Sieve, > Browbeating the ignorant for their ignorance, either as a class > or as specific individuals does nothing to advance ham radio, > and a good deal to retard it.
This "attitude" is not a matter of browbeating the ignorant for their ignorance. It may be browbeating the self entitled for their attitude of entitlement and their unwillingness to make any effort to improve their skills and knowledge. There are too many amateurs who believe that they do not need to do anything for themselves ... that memorizing the answers to a few questions entitles them to demand that others do the thinking for them and answer every question, no matter how basic or in appropriate. These same "entitled extras" seem to feel it is up to manufacturers to build equipment that operates as these inexperienced amateurs WANT it to operate rather than the way experience nictitates things work in the real world. Rather than understand that a license is a starting point, an opportunity to start learning, the "entitled extras" seem to think a license entitles them to all the benefits, knowledge and experience of all those who have preceded them without any effort on their own part. It is much like so many children in high school and university today ... they expect the teachers and professors to "teach" them but fail to understand that they have a duty to listen and learn. 73, ... Joe, W4TV > -----Original Message----- > From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net > [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of > Stephen W. Kercel > Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 4:35 PM > To: Dan Allen > Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Attitudes > > > Dan and others: > > Dan's insights are wise on a number of levels, and the ham community > would do well to heed them. > > When I hear all this hand wringing about "dumbing down" I am > reminded of > the Eqyptologist who after years of effort translated a document from > the ancient heiroglyphics found that it was a diatribe bemoaning the > fact that compared the author's own generation, "the younger > generation > knows nothing." > > Fast forward 3000 years to about 100 years ago, and we come > to the first > radiotelegraphers exams. What was required to pass? A five minute > transmission at 20+ wpm with no errors in the copy. I've been > operating > CW for 45 years, and it is no sure bet even with all that > experience I > could pass such a test on any given day. > > To this day, I see occasional published comments to the > effect that ham > radio really started to go to pot when the Novice license was > introduced. Stories are told of old crumudgeons who called > "CQ no lids > no kids no space cadets" as if their arrogance were something > to be admired. > > Despite having passed the commercial Second Class CW back > when you still > had to draw schematics, the Amateur Extra back when there > were both code > receiving and sending tests (back in the day, if you took the > test from > Angelo Ditty in the Atlanta FCC office you were more likely to fail > sending than receiving), the Tennessee Registered > Professional Engineer > exam, and a PhD defense in electrical engineering, I find I am still > learning new things about radio, and no small part of that from > relatively newly licensed amateurs. We are all ignorant on > different topics. > > Browbeating the ignorant for their ignorance, either as a class or as > specific individuals does nothing to advance ham radio, and a > good deal > to retard it. Instead, a polite explanation can work wonders. > > 73, > > Steve Kercel > AA4AK > > > > Dan Allen wrote: > > I was first licensed just three weeks short of my 11th birthday in > > 1958 (KN4ZZR), and I have been (more or less) actively involved in > > amateur radio ever since. > > > > I have seen a lot of change in that time, but the one constant that > > has always amazed me is the level of anger among a certain > percentage > > of those involved in this *hobby*. And it is a hobby. > > > > After all of these years, I am still amazed at what I don't > know. I > > maintain a list of people whom I am not afraid to ask any question > > arising from any problem that has stumped me. The knowledge that I > > have gained, and the friendships that I have made, are priceless. > > > > I know from personal experience how off-putting it is to > ask someone a > > question in good faith, and have them blow up, denigrate you, and > > launch into a rant. I avoid these people at all costs, and I feel > > badly for them. They are missing much of the joy that this > very short > > life has to offer. > > > > I have been passionately involved in aviation since 1965, > and I have > > never experienced this phenomenon in the flying community. > People in > > this community are both eager to help and teach, and to learn. And > > they have always been uniformly friendly. > > > > I don't know what it is about amateur radio that causes (or > attracts) > > this anger, but it is self-defeating. If this hobby is in > peril, and > > if our numbers are shrinking, we need to accept everyone who has an > > interest, and we need to nurture them and pass on whatever > knowledge > > we have. If they came into the hobby by memorizing the > answers to a > > set of questions, that should be fine. They have shown an > interest, > > and some initiative. It is up to us to make them feel welcome and > > accepted. It is up to us to bring them from where they > are, to where > > we want them to be. Try it. Some of them might truly surprise you! > > > > Dan Allen > > KB4ZVM (Advanced Operator Privileges - 13 WPM code) > > K2 S/N 1757 > > BS Chemistry 1969 > > BS Pharmacy 1974 > > Private Pilot Glider > > Commercial Pilot/Instrument Rating Airplane Single-Engine > Land Airline > > Transport Pilot Airplane Multi-Engine Land Certified Flight > Instructor > > ______________________________________________________________ > > Elecraft mailing list > > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
