On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 10:48:21 -0600, JJ
wrote:

John, you have to realize that Larry and his huge ego are just
waiting for the above scenario to happen so he can "save the
world" with his CW skills. He is in complete denial that when this
big disaster happens, he and his CW skills will mean nothing.

Actually, Larry could be quite correct. Nonetheless, code testing as a
licensing requirement appears on the verge of going the way of the
auk, the Edsel, and point-to-point wiring in commercial radio gear.
One of the other regulars in this NG likes to comment that the plug is
about to be pulled on the government life support system, or words to
that effect, which is that person's way of saying that those who have
a genuine interest in the use of the mode had better start thinking
about finding another way to get people interested in learning the
code if they want the use of Morse to continue to be a part of the
hobby. Telling people they are lazy if they've chosen not to learn it
is not going to do the trick.

I can just see him waving his code key shouting "I can save the day
with my CW" at the officials who will laugh their ass off at him.

One could be waving state-of-the-art voice communications gear and get
the same reaction. That's why it's important for ham radio emergency
communications groups to establish a good relationship with the
emergency management officials in the areas they serve *before*
disaster strikes. Once the proverbial merde hits the proverbial
ventillateur, the folks running the served agencies will be too busy
to listen to explanations. I'm sure most of us know how it goes, or
can at least imagine - when you are up to your keister in alligators,
it's easy to forget that the initial objective was to drain the swamp.

I have been a ham for over forty years, have participated in many
disaster situations, and I have never seen conditions where CW
was the only means of communication that would get through, even
at the bottom of the solar cycles. Guys like Larry live in a "I am
superior to you because of my CW skills" dream world.

Despite that, I've no doubt that it's possible for such conditions to
exist. The point that I think Larry and numerous others in the hobby
seem to be missing is that this is a diversified hobby with a lot of
different and equally interesting facets, of which CW is just one. I'm
not about to ridicule anyone because they enjoy communicating with CW.
However, I also don't think it's right to ridicule people who do not.

73 DE John, KC2HMZ