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Amateur radio will never be obsolete, due to the fact that one can communicate across the country or the world on 25 watts of power, with good conditions, and be totally portable, off the grid.

With the Fed gov wanting to regulate or do away with the Internet, ham radio will always be a nice alternative.

I've had an advanced ham license for years, but haven't been on the air in a long time.

Personally, the internet has diminished my interest in ham radio. I also feel that ham radio is probably MORE regulated than the internet.

I still think of getting back to it sometimes, but I haven't because I am not a big talker and I also get real tired of exchanging the same old information and gabbing about the weather. Also, without a schedule, you can't reach a particular person....if you like yelling into the ozone, I guess thats OK (and it can occasionally yield interesting results).

Somebody, please convince me I'm wrong!

I certainly don't mean to bash hams. It was a fascination of mine since childhood. Unfortunately, the thrill is gone.

I dunno, the internet does have it's appeal I guess. We're all here aren't we?

And a variety of activities as well, things which may appeal to just about any interest one might have.

And it's not so regulated, in the sense that Ham operators need government authorization and have regulations in place limiting some of the things one may undertake on the air.

As a lot of folks on this forum know, I lean heavily to the libertarian side on most issues, and I have a special distaste for laws prohibiting activities one may undertake that cause no outside harm. So I must admit the scheme of regulation we have in Ham Radio spits in the face of those principles.

But I go wishy washy here to some extent, because I can't justify it from a purely ideological perspective. But nevertheless, the esoteric viewpoint I hold is the system of regulation in place WRT Ham Radio works very well, and nearly always has.

Hams have always been involved in the process from the moment a uniform nationwide regulatory system came into effect, including the design of that system, setting forth it's purposes and scope of power. The FCC is heavily infiltrated with Hams (especially the the branch responsible for oversight of the service) and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. When a particularly onerous proposal comes to the table, word spreads quickly and hence, the bureau is given advice in the form of persuasive comments from affected parties. All comments are considered and the Hams almost always prevail. As a result, there is very little in the body of regulation that Hams themselves don't want.

One must also keep in mind that the regulations and restrictions placed upon Hams (as well as the other services) are for the most part not criminal. And there is not the usual army of guns pointed to our heads forcing us to do or not do certain things, most enforcement is complaint based, and most often done by back and forth mailing of letters. The infamous "FCC Vans" are not filled with hooded thugs out to bust down the doors of Hams with a -30 dB harmonic or an AC hum (though if the former case is detected they might politely inform). Out of band, especially if clearly intentional, they might be a bit more aggressive, but still the issue would most likely be handled by letter. But the FCC and their field operators have plenty to do besides spook on Hams, and most violations will not ever be detected or reported.

For that, freebanders also can rejoice, because with proper care and caution, they are unlikely to ever get caught. They are also unlikely to be given the time of day by any legit Ham.