Jayson Davis wrote:

As soon as cw falls, I see the most important step being in
"advertising" the fact that cw is no longer a requirement. Spreading
the word and helping others to study and pass the written exam will be
key in getting the numbers we need at that time.

I don't even see that as being a "happening thing", Jayson.
Amateur Radio, just like fishing, or NASCAR, or R/C models, etc etc has
always attracted a certain "crowd".

It's not an issue of numbers, it's an issue of why would anyone want to
become an amateur radio operator. Really now, why would you want to do
that? To talk on repeaters? To work some guy on 20 meters? The whole
hobby is passe.

So's dropping a line in the water and trying to hook a fish, but
millions of folks do it every year...Not because it's the only way to
feed their families, but just for fun.

Anyone can get into chat rooms or exchange e-mail with folks
almost anywhere in the world...but there will still be the thrill of
doing it with "wireless".

If you want to attract the bright intelligent minds, you better be
prepared to challenge them. Challenge them to let them in, challenge
them when they get here. Do you think ax.25 is going to attract people?

HA!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllp....Markie wil chime in here and say I
am "attacking" Lennie, but there's been a no code license for just that
very kind of experimentation for 14 years now, and Lennie and hi ilk
have been more than welcome to jump right in and develop all the new
data protocols they'd like to do.

Yet all they whine about is the code test and that 3% of the
allocations that do require a code test.

Why?

Because all THEY are interested in is playing on HF...If all those
engineering types had any interest in obtaining an Amateur Radio
license for "experimenting" purposes, it would be a done deal.

73

Steve, K4YZ