As usual, Dave puts the correct perspective to advancing technology. Ask yourself why others would attack what many radio amateurs enjoy doing and even go so far as to use extreme name calling and personal attacks of hams don't happen to support their vision or beliefs of what should be a successful technology. Amateur radio will survive primarily by keeping the older technologies available as well as adding some new ones that prove themselves.
Sometimes new things are good enough to attract others, but most of the time they are not (ACSSB). Sometimes they are wildly successful for a time but are preempted by other forces (packet radio). Some of the major mode breakthroughs with radio technology, have been the ability to use CW (rather than damped waves), SSB rather than DSB AM, low cost FM phone technologies which work well with repeaters, etc. They may never become obsolete as long as they fulfill the needs of the users and can do the job better than anything else. There have been advances made with melding computers with radio and although may not always be directly related to amateur radio, are still considered a part of it: IRLP, Echolink, internet e-mail, even discussions such as we are having at this moment in time in this very group. But not very many are interested in such specialty areas, often only a few percent of the radio amateur population. A few may prefer eSSB, digital voice, older AM modulation, but then a much larger group prefers casual VHF FM repeater operation, contesting, DXing, and other of the myriad forms of the hobby. And it is mostly a hobby or else few would be interested or active. Even for those, such as myself, who focus more on how can we improve emergency communications. We are a tiny subset of the whole. Clearly, PSK31 and RTTY are the preferred digital HF modes at this time. Anyone who attacks others for enjoying those activities is acting in a very inappropriate manner and one has to ask if they have some underlying personal problems or behaviors. We all know people who act in this manner and we tend to shun them as they marginalize themselves and paint themselves into a ever narrowing corner of what could have been a wide open space. No matter how much we might want to, we can not force others to see our way of operation or our particular choice of technology. We can only attempt to improve something to the point that others take notice and see the value in what we are doing. Most new concepts are flawed and fall by the wayside. There are only a few that can withstand serious scrutiny and the test of time and prove their worth. If you are involved in something new, ask yourself everyday: Am I behaving in an appropriate manner to my fellow hams? Am I listening attentively to any criticisms, recommendations, requests for help, offered solutions, etc.? And am I trying to build a community, or do I want to control others? 73, Rick, KV9U Dave Bernstein wrote: > The amateur radio's community rapidly adopted PSK31 once panoramic > reception on soundcard-equipped PCs became available. > > Given this rapid transition, it seems unlikley that the amateur > community then shifted gears en amsse and refused to consider all > subsequent advances in digital mode technology. > > The more likely explanation is that, from the community's > perspective, none of the subsequent advances in digital mode > technolgy have to this point offered sufficient new appeal/value to > motivate a broad transition from PSK31. > > When the dogs don't like the dogfood, its a mistake to blame the > dogs... > > 73, > > Dave, AA6YQ > >
