[geeks] A Bill & Geoff Conspiracy (was: SL=GAME?)

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

On Tue, Aug 07, 2007 at 08:17:44PM -0500, Bill Bradford wrote:

> Nah, I think Geoff secretly hates me because I run Google ads on SunHELP,
> and he hates Google because they invested in a power-line-broadband company
> or two, and BPL interferes with ham radio, and he's a hardcore radio
> operator, or something... 8-)  

I think hate you is too strong a word. Annoyed would be more like it.

I can understand it though. SunHelp has not been a moneymaking enterprise
and without Google ads, you would be loosing money on it. 

It does bring up a point about money and hobbies and ham radio. When I
first became interested in electronics (5th grade around 1964), there
was not much else. If you wanted to communicate with other people,
there was the mail (remember pen pals?), telephones ($5 a minute
from N.Y. to L.A. when a hamburger at McDonalds was $.15) and ham
radio. CB had just started and was far too limited and expensive.

Computers slowly took over. I started with them in 9th grade, and 
got my first programing job in the summer of 1969. I was also kept
out of ham radio because I could not learn morse code. (I have 
Aspberger's). 

I kept an interest in radio in general, but I had a TTY at home (and
a computer to call it) in the summer of 1970. So my generation got into
computers instead of radio, and as they became more available and cheaper
people moved twoards them. By 1980 you could buy a home computer (the
term Personal Computer had yet to be coined) and a modem. 

Although many of us had been using the stuff a message in a shared file
way of communicating since the 1960's, formal email was invented later,
and took off with BBS's. 

That's why although I got my domain name with email in Februrary of 1991, 
I consider myself a latecommer.

When the morse code requirment was lifted for VHF access in 1991, it took
me a while to hear about it, and got my first ham license in 1993. I
later found that there was a better way for me to learn morse code,
first marketed in 1976, but not marketed to people like me. :-(

I since passed the 13wpm test and at one time could have passed the 20.

Meanwhile, most of my generation and younger people simply did not bother,
they just bought computers (no license required) and a modem.

  
> I think Geoff is a good guy, though, he's just very enthusiastic in his
> opinions (as we all are here).

I'll agree with that and vice versa. 

 
> (and I'm a ham radio guy too - K5WCB - although currently lacking any
> equipment..  donations gladly accepted...)

Can't help with that, but I'm sure there is someone nearby who would be glad
to let you operate their station. While you are at it, you might as well
upgrade to general, it's just a simple test.

Getting on HF may change your opinion of BPL. :-)

I must admit though, that in 1995, my wife, only son and I were all hams and used
radios to communicate. I also bought cellular phones for my wife and I. 

My middle son was born in the U.S. and my youngest here. Now we use cell phones
instead of radios. My youngest does not have one yet, not for lack of desire, but
I don't think he would be able to not loose it.

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm at mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838 
Visit my 'blog at http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/