From: John Smith I on Sat, 27 Jan 2007
13:56:45 -0800

To Whom It May Concern:

Ackshully, it don't concern any of the newsgroup's gods of radio.
They are above such petty annoyances from low-lifes not
worshippers of the Great God of Morse.

But, on the sheer face of what you wrote RIGHT ON!


Let us take a little bit better look at this "unwritten policy" here,
see if we can make any logical analysis about it-get the "feel" for it,
if you will.

First, there are quite a bit of threads which make up the
rec.radio.amateur.??? "family of threads":
rec.radio.amateur.antenna
rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors
rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc
rec.radio.amateur.dx
rec.radio.amateur.equipment
rec.radio.amateur.homebrew
rec.radio.amateur
rec.radio.amateur.misc
rec.radio.amateur.packet

Do you see one which is close to say "rec.radio.amateur.new-licensees?"
Or, "rec.radio.amateur.license .help?" "rec.radio.amateur.recruitment?"

No, you will not find a one. Sorry thing ...

The stock answer is "That's the ARRL's Job!"

"Just go to the ARRL website and order 'Now You're Talking'!"
The "cod-liver oil" prescription for newbies.

According to what nearly all olde-tymers in here say, they
are VEs and "elmer" (teach) newbies "all the time."
Strange, but, according to law, VEs only proctor examinations.
Do they also break the law when "teaching" during testing
time?

Now a FEW may actually undertake a personal note to the
"enthused." Oddly enough, the contents, phraseology, and
general tone is standard boilerplate from, guess who, ARRL.
Believe it or not, I've gotten a couple of those. Just a
dozen years ago.

That will be followed by a personal story of "being a teen-
ager, collecting bus tokens and shoe leather to walk to the
nearest FCC Field Office and tremble before the stern,
unforgiving eyes of the FCC Agent while, in flop sweat,
they gave PhD-dissertation Answers to "the hardest thing
they did in their lives." Then walked back barefoot in
the snow, uphill both ways.

Then, to complete the troika, there is the stern admonission
to "learn all you can" or "it's the start of a lifetime of
learning" or "complete this and your friends and neighbors
will come over and admire your (great) intellectual reward."
Variations on the above abound but are the essence of the
standard singing to a chorus of their peers. [high-fives
all around]

In here there is scant mention of radio being "fun" in and
of itself. One MUST work DX on HF with CW. Doing less is
FAILURE. Then there's the "Work Ethic" on morse code
cognition: "One MUST constantly work, work, work to be
good, work at it like nothing else in life!" and other
assorted locker-room halftime shouting and hollering.
"Failure is not an option!" "One MUST MUST MUST know
morse!!!" "You aren't a 'good ham' if you don't!"

What of those than can't "get" the code? Shun them! They
are worthless beings, unfit to inhabit the same earth as
the Mighty Macho Morsemen! "Stupid!" "Can't demonstrate
their willingness to "work!"

What of those (like me) who don't CARE to "do code?" Ah,
that has been the MMM's quandry. They do NOT know how to
handle such people...especially those who were active in
REAL radio long before their first license. Their thoughts
have always used themselves as role models, being suitably
imprinted as teenagers and striving ever since to be
professional amateurs! The closest they've come to
"handling" such rebellious heathen is to play-act a
mother (or, if Catholic, a Nun) and condescendingly
admonish a "child" who has misbehaved! [Miccolis'
conscious or unconscious manner] "Naughty, naughty,
momma spank!" :-(

So, let us examine the existing threads, do any seem to be active in new
recruitment/licence help? No, you don't see much of that either.

Oh, "that's the job of the ARRL!" Or of religious
ministries that send their four-year-olds (who are
always genius-precocious and have full adult English
comprehension) for "instant" license test completion.
[in 1998]

Mush-minded macho middle-school misfits will always growl
(in pubertic tenor tones) "Wassa matta, ya too DUMB ta
pass a test?!?" Those are always unidentifiable anony-
mousies hiding behind curious handles such as "Cmdr
Buzz Corey" (a long-defunct failed TV character from
American black-and-white TV of long-ago days). Those can
be shined off, of course, but those are likely to have
that adolescent atty-tood into well past middle age.

What tickles me are those "personal experiences" during
open-to-the-public events like Field Day. By their
description civilians "always cluster around hams doing
beeping morse, naturally showing an 'interest' in morse
code." Ahem, those of the public crowd around the
STRANGE, wondering whatinhell it is, and hardly ever
give a damn about it later. Amateur morsemen do a LOT
of such morse myth manufacturing.

OK. So, examine them again, see may of these threads engaged in dialog
about how to recruit and spark interest in potential-new licensees? No,
not much of that either ...

Well, as you've mentioned, Dee has paid lip service to that,
but, much earlier, Hans Brakob said much more about his
involvement. Hans quit trying to post in here, noise level
way too high. Can't say I blame him. He is now on the
MODERATOR list. Woe be unto some of the arrogant, posturing,
self-centered self-appointed-gods who have crossed him in the
past in here...

cue Cranky Spanky "But, Len, I've had many a civil
discussion with Hans...blah, blah, blah

Hmmm, so what do we see?

We see a bunch of protective, selfish, self-serving individuals out to
protect their "turf!"

Territorial Imperative! Yes, built into the human psyche.

Ya know, CB on "11 meters" was created in 1958. That's
49 years ago and the HATRED of "mere civilians"
occupying their precious little sliver of spectrum
(largely unused at the time) knew no bounds. Especially
so when there was NO CODE TEST of those (bottom-feeding
river-slime civlians) to use it! That bigotry remained
to rot their souls and for them to pass it on to later
generations to rot the souls of those. POSSESSIVENESS!
It was "theirs!" Geez.


Now, why don't we have more "new-blood" here? What, speak up, I can't
seem to hear you?

Well, there was ONE for sure. Val Germann in Missouri.
A darling of Dick Carroll, SK, then W0EX. Germann said
ALL the right code words, worshipped the same code
gods, was praised and honored, etc. Carroll was still
living when Germann opted out. According to Brian
Burke, Germann is still a Technician class, hasn't
shown up in here since he bailed.

Here's to "TURF:" May it always be trod. By ANYONE.

Regardez silverplate,
LA

wrote:

...

Len:

You know we have much common ground we agree upon.

At the heart of this whole matter is just a bunch of bad feelings/hurt
feelings. Kinda childish to any outside observer ...

A relatively few personalities close to the center of all this. From
what I see they mostly (if not all) possess extra licenses, they have
fed each other and become (blinded by the light--great song!)

I think, just by bringing attention to this, a logical examination will
put us back on course. Changes are in the making ...

In the end, we will find we all pull our pants on, one leg at a time
(well, Dee wears a dress sometimes, I'd imagine! Some of us don't! grin)

.... and you know "the rest of the story" (paul harvey.)

Regards,
JS