Carl: You forgot to mention Congress.
Let Me Mention It Now
Response to what AM Radio Legend Said: "Carl: You forgot to mention Congress."
The expression "pro and con" means progress or congress.
"My views on the “Anything Goes” thread are different from Rich Powers, I don’t see it as separating non-radio issues because world affairs and radio both exist in the same world and are connected to each other."
Perhaps Carl, but I don't think it had anything whatsoever to do with the ALPB original mission, which if I recall correctly was most specifically to teach, promote and assist in all aspects of radio production and implementation and the like (or something along those lines). I don't see how politics should have been rearing it's head on any of that.
As for Teamspeak meetings, I tend to think the biggest problem with it was it required a specific time on specific dates to participate, which obviously means it would have to correspond with the time schedules of everyday life of the whoever might like to participate.. I recall most of the meetings times just didn't jive with my own work schedule, and perhaps it was the same situation with others.
Forum discussions are simple, you can participate at any hour or day, not so with something like Teamspeak meetings.
I attempted to stick to the facts re the ALPB, talking about motivation (mine only) when I was directly involved.
As to the Anything Goes ALPB Forum section, things evolve. I believe that both Carl and Rich are partially correct in describing the motivations behind its inception. I also know that it was created (I had a hand in that creation) to further the openness of the ALPB, and to make it different than the other options that were then available. It wasn't meant to be solely about politics, but, in fact, could be about anything (hence the name) that was FACT BASED. The intentions were certainly honorable (if naive).
Unfortunately, what ended up happening in actuality was that the Moderators spent an inordinate amount of time (and agonizing) over some of the posts that appeared in the section. I learned that behind some pretty nice exteriors lay some pretty ugly BELIEFS - religious intolerance, racism, sexism and virtually any kind of 'ism you can think of. Dealing with posts espousing those beliefs (rather than facts), though they were explicitly forbidden, was not what I had signed up for.
Call it a learning experience. I do.
Well, I'm sure there must be plenty of forums for those type of topics. The argument that radio broadcasting and those topics are related because both venues exist in the same world is a lame excuse. (sorry Carl).
I agree with Rich that one of the issues with Teamspeak meetings is scheduling.
Another is that such meetings artificially limit the workable size of the group. Studies have shown that the most effective type of meetings consist of up to 5 (maybe 6) participants. Larger, and you spend more time on basic communication between members than getting anything done (including making decisions). I certainly saw that when the ALPB meeting sizes exceeded these optimal levels (and sometimes even when they didn't).
That was one of the reasons behind the attempt to push the use the ALPB Forum for business while I was (interim) Chairman. It resolves the scheduling issue, produces a written record of discussion, and generally allows more members to participate in decision making activities. It isn't perfect, but then, nothing really is. Even highly successful organizations usually have difficulty in solving the problem of organization and communication - the solutions usually boil down to having the right people in the right places at the right time.
As for overall participation in this Forum, I've found that these things tend to go in cycles. There was a time a few years ago when virtually no one was posting here for many months, and that then morphed in a period of activity that I've seen unmatched, as new people, with new questions, and new enthusiasm, came in.
Personally, I've spent little time with my Part 15 station over the past year or so, mainly due to life. The best you can say is that I've kept it going, primarily for my own listening pleasure.
I intend to do more in the coming year (one of my New Year resolutions). I've a couple of opportunities to extend my potential listeners to City Hall, the Recreation Center and a few other venues that are literally across the street where I currently live. I will be expanding my programming to a mixture of public domain Jazz, Classical and Old Time Radio, along with (hopefully) some civic PSA's (which I'd like to morph into more dedicated community-based programming).
I'll probably be spending less time here, as I do more elsewhere, and when I do post it will be around content. I personally have little current interest in debating range, ground leads, whether something is legal or not, etc., when it's all been done so many times previously. With a little effort and research, all the answers are readily available, here and elsewhere.
Maybe it's just the current political climate in the U.S., but I find myself spending less and less time caring about what others (including other radio sites) are talking about. I can't control what happens elsewhere, but what I can control is my own work, and my own words.
And that's what I intend on doing.
Engineers Not Allowed in the Carpeted Section of the Building
That's an actual rule that existed at a TV station I worked for. The carpeted section belonged to the executives and sales force.
Rich Powers has a charming way of blocking an obvious point: "The argument that radio broadcasting and those topics are related because both venues exist in the same world is a lame excuse. (sorry Carl)."
We talk about programming.
My station programs news-talk. Therefore I should logically talk about news and talk subjects the same way music stations go on and on about music, which gets lame.
Hmmm.. well music station posters don't sing the actual songs
Ok, you can talk about Trump or something if you give me a link (yet again) to LPH
Link Step One
A strange thing has happened several times today. I've written responses to postings only to find later on that my responses are missing!
Just an hour ago I wrote that Rich Powers has offered a nice "save-face" chance for me to avoid further criticism if I supply a link to the Low Power Hour, which I agreed to do.
Huh.
Let's get started. The following link gets you into the Main Vestibule at the Internet Building, where as of the moment The Blare Blog and Low Power Radio Resources are open.
As soon as I figure out the secret combination I'll open the Low Power Hour.
Already been there..
"By allowing Hobby Broadcasting on AM call it BETS-1, Part 15, Ga Ga Goo Goo or whatever it promotes the experimenting and education of Radio and keeps the spirit alive."
Legs, AM radio has been around for more than a century. What more "experimentation" is there left to be done, other than all-digital testing (which is now going on Frederick MD on WFMD)?
The FCC would only make changes to a broadcast service such as the medium wave AM band, only if they saw a legitimate benefit to the service. What is being gained here that would sway them?