[SOC] NEWS FLASH CONTESTING NOW SOC EVENTS

[Charles H]

NEWS FLASH
CONTESTING NOW SOC EVENTS.
April 1 2016 for immediate release

QST QST QST to all radio amateurs.......

Ham radio contests are all now SOC events.  Due to development of RBN and code readers and decline of contesters involving their own talents in copying contest Morse, former First Class Operators skills are no longer needed.  The Second Class Operators association has begrudgingly accepted the burden of underpinning all ham radio contests.

For a century, First Class Operators banded together to make elite and to validate CW contesting usage by the high skill of actually copying Morse (some at unbelievable speeds) by their own brain power.  Such First Class ops could also actually send with their human hands Morse on CW keys.  None of these skills are now needed for success in ham radio contests.

The Second Class Operators (SOC) have shouldered this new development in ham radio with heavy hearts, and shoulders;  however have pledged to uphold SOC three-key* keyboards forever.

*Send call, send exchange, TU.