Do you use IRLP? You’re morally bankrupt!!

And now a special op-ed piece from friend Mr. CPU:

A wonderful discussion has begun on our favorite site, QRZ with regards to the use of voip in ham radio, spawning from CISCO’s resent announcements. Some people there have gone so far as to say that anyone who supports voip in ham radio is “morally bankrupt”.

The “intellectually bankrupt” amongst us are clearly intolerant and incapable of discerning the difference between Amateur Radio the HOBBY and Amateur Radio the SERVICE.

The HOBBY is a place where intelligent and creative individuals come up with new and exciting ways to communicate which integrate with, and use radio technology. These methods of communication are always evolving and changing with our times and are used on a normal day to day basis by members of the hobby to facilitate communication for the simple pleasure that it brings.

The SERVICE is a place where the experiments and lessons learned over time come together when the day to day communication systems, that we take for granted, FAIL. Things that are fun and interesting to play with during normal times are not ment to be used during times of emergency. Tried, tested and true forms of communication must be called into play by all during those times.

Simply put, if someone feels that others are “morally bankrupt” because they enjoy working with new and modern technologies then I submit that those people do not truly understand what Amateur Radio is. Perhaps they will be much more useful members within the SERVICE of Amateur Radio, sitting on the backs of those who came before them who did exceed at the HOBBY and who’s experimentation and hard work have created the modes and technologies that we can rely on during an
emergency.

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Mr. CPU is too polite to say it, but I’m not. The person who thinks that anyone who uses and enjoys IRLP or Echolink lacks morals is Webster Williams, KR4WM of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Do you use IRLP? Then Mr. Williams thinks you are morally bankrupt. It is the opinion of Hamsexy that this guy needs to perhaps find more important issues to get passionate about…. like hunger, human rights, pollution….. This is the EPITOME of ham radio snobbishness, and KR4WM is a prime example of why Ham Radio is dying. When the FCC allocates the last of our spectrum to commercial interests, you can personally visit Webster Williams, KR4WM and thank him – if he’ll talk to you. I consider pedophiles, murderers, rapists, etc. to be morally bankrupt, not those who are too ignorant to embrace new technologies.