A Rose by any Other Name

Except we are not talking sweet smelling blossoms here; we’re talking thorns! Imagine my glee when I noticed that one of the thorniest Ham/SWL groups around, the Midnight Hams have renamed themselves to ‘Ham Friends-Amateur Radio Community’.

Friends? To whom? Only themselves no doubt, as they as exclusive and reclusive as Ben’s BCW List. Obviously they still feel that they must keep out the people who have minds of their own! And by congregating in one spot like they do, the Thorny Hens unwittingly protect the rest of us from THEM.

Community? How can you be an ‘Amateur Radio Community if you do not accept new members? I did go to their site; it was the same old story, ‘only a moderator can set up new accounts’.

So why bother with the name change? As usual, my guess would be to prop up their self-image of themselves now that they do not have Art Bell w6obb, either on AM, or 3.840 to focus on. (Did it ever occur to them that artie might be back or that there are other reasons to listen to HAM radio at Midnight?) So is that ALL they were about, artie? Of course...

Instead of re-naming themselves though, they should have gotten together with Big Ben kd7bcw, and merged the BCW list and the Midnight Hams. That way they could call themselves something like, The Moral Hams! They could preach to each other, leave the rest of us who do not need ‘leaders’ to our own cogitation and decisions!

And they would have more members. Is having 10 posting members a community?