Cecil Moore wrote:
John Smith I wrote:
No, the new generation of hams will make it obsolete and history!

Like AM?
--

The invention of the motorcycle did not make the bicycle obsolete. The
invention of the car did not make walking obsolete. Power boats did not
make all sailboats obsolete, although many sailboats were replaced by
power boats.

People still *run* marathons, even though they'd go a lot faster with a
lot less effort if roller skates were used.

AM did not become obsolete when SSB was invented. Morse Code did not
become obsolete when voice and RTTY were invented.

--

Except for a few people who learned Morse Code elsewhere, most would-be

hams don't have any prior Morse Code skill.

The code test acts as a sort of Great Equalizer, because almost
everyone
starts out as a clueless newbie with the mode.

Morse Code cannot be learned by simply reading a
book, visiting some websites or picking up a little bit here and
there. A newcomer cannot cut-and-paste his/her way to a
new skill, or rely on past achievements or claims to get around it.

It's a skill that is easily measured and cannot be faked. And it puts
a Final Authority wannabe on the same footing as a Young Squirt.

It may be precisely this equalizing effect that makes some folks want
to get rid of it.

73 es KC de Jim, N2EY