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Why do you forum?

  • I want a platform/soapbox to blog from

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Mainly because I have much knowledge and want to share it with others, but might learn a little too

    Votes: 2 8.7%
  • Mainly because I have some knowledge and want to share, but I want to learn equally from others

    Votes: 6 26.1%
  • Mainly because I have little knowledge and mainly want to converse and learn from others

    Votes: 12 52.2%
  • I love being a troll, the cookies are tasty or meme's and other things.

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Other (Please describe).

    Votes: 1 4.3%

  • Total voters
    23
Beats watching TV!!!

Got to be the quote of the thread I reckon!

If you want to learn something - gather where people can discuss (and even disagree) where statements will stand or fall on their own merit.

If you want to be conditioned to believing a single bias narrative - made by mostly lazy research that is highly edited to only show one side where they silence or suppress any opposition - go watch TV.

FWIW, I think other large online organizations are heading that direction with the increase in censorship as well - which is why I will always support small local forums.
 
Got to be the quote of the thread I reckon!

If you want to learn something - gather where people can discuss (and even disagree) where statements will stand or fall on their own merit.

If you want to be conditioned to believing a single bias narrative - made by mostly lazy research that is highly edited to only show one side where they silence or suppress any opposition - go watch TV.

FWIW, I think other large online organizations are heading that direction with the increase in censorship as well - which is why I will always support small local forums.
Couldn't agree more, I'v learnt a lot just from being on this forum (partly the reason I don't want it to close). And all I've learn't from watching, "The Idiot Box" (as Bluetongue1 puts it) is just how stupid and messed up the outside world can be. (self-isolation was a treat :D)
 
Couldn't agree more, I'v learnt a lot just from being on this forum (partly the reason I don't want it to close). And all I've learn't from watching, "The Idiot Box" (as Bluetongue1 puts it) is just how stupid and messed up the outside world can be. (self-isolation was a treat :D)

Keep in mind, the 'outside world' as you view it through the idiot box is the outside world as they would have you believe that it is. Truth is - reality shows aren't real. News more than half the time is bias, or omits details, (or completely ignores some things to portray a different view of the world to what is happening), and of course "fake" ;-)

Even the people interviews they do on TV. If I go down the street, pick people at random and ask them questions - I bet 10 to 1 that I get a different ratio of from people than what the TV does. Everything is controlled on TV to fit a narative, and while there are drongo's out there - I suspect there's more reasonable polite and kind people than the TV would have us believe, but propaganda worked well in Nazi Germany - why would the media want to ignore powerful lessons learned from there if they can put it to their own use.
 
News more than half the time is bias, or omits details, (or completely ignores some things to portray a different view of the world to what is happening), and of course "fake" ;-)
Knowing someone who works in the news industry I know all about this. There's always another side to the story. Not long ago I heard on the news that a motorbike rider "Identified" as a cyclist and broke the world record for fastest cyclist, on his motorbike. Apparently having an engine had nothing to do with it. Not sure about you but I see the news industry as the outside world. And by watching the idiot box, reading the news and seeing them exaggerate so many stories, all I've found is that it is stupid and messed up.
 
Here's a news story...
PHOTO-2020-07-17-11-48-08.jpg

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
Couldn't agree more, I'v learnt a lot just from being on this forum (partly the reason I don't want it to close). And all I've learn't from watching, "The Idiot Box" (as Bluetongue1 puts it) is just how stupid and messed up the outside world can be. (self-isolation was a treat :D)
"Television,,,where imagination is sucked out of children by a cathode ray nipple,,,,,TeeVee, is the only wet nurse, that would create a cripple" !!!
 
A poem from Roald Dalh that got brought to mind...

The most important thing we've learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set --
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone's place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotised by it,
Until they're absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink --
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK -- HE ONLY SEES!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY ... USED ... TO ... READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks-
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something to read.
And once they start -- oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did.

Roald Dahl
 
Because I get bored as fk, and enjoy talking in great detail about things I like. Looking back at some of my posts and PMs on here from many years ago, it seems I also just like to be a little sht...
 
I visit several forums, for several reasons, but mainly to learn and to share what little I DO know. Here and the ham radio forums, I'm on the learning side of the curve. At a tropical fish forum and a firearms forum, I'm on the helper side of the curve.

"Better than TV"...Haha, ANYTHING is better than TV, the detriment to the last few generations and quite probably why the world is in the shape it's in now. I think Frank Zappa expressed it best:


 
I visit several forums, for several reasons, but mainly to learn and to share what little I DO know. Here and the ham radio forums, I'm on the learning side of the curve. At a tropical fish forum and a firearms forum, I'm on the helper side of the curve.

"Better than TV"...Haha, ANYTHING is better than TV, the detriment to the last few generations and quite probably why the world is in the shape it's in now. I think Frank Zappa expressed it best:




What's the ham radio scene like these days? Years and years ago I thought about getting into it, but circumstances didn't really suit it. Then the internet became such a thing, I figured ham radio was largely redundant, but maybe I was wrong.
 
What's the ham radio scene like these days? Years and years ago I thought about getting into it, but circumstances didn't really suit it. Then the internet became such a thing, I figured ham radio was largely redundant, but maybe I was wrong.
Good question.

For hobbyists, ham radio is going strong. There are a few new digital modes, like FT-8, that both allows more distant communication on less power, and also automates communication to a certain degree, There is more and more information available and it has become much easier to both get licensed and to learn.

I have a civilian background in two-way radio and a military background in radar and have always enjoyed tinkering with electronics. I am an 'Amateur Extra' level amateur radio operator, which is the uppermost of the three licensing levels here in the states. I am also a "volunteer examiner" and help to administer licensing exams.

You're right about redundancy, if you want to talk to someone, just email them or pick up the phone, but the internet and cellular service both rely on infrastructure that is relatively fragile. Weather events like hurricanes (typhoons) can, and often do, impede normal communications. If cell towers are damaged, no one's phone works. Power outages that go with such events can shut down computers. Other events can cause cell phone outages due to vast demand. We had an 5.8 earthquake nearby and while the infrastructure was largely undamaged, you could not get a phone call out due to everyone calling everyone else to check their well-being. Ham radio operators tend to overemphasize the importance, but the truth is that for normal communication, it's just a hobby, grown-up playtime. For true emergencies, it can have great value.

The potential value is understood by local emergency/first responders, who actually train with us for emergency field communications. In fact, the weekend of June 26-27 is our national 'Field Day', where individuals and clubs set up and run from emergency power like solar, batteries and generators alongside government officials. We use gear intended to withstand field conditions and temporary/portable antennas. Our local fire/rescue department has a large mobile commo center, based on a 30' RV, and they join with us in an outdoor location. From our side of it, it is operated like a contest, to determine how many contacts can be made and how far, all running from remote locations on emergency power. From their side, they prove out interoperability and learn about our strengths and weaknesses.

Weather spotting is also a value at times, where rapidly changing weather patterns are kept up with by trained spotters, who observe and report conditions. I have taken training with our national weather service and have become a registered spotter. When we have severe weather predicted, the national weather service's local office will 'activate spotters' and many networks become dedicated to handling weather-oriented traffic. We report on hazards and anomolies, like ice accumulation, high winds, large hail, snowfall measurements, etc..

It's mostly a fun hobby for me. I have had conversations with people in all parts of the world, and the challenge becomes making contacts with countries you've never spoken with. Japan and Australia are both on my wish list, but I have spoken with most of the North America, South America, Canada and even a few in Asiatic Russia. I can talk regularly with friends within a several hundred mile radius, and we have short-range nets on VHF every week, where club members can meet and talk.

https://www.qrz.com/
https://www.eham.net/
 
Good question.

For hobbyists, ham radio is going strong. There are a few new digital modes, like FT-8, that both allows more distant communication on less power, and also automates communication to a certain degree, There is more and more information available and it has become much easier to both get licensed and to learn.

I have a civilian background in two-way radio and a military background in radar and have always enjoyed tinkering with electronics. I am an 'Amateur Extra' level amateur radio operator, which is the uppermost of the three licensing levels here in the states. I am also a "volunteer examiner" and help to administer licensing exams.

You're right about redundancy, if you want to talk to someone, just email them or pick up the phone, but the internet and cellular service both rely on infrastructure that is relatively fragile. Weather events like hurricanes (typhoons) can, and often do, impede normal communications. If cell towers are damaged, no one's phone works. Power outages that go with such events can shut down computers. Other events can cause cell phone outages due to vast demand. We had an 5.8 earthquake nearby and while the infrastructure was largely undamaged, you could not get a phone call out due to everyone calling everyone else to check their well-being. Ham radio operators tend to overemphasize the importance, but the truth is that for normal communication, it's just a hobby, grown-up playtime. For true emergencies, it can have great value.

The potential value is understood by local emergency/first responders, who actually train with us for emergency field communications. In fact, the weekend of June 26-27 is our national 'Field Day', where individuals and clubs set up and run from emergency power like solar, batteries and generators alongside government officials. We use gear intended to withstand field conditions and temporary/portable antennas. Our local fire/rescue department has a large mobile commo center, based on a 30' RV, and they join with us in an outdoor location. From our side of it, it is operated like a contest, to determine how many contacts can be made and how far, all running from remote locations on emergency power. From their side, they prove out interoperability and learn about our strengths and weaknesses.

Weather spotting is also a value at times, where rapidly changing weather patterns are kept up with by trained spotters, who observe and report conditions. I have taken training with our national weather service and have become a registered spotter. When we have severe weather predicted, the national weather service's local office will 'activate spotters' and many networks become dedicated to handling weather-oriented traffic. We report on hazards and anomolies, like ice accumulation, high winds, large hail, snowfall measurements, etc..

It's mostly a fun hobby for me. I have had conversations with people in all parts of the world, and the challenge becomes making contacts with countries you've never spoken with. Japan and Australia are both on my wish list, but I have spoken with most of the North America, South America, Canada and even a few in Asiatic Russia. I can talk regularly with friends within a several hundred mile radius, and we have short-range nets on VHF every week, where club members can meet and talk.

https://www.qrz.com/
https://www.eham.net/

Interesting stuff! Thank you for taking the time to type such a detailed response.

Do you get a lot of doomsday prepper type folks in the community? Making EMP-proof units which run on off grid, standalone energy sources, etc? That's about the only genuinely real potential practical value I can see (and even then, hopefully it'll never be relevant, and even then, if an EMP has been set off and you're not already dead, it's probably unlikely you'd even want to be using it. In a natural disaster of extreme proportions it could potentially be practical, but wow, you really need to use the imagination to come up with a hypothetical scenario. But, still, in many ways it beats a completely useless hobby like memorising football statistics and players' names, or following celebrity gossip.
 

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