Just way to many "kids, lids and space cadets " Standing in their back yard on a FM HT. Pass after pass it seems to always to be the same people.
The dark-side of Ham radio is the Curmudgeons who feel they must hold everyone back to their own style and their own narrow view of the hobby.
But anyone with any sense of the golden rule understands that accomplishments in an all volunteer endeavor are never made by bashing, or trying to change what other people do.
Progress is made when the Curmudgeons get out of the way, and let those with ideas or interests move forward. There simply is no value (to others) in trying to bash others or attempt to change their interests.
Everyone learns from Ham radio. And the best way to learn is by hands on experience and learning it themselves. What the Curmudgeons learned in their 40+ years of ham radio may in fact be what the newer members need to learn. But just like the Curmudgeons had to learn it on their own, the people with other ideas may have to learn their own lessons as well.
I expect that what the current players learn will be far different from what the Curmudgeons learned, because face it, the world and technology has changed in 40 years and will not have the same lessons or conclusions.
Nobody is right or wrong. Just find something in Ham radio and pursue it. And hope that the Curmudgeons stay out of the way. They contribute little towards progress but try to hold everyone back.
One can elmer, steer and provide some guidance to try to give some direction, but bashing and negativism only inhibits progress along the hobby.
Just my 2 cents. Learned 40 years ago from W4RI, Paul Rinaldo in trying to herd all the cats in the AMRAD club as they developed packet radio.
Bob, Wb4APR