From: "Michael J. Coslo"
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 00:43:46 EST
Subject: The Theory of Licensing
On Jan 31, 8:19 pm, wrote:

Yet time after time, the systems that we come up with just fail. And
the problem is always that the best laid plans to take the skilled
operator out of the link fail. The reason is pretty simple. The effort
to remove the decisions that an educated operator would make add
infrastructure to the system. When the wheels com off, the
infrastructure fails. The same forces that destroy, flood, and freeze
the victims of disaster also have an effect on the infrastructure that
is in place to rescue them.

To me, that is a confusing paragraph. As far as I've seen in more urban
areas, the "infrastructure" survives quite well and has been proven to
do so in some very serious events. That takes planning by "skilled,
knowledgeable" managers. I'm talking about the telephone
infrastructure, the public safety infrastructure, and even the
broadcast infrastructure. If an emergency is totally catastrophic to
eliminate some "infrastructure," it will also eliminate the amateur as
a potential savior.

I've seen, over TV, some rather catastrophic emergencies, brought to
everyone by the news media of several networks, including showing in
the background the communications vehicles and equipment of various
National Guard units (source: flooding of rivers beginning in the
Dakotas). Add to that the First Gulf War bombing in Iraq done by a CNN
news team, none identified as amateur licensees.

There has been a significant improvement in 'radio' technology that
does not require the old-style "skill and knowledge" alluded to by the
first thread author. For example, during that First Gulf War bombing,
voices of the journalists were coming over the Iraqi telephone
infrastructure. When that was damaged during the bombing they continued
on via satellite using equipment they had with them. Saddam Hussein was
even interviewed live by one of the CNN journalists during that
bombing.

By the way, the first thread author's text may be viewed almost
verbatim on e-ham.net Forums, Licensing, under "A Modest Proposal"
dated 31 January 2010. My reply to him follows there but there was no
counterpoint to my reply. shrug

73, Len K6LHA