Grumpy old men discuss...

Whilst searching for my own instructions on setting up my Raspberry Pi touchscreen on this blog yesterday, I was very fascinated to come across something surprising.

Somehow, my blogpost about the Pi screen, either directly or indirectly, had ended-up being posted on an 'old-fashioned' newsgroup.

The discussion there was merrily taking place, apparently in some kind of belief that it took place whilst nobody other than the kind of small clique the Brits are famous for forming was watching.

Caution: grumpy old men.

From the comments, at least some of the group members are quite elderly, and have a very peculiar attitude to what they see as 'new' technology (i.e. technology that they themselves did not use over the past five decades, and, by implication, could therefore have no present or future use - or be a legitimate part of radio).

Taking this /P, and reporting stations heard by smoke signals is easier than a Raspberry Pi running WSPR?

Below is a screen shot of this bizarre underworld, some of whom are apparently arguing that technology, by virtue of being 'new', is illegitimate.  Taken to its logical conclusion, that would mean that, in the late 19th century, radio itself, as a 'new' technology, had no use or legitimacy (whatever that means) - a claim that was made by a few, supposedly enlightened people at the time.

I wonder how far back we have to go before a technology is useful and legitimate?  Sticks and stones?  They seem doomed.

I'm perfectly happy for people to disagree and be grumpy about life and my blog posts.  But the second screenshot shows a much nastier side of the hobby and its participants.  Some of the comment borders, or is, defamatory, and seem to repeatedly involve the same people, apparently insistent that CW is the only 'one, true mode'. 

A hint to the bitter and twisted among you: create libel, and you had better have deep pockets; a blogging acquaintance of mine, less mindful of law, ended up with a (at last count) £230,000 bill for making comments she couldn't prove were true online.  Repeatedly doing so against the same person, of course, makes matters considerably worse...

The strange world of a newsgroup clique...