I have recently come under some fire on another forum about the legitimacy of how some Amateur Radio ops choose to use the NTS. This AM I posted the following on that forum. As I read it back to myself, I thought perhaps it would be well suited to repost here on my Blog. ENJOY
A Radiogram is a "private" message that has been entrusted to licensed, disciplined, regulated, tested, volunteer public servants, to be transmitted over sanctioned, regulated "public" radio frequencies. We, as Amateur Radio Operators, violate the public trust when we judge, criticize, gossip about, and blab our opinions about the contents of the "private" messages we have received, relayed, or even heard on our radios.
We are not only given the privilege to talk on our radios, but we have likewise been given the privilege to listen. Oh, I know, anyone within the ranks of the general public with a multi-band radio may very well listen to what is being said on frequencies assigned to Amateur Radio, and they may certainly say whatever they like about what they hear. But… once we receive our Amateur Radio license we have given up the privilege to gossip about and judge what we hear as it pertains to Radiogram traffic. No matter how much we would at times like to, we have forfeited the privilege to reveal our personal judgments. We are licensed, disciplined Amateur Radio operators, and we should act like it… not like a bunch of gossipy ol' women (or men) whispering and prattling on about their neighbors.
If we listen to rag-chewing, we can say whatever we like (especially about the two guys I heard one night bragging about their recent trip to the local "gentleman's club"). If we listen to a DX Contest, we can blab away about the participants (especially that guy with a 5kw linear!). But… Radiogram traffic is different. Radiogram traffic is a "private public trust" and we dishonor the privileges of our license when we make ourselves Radiogram content judges. We demonstrate a lack of personal integrity when we blather on and on and on about our disapproval of a Radiogram message or its sender. I make it my goal, after I have determined that it is legal, to be "blind and deaf" to the content of any Radiogram that I handle, or even one that I hear. It is as if someone has allowed me to "read their private mail", and what kind of man do I become when I violate that person's trust.
What kind of person do I become if I decide that the "recipient" is unknown to the sender and probably doesn't want to get a particular Radiogram, so I don't bother sending it; allowing it to die within the system? I know of no other "message service" that allows that kind of egregious, unprofessional behavior. But, we have allowed it to happen within Amateur Radio service. Shame on us.
The days should be over, in which honorable Amateur Radio men and women, violate the public trust which they have been granted. When someone brings up the "spam" debate, we should say, "Spam??? What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean? I don't talk about the content of Radiograms… do you?"
I totally agree 100%! However....
ReplyDeleteThe only real problem I have with the NTS is the amount of "spam". I'm a relatively new ham (2008) and I work in the IT field. Spam to some extent makes e-mail useless if not properly filtered out. I get about 1 valid message for every 10 spam messages. I don't want the NTS to turn into that. But that's what I see night after night.
I feel the lack of participation in NTS and finding people to relay and deliver messages is based on this type of content. We need to deliver substance.
It's kinda sad...I hear messages delivered by a large content generating station (you know the ones) and some new ham takes the content, takes the time to call the recipient (or buy the stamp, etc) and deliver the message to find out it's a non-working phone number, or the ham is dead, etc, etc.
Then that generates a message back to the originating station - who probably doesn't care anyway - since it was probably automated. It's just tying up the NTS system and wasting people's time all along the chain - and yes even the recipient's time (when the message is spam).
I understand the need to train and participate, but make it more "real life". I think your blog and Yahoo group is attempting that - only time will tell.
More people will come and participate if valid traffic is flowing - not "we need more relays, join the fun". We need to appeal to the newer tech savvy hams - otherwise NTS will die. The message has to contain something of value and not be generic. Something like "Join our NTS net at 6:40pm on 147.375" or something like that....It should attempt to communicate something of value.
I totally understand what you're saying about public/private. I do! I frankly don't care what the message is, I just want to take it and move it on. I don't correct it if it's wrong, etc, etc. I just move it.
I'm glad the nets are up and that they are there when we need them. Let's just make them more relevant for today's world.