We have so many self appointed lawyers in our amateur radio community you're always going to have individual interpretations of what is and isn't allowable. We are a self regulating service but that doesn't give any operator the right to dictate what others do because they interpret the rules differently unless they are the radio trustee.
A part of the problem is that regulations don't keep up with technology. To say you can't go to a web site because it has commercial content to me is a bit of a stretch of calling your internet browsing commercial. Since the FCC allows you to order a pizza over the phone what difference would it be if you ordered the pizza through their web site? So this brings up the BIG question that were not suppose to encrypt our transmissions on amateur radio. so does this mean we can't visit an https: site? Some would say no you can't because it's encrypted. but then what if that site is a D-STAR Registration Site and all your doing is amateur radio related activities? I would say technically no you couldn't access it via an amateur digital radio modes, but would I? Most likely I would say yes I would because it involved an amateur radio activity. So now were involved in support of a major disaster and all normal lines of communications are down but by some means an amateur radio D-STAR site has survived with its internet connectivity intact. Can we pass emergency traffic that is surely going to help some commercial entity sell their wares, whether it is medical, construction, or food supplies. I would most certainly browse the internet on D-STAR and look for suppliers. Even if only to find emergency generators, snow shovels etc. So I personally would say "Just Do It"R as long as you're not in a position to profit from it and you're not in the business of using amateur radio to facilitate your business. Again the rules were born out of common sense and written on paper, not rock tablets. The intent of the rules is more not to run your cab company using amateur radios vice commercial radio, not to prevent you personally from calling a cab for a ride home! 73 Barry KA0BBQ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
