[SOC] SOC #896

[S.Nordenstroem]

Our "Big Brother FOC" seems to be the template for membership in CWops 
and as a matter of  fact a number of the so called "Charter members" are 
actually also members of  FOC. I was invited to join ranks with the 
Charter members, based on my previous profession as a ships radio 
officer. Needless to say, membership in SOC and CWops do not go together 
well, one sort of defeats the other! Membership in FOC requires that one 
members dies first, so that in essence means that the new member is just 
filling an empty pair of shoes. Not a recommendable way of getting fresh 
blood into ham-radio. If the wait is too long, new aspiring members 
might resort to force!

As I declined the invitation from CWops, I hopefully will remain 
"SOC-ed" and not "FOC-ed".

Btw, nice blog, David!

Sam HS0ZDY


David W6DTW wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Just joined SOC; somehow my application made it through screening.  Ha!
> Joke's on you.  My CW is at best 3rd class...
>
> What brought me here was a couple of things.  First off my friend Chris
> K6DBG is a member.  Second was that after last week's NAQP contest someone
> was suggesting that I should check out CWops; he apparently didn't actually
> hear me sending code.  I was in the process of writing an article entitled
> "Shooting Ourselves In The Foot : Amateur radio's culture of exclusion" and
> the whole CWops membership process was like a gift from God; a perfect
> example of what I was trying to say.  
>
>  
> http://sparqi.blogspot.com/2010/01/shooting-ourselves-in-foot-amateur.html
>
> So in contrast to CWops, and knowing about SOC through Chris, I offered you
> folks as an example of the right way to create a community.  The Unknown
> Secretary pointed me to the mailing list archive; looks like I'm not the
> only one who has an opinion about CWops.  
>
> And in a moment of weakness I sent in my application for membership.  Now
> you're stuck with me.  
>
> Best,
>
> ...dtw
>
>
>
> ---
> David T. Witkowski
> w6dtw at arrl.net
>  : Twitter = W6DTW
>  : IRLP = 3802
>  : Echolink = 314933
>