Topband: FT8 - the end of 160m old school DXing?

[JAYB1943 at OPTONLINE.NET]

I guess I don’t understand what makes the new Digital modes any different 
from old RTTY...the “sounds” are similar enuf to learn to love and the words 
are still displayed on (in the old days) paper or a screen.
There are many audibly-compromised hams out there – such as me – who really 
welcome a mode that doesn’t require sharp hearing to work CW or especially 
SSB.
In addition, I have recruited several new (young) hams by attracting them 
with the computer-based modes...all but eliminates “mike-fright” and 
“key-freezing”.
I guess a lot of old-timers (I am 75) feel that the awards like DXCC and 
WAS, etc. earned with FT8 have less merit than they did with good-old CW or 
Phone or RTTY.  But few people objected when CW filters were invented or SSB 
replaced AM or smaller, lighter, more efficient radios replaced the old tube 
stuff...so is a CW DXCC earned in 1948 somehow worth more than one earned in 
2000 using these major tech improvements ?
There will always be a place for CW and voice modes in ham radio for those 
that want to practice those..and remember one of the major facets of ham 
radio is to “advance the state of the radio art” which surely describes the 
new digital modes.
Room for everybody out there, guys....73 Jay NY2NY