From: jbloom@arrl.org (Jon Bloom)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: QST, in my opinion...(long) (warning: flamage)
Date: 15 Aug 92 16:24:15 EDT
Organization: American Radio Relay League

Apologies to the net for the following flamage.  I'm having a bad day.

In rec.radio.amateur.misc, flloyd@L1-A.West.Sun.COM (Fred Lloyd [Phoenix SE]) writes:
>In article <1992Aug14.143439.18736@dsd.es.com>
>alan@bambam.es.com (Alan Brubaker) writes:
>>flloyd@L1-A.West.Sun.COM (Fred Lloyd [Phoenix SE]) writes:
   [much deleted]
>>>  Re: David Sumner, K1ZZ 
>>
>>   Dave is more active on the air than you might think. He has been
>>   an active contest operator for years, and back in the 60's his
>>   . . .
>
>My retoric about Dave (whom I don't feel strongly pro _or_ con about),
>stem from the fact that most of us _don't_ know who he is, _don't_ know
>where he came from, and have no visual image of him other than the
>stuffed suit pictures that we see in QST from time to time.

Which leads me to wonder why you made the disparaging remarks of your
earlier posting.  In the absence of any knowledge, you still manage
to form an opinion.  I'm impressed!

>You've probably guessed by now that I'm not a big contest fan.
>I've got nothing against it, it just doesn't appeal to me.  I believe,
>however, that I am in the minority with this position and that there
>are a significant number of contesters out there that buy lots and
>lots of radio gear.  The sales of this equipment is one of the things
>which drives advertising, which gives the ARRL its lifeblood.  In
>promoting contests in the way they do, they further the hobby of
>contesting which in turn fuels the success of QST and in turn, the 
>league.

I'm curious: how much extra advertising revenue does the League get
because it supports contesting?  How much does the League pay to
administer the contests it sponsors?  Does the difference cost the
League or add to its gross income?  Do you know?  Or are you just
stating your firmly held opinions on the basis of no facts whatsoever?
Contesting is a perfectly valid operating activity (one that I have
little interest in).  For the ARRL to support it is simply to support
a facet of Amateur Radio.  I *thought* that's what we were here for.

>The ARRL could not make it without contesting.

I'm particularly interested in seeing the evidence you have that backs
up *that* statement.

>>> Re: voting and League Membership
>>
>>   This is quite similar to our democratic process. Not everyone votes
>>   either, so it is the majority of those who make their wishes known
>>   that has a chance to control these situations. If the Officers
>>   choose to ignore the majority, eventually they are chastised and
>>   turned out of office. What's the problem?
>
>The problem is that the _real_ majority is not heard.  What we end
>up with is management by whining, followed by the utter astonishment
>of the majority at large who weren't polled or didn't proactively
>make their opinion known.  My suggestion is to proactively solicit
>votes, to make it rediculously easy.  No matter how hard you try,
>you can't extrapolate from a 1% sample consisting only of the _most_
>motivated constituients.  Samples have to be random before
>extrapolation can become accurate.

Ah, the Ross Perot school of democracy!  Me, I'm from the old school,
the one that says that if you are too apathetic--or lazy--to write a
letter to your Director or pick up the phone and call him/her, your
opinion *shouldn't* be considered because you obviously have no
commitment to the issue under consideration.  So why not leave the
decision to those who *do* care enough to make their voice heard?
Simply polling the entire population and abiding by the resulting tally
means that the decision is being made by a group the majority of which
didn't bother to educate themselves on the issues or give them any
serious thought.  No, I'd rather have decisions made by thoughtful,
informed people.

>>>I've never met a section manager or district chief, and don't even know
>>>who my local representatives are.  In todays age of instant
>>
>>   Why don't you get acquainted - they really are not such bad people.
>
>I didn't say they were.  Our local section manager is in Tucson,
>100 miles south of here.  Perhaps I should call him to say that I
>have a few suggestions regarding the role and content of QST.  On the
>other hand, I think my opinions would better heard in a larger forum
>(such as this network) and possibly have a greater overall ultimate
>effect.

Fred, you are remarkably ignorant about ARRL.  The SM has no special
influence over QST content (other than his/her contribution to "Section
News.")  QST content is determined in part by the staff in Newington and
partly by the Board of Directors.  What you *should* talk to your SM about
are those facets of the Field Organization that the SM is responsible
for overseeing.  And, by the way, the "district chief" is called the
"division Director."

>After all, my local SM is likely to forget what I said come
>convention time, but at least I know that there would have been a
>chance that the ARRL would have seen my opinions here.  In fact, I'd
>say that the chances were quite high that they're reading this right
>now, but won't dare risk exposing themselves to engaging in a frank,
>over-the-net discussion on any topic.  

A frank discussion is only useful when the parties taking part in it
are well informed.  You are, of course, entitled to your opinion.
Fortunately, I'm entitled to give uninformed opinions exactly the
respect they deserve.

Frank enough for you, Fred?
-------
Jon Bloom, KE3Z                   |  jbloom@arrl.org
American Radio Relay League       |
225 Main St.                      |
Newington, CT 06111               |