[SOC] Oh Dear

[CHRISTOPHER REDDING]

I have recently re-subscribed the SOC reflector after a time when I dropped in 
now-and-then to read the archives.

Let us take a reality check.

The SOC web-group is intended to be a watering-hole for radio amateurs, mainly 
morse code enthusiasts, who have a subtle off-beat sense of self-effacing 
humour.  The name of the SOC is not meant to be an insult to the fine gentlemen 
of the FOC, but is a gentle satire, as in 'there can only ever be so many FOC 
members, so we will therefore form a little tongue-in-cheek group of our own 
until greatness is thrust upon us'.

The fact that most SOC members are either bloody yanks or canucks is fine, 
because I am either a 'too much up your own asshole 
would-be-speaking-german-without-us limey' or just another 'bloody whinging 
pommy bastard', according to where you are.  A sense of humour (especially about 
yourself) is the main qualification for joining the proud ranks of the SOC.

The most enjoyable time I ever spent in the SOC was a few years back, when I 
used the webgroup to arrange some transatlantic skeds very late one night 
(here....your afternoon) on 10MHz, and found that several CW operators in the 
US/VE were SOC members, but were by no means second-class in any way.

We should be using this group to arrange friendly skeds with each other.  There 
should be SOC calling frequencies (like 6.998 and 10.095) where we mystify other 
hams. We should be having 'other foot evenings', We should be making links with 
other morse enthusiasts (as in the UK, where the formerly-exclusive FOC and the 
all-inclusive FISTS invite each other to their own straight-key evenings, just 
for a laff).

Why, then, is this group becoming a vehicle for internal American politics?  
There are other (probably many thousands) of web-groups for this stuff.  Yes, we 
all know that HM Queen Elizabeth II is no more a bullet-dodger than her parents 
were, and President Obama is not universally-popular in his home nation, 
although he is seen as a kindred voice of moderate social-democrat, non-neocon 
reason here in Europe.  All politicians have always seemed more attractive to 
foreigners than to their own people, as evidenced by our own Margaret Thatcher 
and Tony Blair, who seemed to have their own personality cults in the USA, but 
were loved and despised in equal measure in their own country.

I have heard all this stuff on other websites, where it belongs.  It does not 
belong here. Can we get back to our roots, and have some FUN on the radio??

CQ SOC, CQ SOC etc....

Chris the Wafflemeister G6CSL/G4PDJ, Europe.