1) Written by yet another asshole who doesn't understand that "ham" is a
derrogatory term.

Ham is a "derrogatory" term?

You can't spell, or run a spell check. And apparently you haven't a
clue which would indicate you aren't a ham either.

Well, to give D. Stussy some credit, it's true that "ham" did start
out as a derogatory term. It was used by some commercial (ship?)
radio operators, back in the Olde Days, to refer to some early
high-ego amateur operators who were cluttering up the airwaves with
their spark-gap transmissions (long since outlawed).

The term has long since been absorbed by most of the amateur radio
community as a self-deprecating term of identity and pride. It's
certainly possible that some of the licensed amateur operators I know
would take offense at being referred to as "a ham", but I can't recall
ever hearing anyone object to it. I certainly don't mind. In fact I
think it's a good thing when somebody looks at my car's license plate
and says "Oh, you must be a ham!" - it says that a member of the
public is at least aware of us. If the term isn't meant in an
offensive way, why take offense at it?

I think the modern linguistic equivalent to the original derogatory
meaning of the term would be "a lid"... and this is *not* something I
would ever hope to be called with justice!

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
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