I admit that I spend entirely too much time on ‘groups’ that profess an interest in one topic or another.
We tend to search for our tribe, whether that be people interested in equine activities or perhaps restoring vintage electronic devices.
Today it was a group dedicated to Heathkit.
For those of you who don’t know, Heathkit, out of Benton Harbor, created and sold well-designed devices in kit form.
If you followed the instructions, when finished, you would have not only a working device, but you would have the pride of knowing that you built it and, you would also know how to repair it should the need arise.
This person purchased an old oscilloscope from the ’60s that, by today’s standards, is worthless. This same person opened it up, showing the repair job someone did back in the 70’s ‘as depicted by the age of the components’ and complained.
When he brought it up on his variac, it still worked. After opening it, he complained about the ‘mess’ inside. He then went about requesting assistance from everyone in the group for information on the piece and so on.
Since the internet was not around when the previous person repaired it, and it was still working today, just possibly he should re-think his assessment of the repair.
I am from the age group who taught myself electronics, built kits, and designed and built my first transmitter from TV parts. There were no online resources as there are today.
The FCC test was in person and not multiple guess.
This behavior is not just in ham radio groups but many others.
If you read the online comments, it would seem that narcissism is as rampant as covid.
I am amazed at how quickly the comments turn into personal attacks. Is this the new normal where keyboard warriors use speech that they would not use around their grandparents, to feel better about themselves while attacking another?
The three weeks to flatten the curve has tested my patience to the absolute limits of my medications.
Turn off the computer, the screens, and the TV when you reach that point.
Reading opinions by other keyboard warriors that incite violence on a class of people with who they don’t agree is demented, and it needs to stop.
We forget that the technology we have today is because of those that came before us. We are standing on the shoulders of giants, and yet we have narcissists like this person daring to complain about a fifty-year-old repair, that still works.
-Best
TheTimeDok 