We've been through this too many times, Demetre. I know you "get it", you just won't admit it.
The core issue is not that WinLink conveys email or uses a digital mode protocol that's wide or narrow -- its that its unattended stations (PMBOs) transmit without first listening to ensure that the frequency is locally clear. The fact that some human operators do this is regrettable and should be aggressively discouraged, but is no excuse for building automated systems that exhibit the same unacceptable behavior. To refer back to your highway analogy, the fact that some people drive cars while they are intoxicated and occasionally injure or kill others is no excuse for building a high-speed computer-controlled vehicle incapable of detecting pedestrians in its path. 73, Dave, AA6YQ -----Original Message----- From: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Demetre SV1UY Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 10:21 AM To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Subject: [digitalradio] Re: Winlink Can Be Reliable in Emergencies --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "Roger J. Buffington" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Demetre SV1UY wrote: > > > Well, > > > > Do we really need contests, ragchewing, voice qsos, voice nets, cw > > qsos, cw nets, on HF? Realy it all depends on what each individual > > wants to do! Your millage might vary! It's a hobby OM! Each guys > > pleasure might be someone else's discomfort, but when an emergency > > arises then I think that everyone else's hobby needs must back off > > for a while until the emergency is over. I think this is fair! When > > human lives are in danger then everything else should be of a lower > > priority. > > > > 73 de Demetre SV1UY > > The contests, ragchewing, qsos, nets, etc. that you reference ARE ham > radio. Sending internet emails over the air to no purpose whatever, > without even listening to see if the channel is clear, is NOT ham > radio. It is abuse, which is what Winlink mostly is. > > de Roger W6VZV > OK Roger, To you it might be a bad idea sending e-mails over the air, but to many others it is a good idea. It is a good as having a voice QSO, a CW QSO, a contest, chewing the rag, etc. Any form of communication that uses Ham Radio equipment and the Ham radio bands to allow radio amateurs to communicate with each other is Ham Radio (being WINLINK, PSKMAIL, FLARQ, TCP/IP over PACKET RADIO, AX25 over PACKET RADIO, APRS, etc. does it matter?)!!! Whether you like it or not all the above DIGITAL MODES are here to stay!!! They are not going to go away because you don't like them. If you don't like them don't use them! "Merry Christmas everyone" 73 de Demetre - SV1UY