[Ham-Mac] LOTW and Macintosh

[Mike Carter]

Dear Friends,

I would like to stand beside my fellow Mac Hams and register a note of 
concern that the Macintosh platform doesn't appear to be targeted for 
initial release of LOTW. I hope I'm mistaken in this observation.

As a Mac developer, Amateur Radio enthusiast and member of ARRL, I 
would recommend that ARRL begin to incorporate the Mac platform into 
future ARRL-sponsored software releases. Not doing so sends a very 
clear message that ARRL doesn't support our platform, and I feel that 
doesn't best represent ARRL, and the spirit of Amateur Radio to it's 
users as a whole.

If ARRL is serious about making it's computer-related resources 
available to all it's members, I would hope that future software 
endeavors would include Mac Ham developers in their design phase. We 
are quite a few of us, some professional, some hobbyists, all whom 
would, I'm sure, enjoy participating in the development and release of 
software like LOTW. We are not unlike Hams in general; adamant about 
furthering Amateur Radio through a harmonious integration with the 
technology we choose. In fact, projects like LOTW would best benefit 
and thrive as public, open-source projects where multiple developers 
from all platforms could contribute to their development.

The spirit of Amateur Radio has been one of collaboration, 
non-discrimination and a desire to move our hobby forward by being 
open-minded with regards to and embracing new technologies. Please 
don't tarnish your reputation now by shunning the Macintosh community.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, which my friends and I 
feel is quite urgent.

73,
Mike Carter
K6MEC
mikec@aviate.org