At 12:53 AM 2/27/2007, Margaret Leber wrote:
Then CW enthusiasts need to work at conveying that excitement to forthcoming generations of hams, now that the artificial "affirmative action" preferences for the mode have been removed from the licensing requirements in the US.
Agreed. And don't underestimate the effect that removing the exam has on the interest in CW. CW changes from a chore that muct be completed to a unique mode (i.e. interesting to more people). Now's the time for the CW enthusiasts to make use of that effect and share their excitement.
I have seen the effect of dropping the exam in people saying "I want to learn Morse", especially younger people.
If CW dies off in a world where the likes of Hellschriber are still used, then something is very wrong indeed. If that happens, we can reasonably conclude the licencing requirement kept CW on life support long after it was brain-dead.
But personally, I doubt that's the case...and I'm not alone in this:
The evidence I have seen suggests CW has a bright future. I expect to see it live on for decades at least.
73 de VK3JED http://vkradio.com