)
comes into play--the only defensible reasoning that is issued from there is
that it "dumbs down" the ARS not to have the CW test, or that "lids" will
come into the ARS, or that....well, you know them all.

I submit, again, that the hidden among the fervor for the appreciation of CW
is the main idea that CW is a filter (no pun intended) to keep people out of
the ARS. There's two reasons that's bunk. One: no one should be kept out
of the ARS--let them get their license and stand or fail on their merit.
Two: it's quite obvious that just because someone's passed a CW test--indeed
beyond that: that someone operates CW at high speed even--it does nothing
for proof of being a good ham, more technical ham, or intelligent ham.

Basically, when the "dumbed down" rhetoric is puked back up--we all know
what the real reason is for the desire of CW testing to stay around: these
folks believe in its power to filter out folks who act just like them.

Kim W5TIT