In Jeff Davis
wrote:

On 2010-01-06, Steve Bonine wrote:

I gave up long ago trying to predict what motivates ham radio
operators.
Personally, this whole idea of having to be nominated by current
members turns me off, but I know that I am far from typical in that
regard. If the process of obtaining membership in this club actually

Morse has transitioned from being the lingua franca of amateur radio
to an exclusive club.

Exclusive? How so?

Nobody has to be invited to actually use CW on the air. Membership in
this or any other club is not required.

There's no longer any code requirement for licenses in the US or most
(all?) of the rest of the world, so its use is now completely voluntary.

Even so, large chunks of the bands are still populated almost
exclusively by CW ops.

And folks marvel at its decline...

If people don't use CW, it's because they don't want to, not because
someone won't let them.


--
Bert Hyman W0RSB St. Paul, MN