On an amateur radio mailing list that I subscribe to, one fellow wrote:
I weep for the state of amateur radio in the US, since this dispatch is apparently necessary…
http://www.arrl.org/news/view/change-local-clocks-this-weekend-but-not-utc
This thread went on and on, eventually garnering 17 different replies. Before it morphed into a discussion of whether or not DST is a good idea in the first place, the replies echoed the sentiment in the original e-mail:
- “It’s become a push button, nanny state world, what do you expect, competence?”
- “We are truly in a time of appliance operating, not only in ham radio, but in practically every aspect of our lives. :-(“
At first, I had the same reaction. I thought to myself, “How dumb are we getting in ham radio, if guys have to be reminded that UTC doesn’t change when we switch to daylight savings time?” After thinking about this for a while, though, I’ve done a complete 180 on this.
I work with a lot of newcomers to amateur radio, and many of them just don’t know how UTC works. This is not their fault—they just haven’t had the opportunity to deal with UTC. The ARRL article is not directed at these old timers (old farts?), but at the newcomers to ham radio.
I’ll even go one step further. It’s easy for us old-timers to be dismissive of newcomers’ lack of knowledge, and then complain that amateur radio is getting dumber. If you’re an old time, don’t take the easy way out, though. Realize that there are many new people in ham radio, and the only way they’re going to get to be old timers like us is if we help them learn stuff like this.
Dan – I think that this is the result of a dumbing down of education in general, not just ham radio. We laugh when Jay Leno would interview people on the street who could not answer simple questions. This has huge implications for society and democracy.
We should take the opportunity to teach anyone who is willing to learn and work hard what we know about ham radio so that we all benefit. I benefit from teaching. My student benefits from new skills and the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing what appears to be difficult.
Even when we were young, the average Joe did not know what UTC was, even then. Its easy to write folks off. Its another thing to roll up the sleeves and get to work.
If that’s what people complain about then they have too much free time on their hands.
Every year when DST comes and goes I forget once or twice that it’s now -4/-5 just like every January when I write the previous year a couple times. A reminder is helpful.
Come on now – we all know that old timers were actually born with all of their exalted knowledge. Heck, an old timer is 99% likely to have logged a few thousand contacts just while waiting to be born. Any of us not so educated upon coming into this world are deserving of scorn and ridicule.
Seriously, people that would complain about such a thing must be leading miserable, lonely lives. Perhaps if they actually stepped away from their key/mic once in a while they could develop some common human traits such as humility and compassion.
I weep for Amateur Radio, but not because of the *new* people.
I find this is common amongst many hobbies / fields, not just amateur radio. For instance, there are people who hang out all day in Internet Relay Chat rooms for a particular programming language. When a newcomer heads in there and asks a relatively simple question, they get their heads ripped off. I never understood why people would hang out in a place only to criticize. I believe the frustration comes mostly from answering the repetitive questions. On the flip side, some people do need to think before they ask a question. Can I google this and get the answer? etc. I personally don’t want to look like an idiot asking a simple questions so I will generally google and research thing to the best of my ability. It doesn’t always stop the negative responses though.
BTW, love your guides they helped me pass Tech & General the same day :) Now on to Extra.
Weep for Amateur Radio? Certainly not! Possibly the author, unless he grew up with a parent or sibling already enjoying the hobby, should remember that most of us when we were first licensed knew very little. I grew up in a home with no siblings and parents who had no mechanical/electrical aptitudes.
My Dad was a brilliant journalist and a US diplomat, but he could not find the battery in his car. My Mom was a great home maker. Most everything I learned about electronics and mechanics were by trial and error plus a genuine interest in both fields.
At least I wound up with a career in electronics, but in the logistics end of it. Therefore, I was not required to repair anyone’s equipment. I just supplied the proper parts. So, why weep for Amateur Radio? It takes all kinds to populate the hobby. Share talents, teach and learn. There are great benefits to be reaped.
No. You are right on, Dan. We were all new once.
One man’s dumbing down is another man’s relief from drudgery. Stupid people have always been around but cable TV and the Internet just gives more of them a global audience.
Given the variety of people attracted to amateur radio, I’m willing to open up a really big tent for anybody who wants to come inside. We all came through that door once upon a time and are grateful to all the folks who helped us get better at things.
Dan,
I agree with you. Subject for a future article regarding the “dumbing down” of amateur radio.
We have done this with every license class except for one. The entry level class. The old novice was so much easier than the current technician for a kid to pass. 20 dumb questions, small question pool, taken on your kitchen table. I am a very active extra class licensee who got licensed at 14, and I can tell you that I would NEVER be able to pass the current tech in today’s world. Amateur radio led me to a BSEE degree, a successful career in high tech, and a wonderful life. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I grew up today.
I’ve done research on this, and experimented with my kid’s friends. Trust me, the current structure makes it easier for aging adult appliance operators to get licensees, and more difficult for easily influenced kids to participate. It should be the other way around.
I love your articles.
73 de Bruce, K1BG