[CQ-Contest] This Packet Discussion

[Dean Wood <n6de@inreach.com>]

Has the past 11 days of teeth gnashing about packet changed anyone's 
mind?  I believe opinions have only been solidified and polarized 
further.  It seems we have the same debates with the same opinions after 
major DX contests.  All this reminds me somewhat of the recent U.S. 
Presidential election.

The contesters who we need to encourage the most and increase their 
participation are likely repelled by such a thread.  Yes, in response to 
this e-mail, I fully expect to get lectured about freedom of speech, 
that this packet issue is central to the future of contesting, that such 
discussion is necessary to hash out on cq-contest, and that if it really 
bothered the rest of us, that's what our delete key and unsubscribe 
option is for.

As commentators discuss that many Americans, particularly our younger 
generation which I am not too far removed from, are disillusioned or 
uninterested in the political process, it should be little surprise to 
us in the contesting community that hams are not going to flock to the 
next contest as a result of the outcome of this spirited debate.  Yet, 
there seem to be no shortage of 3830 SS CW summaries with comments about 
how agonizing Sunday was because there were an insufficient number of 
new stations to work.  We often get what we deserve.

We need a serious reality check about how every one of us can help 
recruit new hams, new contesting blood, mentor new contesters, and give 
back to that which means so much to us: amateur radio contesting. 
K1IR's drive on this in the past, and the recent thread about "Any good 
intro to contesting presentations out there?" at least give me hope.

Once we make serious progress in this area, we can go back to bickering 
about legislating packet morality.

73...
-Dean - N6DE



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