[...]

I do not mind offending the old-timers who are living in the past
and struggling to hold ham radio captive (they have never minded
offending new or future hams). The future of ham radio is likely to
include digital (possibly D-star, possibly others). It is likely to make
extensive use of computers and the Internet. It is just not likely to
include much along the lines of Morse. The Morse zealots have already
lost the fight for the issue that means the most to them - code testing.
The reduction of the dedicated CW segments is probably a harbinger of
things to come. My guess is that they know (and have always known) that
anything that Morse can do, digital can do better. For that reason, they
have fought to stop digital (I remember when it was dismissed and
disparaged as wideband "pulse").
Do this simple calculation: multiply what you consider to be a good
sending rate in words per minute by the number of letters in a word by 7
(there are 7 bits to an ASCII character). The result will be bits per
minute. Divide that by 60 to get bits per second. The result will be
quite laughable. I have seen people throw in the garbage old modems that
were capable of 1,000 times that speed.

As far as starting a new organization by myself is concerned, I have
started a small business, a political action committee and an Internet
users group. Be careful what you ask for; you just might get it. My
guess is that a new group could be started in a single region and then
bootstrapped into a national organization, within five to ten years.
The obvious constituency would be people who would, more or less,
agree with my (admittedly inflammatory) comments above. I would make no
attempt to capture the telegraph key cohort of the ARRL, but the more
progressive members might change sides. Nevertheless, people who are
dissatisfied with an existing organization are always the greatest asset
of a new or rival organization. The prospect of offending the core
loyalists of the old group is just not an issue.

Ya think the queer hams her can understand the importance?

JS

John Smith I wrote:

[chit]

In the above, her = here; did u catch that?

JS