[Fists] So you think......???

[Fred Adsit]

They not too many moons ago went through a similar page-cutting exercise. I
suggested the try cutting their own color ads for books etc. to two pages.
Some of it DID get shrunk, but has drifted back to the big fat ARRL
publishing company ads.

Also, what is being kicked around per your message, Al, has already happened
by de-emphasizing the NTS - less about it in Public Service, and no more
stats from reporting SMs, TCC directors, etc. - Just the PSHR and BPL
listings remain. And, most SMs have killed the traffic net data in their
columns. I have one long-time NTS buddy who finally quit the NTS AND the
ARRL in total disgust. I am on a sabbatical from the NTS and still a
year-by-year member of the ARRL, but have become very disillusioned, and not
just by the ARRL.

With two pre-written write-ups about "The Art & Skill..." book handed to
them on a silver platter, they printed neither one of them. Instead we see
several pages of winning messy ham shacks in brilliant color.. junk of that
sort. What I supplied them would fit in a Strays box, but they did not do
even that. The book is free, on the web. Maybe they don't like to advertise
what is free, especially if it is about CW. The other mags have said nothing
either, so in this particular matter, it isn't just an ARRL staff position..
My favorite writer in CQ would normally print the info about the new book -
he has been writing great Keys, Keys.... stuff for years. But he did not
print what I gave him - one short paragraph. None of the ploys have worked.
None.

Very revealing, Al. Thanks for the info and opinion. The opinion is borne
out by the facts.

These discussions will be archived for all to read, for many years. Good.
Let it not be said that nobody spoke out about these matters. This will be
borne out by history easily unearthed by any good search engine. In the
Bible, all prophecy was borne out in the New Testament. In the relatively
insignificant speck of historic sand known as ham radio, we shall see if our
unpopular fears are similarly borne out if and when ham radio becomes little
more than CB.

73,
Fred NY2V
OK - I will say it -- Paleo-Extra

----- Original Message -----
From: <ATanner283@aol.com>
To: <fists@mailman.qth.net>; <Wt8r@aol.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 9:03 PM
Subject: [Fists] So you think......???


Hi all...Just recvd a little blurb from our section manager here. In
addition
to this "refarming" nonsense the ARRL has come up with....here's the
latest....


By now some of you may have heard that the American Radio Relay League Board
of Directors at their January meeting in two weeks will be making changes in
QST this year. Most changes are a result of trying to reduce the magazine
from 176 to 160 pages per issue.

Among the suggestions (being hotly debated as we speak on two Section
Managers reflectors in the US) is the moving of Section News from the back
pages of QST right out of the magazine and placing these on the Internet Web
sites at Newington. A second suggestion is to remove most if not all contest
results and DX honor rolls from QST and moving these to the ARRL Contest
Journal only.

Thought you'd like to know. Obviously if you have any opinion, we have a
Division Director and a Division Vice Director who'd like to hear from you.

So you see they ARE trying to do all they can for ham radio. They are trying
to eliminate all that "operating" nonsense from QST. That way we will have
much more room for stuff like "The Doctor Is In" and  the product reviews on
the latest handheld gizmo. These are all things we will need. No articles on
CW of course. Havn't seen one for a long while except for a decoder. Too
antique  Might mention it in the "Old Radio" section.................

Al/W8FAX/2192
extra/heavy