[aprssig] APRS as a Situational Awareness tool APRS-SCS

[Robert Bruninga]

> If the maps did not display as good or better 
> than the other three APRS programs I was using 
> it was going to be hard for me to justify the 
> time to learn yet another APRS program.

I can certainly identify with this sentiment. COMPLETELY.... No
one can become conversant in all the different programs.  I
certainly am not.  But your sentence triggers a "stump
opportunity" (just for grins).

Most of my beefs are with the lack of consistent implementation
of the protocol and the fundamental mission of tactical
real-time information exchange.  Not the maps.   But as you
imply, most of what people see (and want to see) is the maps and
just moving vehicles.  The reason I feel I have to be such a
troll, is because its what most of us do not see during bland
routine operations that in many cases is what is missing.

My priorities in APRS are in this order:
1) The OPTIMUM use of the NETWORK
2) Efficient information distribution
3) Meaningful real-time human-to-human information exchange
4) Consistent Information display to the end user
5) maps
Etc....

I was so glad to see other authors come into APRS in the mid
90's to solve the MAP problem that I was not then looking too
carefully after the implementation of the rest of the protocol.
I figured most of the finer details would get done
eventually....  But the problem is, after these many years, a
lot of these never got done in many programs.

So people just need to be aware of the limitations of whatever
program they use, so that they do not try to use the wrong tool
for a particular critical  task that may not be well implemented
in some clients.

Back under the rock.
Bob, WB4APR