Some response from ARRL’s snub

Not within an HOUR of posting the previous message last night we got a bunch of messages from outraged people regarding ARRL’s snub of Hampedia, and their unfair branding of us as a “Porn site”.

Don’t get us wrong – this site is not anti-anything, the least of which the ARRL. Many ARRL executives and muck-a-mucks made a point of visiting our convention booth at the Dayton Hamvention this year and let us know that they are fans. Of course they can’t publicly endorse our site, but we’ve got fans reaching into the highest levels of the ARRL who get the joke and appreciate what we do (having a hit tracker that backs this up doesn’t hurt either (grin)). That being said, this move that WA1LOU has seemingly made on the behalf of the ARRL executive and it’s many members has raised a few backs in the amateur community.

Some of those who wrote us were also kind enough to CC their messages to the provided e-mail addresses. Here’s a sampling of the letters we’ve recieved thusfar.

KG4FOY writes:

The reason I haven’t renewed my membership to the ARRL is that the ARRL is nothing more than a bunch of “old codger, stick in the muds” who fear progress and that don’t care to represent the younger (under 40) hams. The only thing that they seem to be doing is taking this hobby to the grave with them. “Move over bacon. Now there’s something leaner!”

BTW- QST sucks. No, I don’t need contest scores or another set of plans for a “Fox Hunt” antenna. Or another article about how to solder a simple pl-259 to a piece of coax. You really need to reelvuate your target audience, you are too afraid of what the few old farts who have nothing better to do but sit around and bitch might complain about..

KI4GGU also weighs in:

I was just about ready to join but now, forget it. Never will I join ARRL. As a matter of fact, I will make tremendous and convincing strides to convince others I know to depart from them. Their snobbish attitude and ignorance is quite apparent. “Hamsexy” is a play on words, Not a porno site. The ARRL should watch what a small grassroots army can do.

Now, we here at Hamsexy aren’t deluded enough to think that 30-odd people tearing up their ARRL membership cards is going to make a bit of difference to the ARRL – they’ve got many more loyal members who are more than willing to keep supporting them. As well, we appreciate all that the ARRL does on behalf of Amateurs everywhere, in being a voice for the hobby to the FCC, protecting our bands, etc. But honestly, folks – we agree with the majority of opinions that we’ve gotten – the ARRL represents the interests of the very element that is killing the hobby. The stereotype of the old, grumpy ham, more interested in protecting his own interests than accepting change in the hobby….. resisting all attempts to modernize the service, to make it more accessable and relevant to the younger ham….. regarding all that’s new and different as evil….. We feel that the ARRL, as well as the hobby in general, needs to get with the times or risk turning into oil like the rest of the dinosaurs. It’s just how we feel.

As for the issue with Hampedia – N5KSK said it best on the Hamsexy Forums:

I suspect that “hampedia” is now a dead duck, hits-wise. ARRL has “endorsed” Hamwiki. Hampedia will always be seen as a whiny wanna-be now.

Maybe some more people will “get it”.

And he’s right, unfortnatley. With this ‘endorsement’, as well as popular avenues of advertising not accessible to Hampedia due to it’s association with Hamsexy (QRZ.COM, for one – who again banned another one of our members for mentioning Hamsexy.com in a posting on their site), we fear that Hampedia is going to fail.

Hampedia was launched as a service to the hobby, as an attempt to give something back to the service that we all love and cherish. It seems that the powers that be want nothing to do with it, because an ignorant few are comfortable branding us as a “Pornography Site” without realizing the truth.

Maybe we should just stick to posting funny photos and making fun of cop wannabees – maybe we got punished for venturing outside of our niche (grin)

And the great bulldog poster at the top of this article was crafted by our friend KI4GGU. Thanks buddy!