"KØHB" ) writes:
The following, written a few years back by my friend
Don Stoner, W6TNS, (SK) bears repeating. His
organization, NARA, is defunct, but the message
he states in his editorial is still absolutely valid.

73, de Hans, K0HB

The point about being visible has always been obvious to me,
and it makes me want to scream that often it does not seem obvious
to others.

I learned of amateur radio because it was out there. I can't even
remember where I read about it first, maybe a magazine for Scouting
here in Canada, maybe it was "Jack & Jill" or "HIghtlights for Children"
and both of those magazines were aimed at quite a young crowd.

Obviously when I found the hobby electronic magazines a year or so later,
after I had decided I would indeed get a ham licesne, there was still amateur
radio content in them. But while that would have steered people with
an existing predisposition to the hobby into the hobby, it doesn't do
a thing if somebody has no knowledge of the hobby.

But it's rare, and seems increasingly rare with each passing year, to
see references in common areas of society. The local ham clubs
do not promote the hamfests, which at the very least can be of interest
to the electronic and computer hobbyist and might let the hobby rub off
on them. Promoting hamfests is not merely about getting bodies to
the event, it's an excuse to be out there. I'm the one who posts
to the local buy and sell newsgroup about some of the local hamfests,
trying to provide a bit about the event and amateur radio (I always put
a link to the Radio Amateurs of Canada website), making sure it's not
merely the facts to bring in hams to the event. Maybe someone will see
the notice, and take enough interest to look further, and that's as
important as getting people to the event. It would be better if those
involved in the clubs, who were generating the information in the first
place, was doing the simple act of posting a message each time there is a
hamfest. Posting to amateur radio related newsgroups does not reach the
newcomer, or potential newcomer.

Likewise, for some years I've been putting up "bootleg" posters about
one of the local hamfests. I don't do a good job of it, but I do a near
infinitely better job than is done already (ie nothing at all). One year,
I even pointed out that there should be such a poster, hanging from the club's
website, so anyone interested could print up a few, and stick them up,
but no luck. So I just copy the information from the website, stick the
club's logo at the top, and print out some. I think I put up 200 this year,
putting them near some universities, getting them up at the local Ben &
Jerry's putting them not where hams congregate, but where the general public
might see them. Since they have the URL to the club's website, anyone
seeing them has a chance to learn of the hobby, which is far better than
in the days before the internet.

They rarely get the announcements in the various listings of upcoming
events by non-profit groups, though I'm not sure if that's lack of trying
or the publications have to choose what to list due to space.

But we do need to work on this. There was a time when amateur radio
was likely part of the common language of society, even if most were
not hams and might not even know much about the hobby. I think most
were aware of the hobby, and had a vague idea of what it was about.
This was because it was out there in public view. Local stories, friends
of friends, big antennas in the neighbor's back yard.

But I'm not so sure this is the case anymore. It seemed to be much
more visible when I was a kid, thirty five years ago. Someone would come
across it, and something would tempt them enough for them to seek out
more information. But if they don't come across the hobby in the first
place, how could they be interested, how could they do any searches?
It is far easier for us to get the details to them today, but unless
we have a presence out in existing clusters, they will never find our
websites (or whatever).

Michael VE2BVW