[aprssig] Where to from here for APRS ?

[Richard Amirault]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Duncan"
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Where to from here for APRS ?
(snip)
> When I got into APRS way back in January, 1993, I was pretty much burned 
> out on ham radio and APRS gave me a new focus and direction which 
> reinvigorated my interest in amateur radio. It was a great 10-year run and 
> I enjoyed getting to know others APRS people all over the country but it 
> just became less and less important to me in the grand scheme of things 
> (probably the result of marriage, a new home, returning to my lifelong 
> hobby of model railroading, and the rigors of two graduate degree 
> programs).
>
> I would probably enjoy getting active in APRS again if there were new 
> frontiers to tackle but it seems that we are just staying in the same 
> place. New gadgets are nice but, as we all know, all gadgets are 
> novelties, too and like a kid at Christmas the new toys eventually get set 
> aside as the newness wear off.

(snip)

Not everyone feels the same way about life as you.  From what you've said 
you seem to get bored with most things unless you are challenged in some 
way.  That's fine .. but, again, not everyone feels that way.  I've been 
into APRS since there were only two programs APRSDos and the Mac version 
... AND I STILL RUN APRSDos as my only software.

APRS is a tool, like a hammer or a saw. Yes, you can make improvements in 
the tool, but only so much. Frankly, 99% of the time APRS is not doing what 
it is designed to do ... "Real time emergency communications" (hope I got 
that right Bob)  But should the occasion arrise that you really need to use 
that tool .. you may regret selling (or throwing away) that hammer or saw.

Richard Amirault                                N1JDU                Boston, 
MA, USA
n1jdu.org                                   "Go Fly A Kite"