Hi Jeff,
A long time ago someone flipped the switch called "good manners"
off. Too bad we can not flip it back on.
> The only time I have been hassassed by "policeman" is if I have
> transmitted near the DX window. Other than that I have not be harassed
> anywhere else. It looks like this year during the CQWW 160 SSB anyone
> who transmitted below 1843 got some harassment.
You are confusing jammers with policemen. There is nothing at all
wrong with helping someone else avoid being a bad operator, or
correcting operating problems. I don't know why that upsets
people, and why some of us have to take constructive comments
as a threat against our self-worth.
The people who throw carriers or jam people are not doing anyone
a favor, and factually neither you nor I know who they are. I'm sure
they, just like the few vocal operators who don't care if they cause
problems for others, are in the minority.
For all I know, it could be some of the malcontents who don't want
to see a bandplan work who are trying to sabotage the cooperation
we have to this point. Perhaps it is a plot to restore bad manners in
operating.
> Also, I think there are more people that oppose the petition then you
> think. W4ZV will not let any comments that don't agree with his
> opinions on the top band reflector. Is that really fair ??? A petition
It depends how it is worded. Some posts have no intellectual value,
and are just meant to cause or encourage fights. A post that
displays no intelligent thought or comment and just encourages
fights is not a good post, but none of that matters.
Factually, everyone had a chance to respond to the FCC. A large
number did, and factually an overwhelming number of the
responses supported a legal restriction. Mostly the support was
because there are always people with bad manners, who will
operate the way they like no matter what problems it causes
others.
Sometime when i wasn't watch it became fashionable to not be
considerate of others, even when it does not bother us at all to be
considerate.
> that has only 500 supporters out of the whole amateur population of
> the US does seem very much to me....
You miss the whole idea of a public comment period. Everyone has
a chance to comment, everyone is solicited. Once the comments
get beyond a few dozen, the results pretty well stabilize and
represent the entire community.
Very early on in the comment period the FCC received about 80%
in favor of a legally mandated narrow mode area. That percentage
remained fixed as the numbers passed 100, then 200, then 300.
Even at 500 comments, the ratio was fixed at about 80%. If the
period went on another year, it would still be about 80%.
If you look at polls from the ARRL for CW, most amateurs want
things as they are. Most want CW tests, most want CW bands.
Most do not want contestors, or any narrow special interest group
like DX'ers or nets, having special privileges. But most people are
technically astute enough to realize mixing wide and narrow modes
is a bad idea. That number, through no odd coincidence, is also
close to the 80% area.
The comments filed with the FCC were not controlled by Briggs or
Tippett, and I like many many others are not influenced by Briggs
or Tippet any more than you are.
Those with narrow special interests may not like it, but we really
have to do what most of the people in our fraternity decide is good.
We have to moderate decisions with common-sense non-emotional
engineering.
Most important, we have to temper our operation with some
consideration of others. That might seem like a strange concept,
but it is what keeps Ham radio different from CB. It isn't the Morse
test, or the theory that anyone can memorize that sets us apart.
It is the manners and concern we have for each other and the
respect we have for others interests.
All in all I was very pleased with the contest, People could still
work CW (I scooted down to 1808 and had several good ragchews)
and I could hear many many more SSB DX stations since the local
QSO's and endless CQ's by loud but "deaf" stations was mostly
confined above 1840.
We may all not like it, but most people really do not like QRM,
DXers, or contestors. Most people are normal old ragchewers, and
want things to be peaceful and calm. When they want to work CW,
they don't want a loud splattering SSB signal nearby. When they
want to work phone, they don't want to do so where it causes
problems for others.
And most important of all, they are not proud of being a poor
operator.
73, Tom W8JI
W8JI@contesting.com
--
SECC on the Web: http://secc.contesting.com/
Submissions: secc@contesting.com
Administrative requests: secc-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-secc@contesting.com
|