That's true from my perspective as well.
But you and I don't count. Wayne started this thread in the context of
drawing new members into the hobby (understandably so since his business
depends upon it for the long term). If those of us already invested in
this hobby aren't interested in ragchewing anymore, at least not to any
significant degree as any non-contest day clearly shows, why on earth
would we expect ragchewing to be the draw that brings in new members,
especially considering the relative barriers (cost, space, license,
HOAs, etc)? I'll even bet that the majority of folks subscribed to this
reflector spend more time each week reading it than they do ragchewing
on the air.
It's not like the old days, even for us.
So I'll say it one more time and then I'll mercifully refrain from
further posts on the topic. Unless ham radio figures out how to evolve
into something that actually has appeal for today's youngsters, we're
still going to primarily be an aging (and diminishing) club of old
people. More of the same, no matter how strongly we try to convince
anyone, isn't going to change anything.
73,
Dave AB7E
On 12/22/2019 9:37 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
I think we need to be focusing on the personal aspect of one on one
communications with someone who we have never met - without the need
for the internet, Facebook or any other internet app.
It is a thrill to me to be able to have a conversation with someone
new via ham radio.
Of course, even that element is fading out in ham radio with the
emphasis on quick DX contacts or contest points. Ragchewing with
someone new to get to know something about them personally or their
location is what gives me the thrill of ham radio. So sad to see that
element being diminished.
Bring ragchewing back, and I am not talking about the nets on 80 and
40 meters, it is reaching out to someone new and telling a bit about
ourselves and getting the same in return.
73,
Don W3FPR
On 12/22/2019 11:17 PM, David Gilbert wrote:
I think we already discussed that aspect, and the point is that young
people with a technological inclination are far more likely to be
interested in software, or robotics, or biomedical ... stuff that has
more relevance to advancing the world and actually leading to a job.
It might be a challenge to bounce a signal of the ionosphere but
people were doing that 100 years ago.
73,
Dave AB7E
On 12/22/2019 6:52 PM, Robert G Strickland via Elecraft wrote:
There is a constant refrain about "communicating with far away
places." No doubt that has been one attraction of our hobby. For
myself, I was never particularly interested in "communicating." For
me it was mastery of a technical environment. Communicating was just
the proof that the environment had been mastered. Another way of
saying this -maybe- is technology versus sociology. There are many
traditional activities that have been replaced by more modern
versions [eg, horses versus cars, walking versus bicycling,
bow/arrow versus guns]. Yet, there is still interest in the "old
way," because the earlier challenges remain in spite of more modern
solutions. Getting a signal from my radio, out into the ether,
bouncing it off the ionosphere, and back down on the other side is
still a challenge. Satellite links and the internet don't negate the
ionospheric challenge. Perhaps engaging prospective hams in the
technical challenges of the hobby will brings in those who like such
challenges. Communicating may be the benny on the other side of
mastery.
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