charlesb wrote in message ...
In the end, Echolink serves as an excuse not to use radio to communicate
"as
a ham", as in the case with your friends. It also very often serves as an
excuse not to learn more about the hobby and upgrade, as in the case of the
hundreds, perhaps thousands of hams who instantly dropped plans to upgrade,
or even to buy a radio upon discovering Echolink. Echolink devotees are
just
brimming over with excuses, but none of those excuses change the fact that
Echolink is an Internet chat, not ham radio.


Does posting to "rec.radio.amateur.policy" also serve as an excuse not to
use ham radio to communicate?

Why does talking over the internet provoke howls of protest from hams who
seem to have no problem posting text messages over the internet?

Could it be that you are feeling threatened?