If I Don’t Do It, Who Will?(or “How to Sponsor a Contest”)

Faced with an ethical dilemma today. Subscription notices.

I’m not really a big fan of the current crop of ham radio publications. Not that there is anything wrong with the publications. I sure can’t do better. But for my own part, the advertisements are often the most interesting content. Facing facts, it is improbable that any hard copy publication can print content that will always be of immediate interest to so wide a niche audience. The subject area is just too wide and the interests of the all-too-narrow audience are just too diverse.

So upon receiving the third request to re-subscribe, I found a way to rationalize the subscription.

The major US contests are sponsored by magazine publications. As an enthusiastic participant, I shall make it my job to sponsor the sponsors, and their publications. Its as simple as that. If there’s no magazine, there will be no contests.

I suppose a collapse of the publishers would not mean the void could not be filled by one of the large clubs, or a consortium of clubs. There is already a lot of volunteer work behind the scenes. But the publications provide continuity to the effort. Tasks performed by motivated volunteers often go undone when individuals change their personal focus. Volunteer-ism is often a very individualistic undertaking, despite the wishful thinking of socialists far and wide.

So the check is in the mail. It’s like voting(tilting windmills?). Individually, my teeny subscription is piddly. But in the aggregate, every penny counts. Or so I will continue to rationalize. Because if they fold up, I would regret NOT subscribing.

A second problem – what about the magazines, given my stated lack of interest in the content? Toss them? Hate to do that….. (Rattus Norvegicus Sarcinalis)

I may start taking the magazines down to the local library, where there is a “magazine exchange” box. It might be an interesting experiment: >> How long will a radio mag sit in the box?<<