dj2001@mn.rr.com wrote:
> Thanks Jim for the link.
I've been called worse. ;-)
I also thought the comments by Ed Thomas, the FCC's chief engineer, were
rather disturbing. Not something I'd expect from an engineer.
> we ARE on the cutting edge of technology
The thing about being on the cutting edge of technology is that it has
to be sexy and have some sort of very visible impact on a consumer's
life in order for it to be called that by most media. For instance,
having a phone display a picture, or adding tracking capabilities to a
phone is considered cutting edge technology, even though it hardly is.
But trying to find an alloy that would make a an engine more fuel
efficient is hardly considered bleeding edge technology ('cept for car
and racing enthusiasts maybe), unless you put that engine in a spiffy
futuristic looking car. Cutting edge technology in the media more about
presentation than technology.
As hams we've been very lousy at marketing ourselves and our skills.
Marketing has always been something for the suits upstairs, something we
often even looked down upon in the past. Because of this neglect we now
do not know how sell ourselves, which is crucial these days. The BPL
industry certainly knows how to play this game as you can see from the
many publications. We really must seem like a "quirky bunch", as the WSJ
describes us, if we tell them that we like to play games on the airwaves
like county hunting instead of stressing that we put kids in the
classroom in touch with astronauts on the International Space Station.
This past weekend I talked to my neighbors who asked me about those
weird wires in the trees. I told them that my wife and I were hams. This
revelation was followed by an "Oooh". I didn't like the sound of that so
I asked them if they knew any hams. Sure they did. They knew this one
person who was a ham and he was always talking on the air with his
buddies about gun control and militias. That sent some chills down my
spine because you just know that they expect to see us running around in
camouflage suits, too. So I told them about our activities in the local
area, the agencies we work with, etc. I'm glad I became aware of what
they thought of what hams were and that I had the opportunity to correct
the picture somewhat, so to speak. "Oh, so you're using it for the good"
was their response.
73,
--Alex KR1ST
http://www.kr1st.com
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