I found the piece disappointing, it seemed like a homegrown, local station filler piece that somehow found its way onto the network. Kinda slapdash.
On Apr 11, 2010, at 11:03 AM, Daniel L. Srebnick wrote: > Some of the blog posts on the NPR website, however, indicate that the story > did generate some interest in folks obtaining an amateur radio license. > There was an interesting post by a young lady claiming to be the > granddaughter of Robert L. Drake. > > I thought the piece to be favorable, although I agree not entirely exciting. > > 73 > > On Fri, 9 Apr 2010, [email protected] wrote: > >> And that picture they chose continues to perpetuate an inaccurate stereotype >> of amateur radio as a bunch of old curmudgons stuck living in the past, >> using old and outdated technology. I have attached a picture that is more >> representative of amateur radio as it is today. This certainly is not by any >> means the standard station setup, but it is more up to date than the 71 year >> old photo that accompanied the article. >> CRAIG N3TPM >> ---------- Original Message ---------- >> From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [Swlfest] Ham Radio Growing In The Age Of Twitter >> Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2010 11:38:10 -0400 >> Unfortunately, like much of NPR's reporting it missed the opportunity to >> report important facts--such as amateur radio's global reach and appeal, >> its critical importance in emergencies, its ability to circumvent >> corporate/government blockage/control of communications, and its many >> voice, data, and video modes. >> Nobody unfamiliar with with ham radio who heard or read NPR's story >> would've learned any of those key facts--which are probably the main >> reasons ham radio is becoming more popular. Ironically, that's the main >> question NPR's story was asking. >> -Ed Cummings >> Original Message: >> ----------------- >> From: Fred Zalupski [email protected] >> Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:57:02 -0400 >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: [Swlfest] Ham Radio Growing In The Age Of Twitter >> We had some discussion on the increase in the number of amateur radio >> operators at the last Fest. Why is a bit of a mystery. Two possible >> reasons could be the up tick in the solar cycle attracting fence sitters >> or, more darkly, a failure of confidence in public infrastructure. Even >> mainstream media have noticed. This article comes from NPR and was >> passed along by a friend. -Fred >> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125586086&sc=ipad&f=10 >> 0 >> 1 >> <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125586086&sc=ipad&f=1 >> 0 >> 01> >> Ham Radio Growing In The Age Of Twitter >> by Matt Sepic >> NPR - April 5, 2010 >> Only a few years ago, blogs listed ham radio alongside 35 mm film and >> VHS tape as technologies slated to disappear. >> They were wrong. >> Nearly 700,000 Americans have ham radio licenses — up 60 percent from >> 1981, a generation ago. And the number is growing. >> Ham radio will never have the sex appeal of the iPhone, but it does have >> a certain nerd appeal, says Allen Weiner, an analyst at the technology >> research firm Gartner. >> "If it creates its own experience, that's really what's key here," he >> says. "If it just emulates an experience that you can get online, it's >> not going to grow." >> Newcomers to ham radio include Helen Schlarman, 89, who has a compact, >> two-way radio in her home in suburban St. Louis. She looks up a friend >> across town by pushing the talk button, announcing the letters and >> numbers of his call sign (W-0-S-J-S), and then announcing her own >> (W-0-A-K-I). >> Steve Schmitz's voice crackles through Schlarman's radio. >> "Hi Helen, how you doing, W-0-S-J-S?" he says, ending his response with >> his own call letters. >> Many "hams," as they're known, hang postcards from global contacts on >> their walls, the way hunters show off deer antlers, but Schlarman's >> chats are mostly local. She says this hobby is perfect for an outgoing >> person who spends a lot of time inside. >> "It's a different community," she says. "There [are] no stereotypes of >> age; it's just talking and sharing and enjoying." >> Until recently, ham radio was declining as older operators died. Then >> the Federal Communications Commission phased out the Morse code test >> that many saw as a stumbling block to getting a license. Last year more >> than 30,000 new applicants signed up to become ham radio operators, >> according to Maria Somma, an official with the American Radio Relay League. >> At a ham radio convention near St. Louis, the crowd swapping antenna >> parts and other equipment is mostly male, and over 50. But 15-year-old >> Jonathan Dunn is attending along with his father. He says Facebook and >> texting are fun, but making friends using a $200 radio that doesn't come >> with monthly fees is more rewarding. >> "With ham radio you can talk to new people, all kinds of ages, races, >> and it's just amazing what a little radio can do. Because no matter >> where you're at, if you have the right stuff and the right power you can >> talk to anyone," he says. >> Jonathan's dad, Steve Dunn, says the polite chitchat between ham radio >> operators is good for teenagers. "If young people have the opportunity >> to communicate with a wide range of people, that instills a certain >> amount of confidence in their ability to carry on the lost art of small >> talk," he says. >> Even the most die-hard hams concede that amateur radio will never be a >> mainstream hobby. With smart phones and other devices, people are more >> plugged in to the Internet than before. But people are still discovering >> the joy of communicating with a technology that's existed for nearly a >> century. 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