RadioBanter - (NEOT) The Observer: "After the crackle, pop"

In article ,
Paul Dwerryhouse wrote:

Not Entirely On Topic, but still, it's one of the few newspaper articles
I've seen that has mentioned shortwave, for quite a while:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/revie...057269,00.html

"Anyone remember shortwave? Once upon a time, every wireless came equipped
with FM, LW, MW and, crucially for some of us, SW bands. The shortwave
frequency was always the most interesting: twiddle along the SW dial and you
invariably came upon some fantastically exotic radio stations, broadcasting
from as far afield as North Africa or Latvia. You still can. I have two
shortwave-receiving radios: both offer hours of atmospheric entertainment, a
crackly aural snapshot of another life."

At least he mentions some of the drawbacks to Internet radio.

"Which reminds me: before I tell you about the properly cool Internet
stations out there, let's check your equipment. It's just a broadband
connection and a computer, but if your computer is older than five,
you'll find yourself: a) unable to access internet radio, and b)
therefore drawn into interminable net-gonk discussions about how a
station is broadcast. Does it use multiplatform freeware audio-streaming
technology? Is it streamed via a lossy audio codec?"

Radios decades old still work on shortwave. Recently made radio have new
features but you do not have to have them and we have Usenet for on line
news and discussion that any old computer will work just fine with.

New is not necessarily better. I do not think I want to get involved
with a "net-gonk" either. I deal with computers and electronic test
equipment nearly every day and I appreciate new capabilities of new
equipment but I also highly regard lasting functionality.

The opinions expressed in the linked article also appear ignorant of the
fact that Internet radio is not a new technology to replace shortwave.
Internet radio cannot be relied on in the same way that shortwave can to
overcome boundaries.

This article is annoying in another way to me besides touting new over
existing technology and that is the appeal to being "hip" or "with it"
in the way of acquiring something new and exciting. I hate this kind of
writing. I do not buy things to be "hip." I think that is stupid
behavior on one part.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California