ARRL EComms Messaging System...WinLink?

[Curt, WE7U]

On Wed, 12 Jan 2005, Jeff King wrote:

> You missed one big one Curt, one we all just all witnessed in
> APRS, and is even more critical in ECOM's.
>
> What happens if the programmer and/or company of a closed source
> product ceases to exist? In the case of APRS UI-View it was willed
> the source code be destroyed for the primary application,
> essentially freezing further progress (save the mapping server).

Agreed.  I was very sorry to hear about Roger's passing, and sorry
yet again when I heard what was to happen to the code.


> Escrowing the source code is claimed as a solution for Winlink,
> but in my eyes, it really isn't one. The beauty of open source is
> not linux, windows or any operating system. It is peer review. A
> open source solution forces (most) programmers to care about
> things like style and maintainability. Who is to know what is
> actually escrowed behind closed doors? It could be a obtuse piece
> of spaghetti code that only the one that wrote it could
> understand. Having the code in the public eye at least puts all
> the cards on the table.

Yep.


> That much being said, I am a firm believer in property rights. The
> Winlink folks didn't do anything wrong, and from what I can tell,
> they have a fine product. Lets not cast stones at them, as it is
> not they that chose a proprietary solution with all its attendant
> risks. It was the ARRL. Proof again that ham radio is its own
> worst enemy.

I don't think I cast any stones at property rights or the Winlink
folk's decisions as to their code.  I have some things I don't
release in the wild also, sometimes because they could do harm if
out there, sometimes because I plan to make money with them in the
future.  Does that mean I lean any way the wind blows?  No, it means
that I weigh each decision based on a variety of factors.  Money
buys me more radio/computer toys with which I can make more
hardware/software toys for others (and me!).

I'd rather the ARRL picked an open-source set of software, and
either an open modem protocol or at least a standards-based modem
manufactured by a variety of companies.  Right now I think our only
option is Pactor-I which is the slowest option and not recommended
for WinLink due to the speed.  Not that great of an option.  Yea,
I've heard of another possible soundcard option coming.  Maybe that
will be the savior of the system in that regard.

It would be pretty funny though (in a sad sort of way) if the ARRL
chose a proprietary modem made by a German? company to use for
homeland security purposes.  Of course darn-near everything fits
under that "homeland security" umbrella these days, but the hams are
intended to be a backup for when other forms of communications fail.
If relations between our countries fail in the future or the company
fails or raises it's prices even more, then we'll be out a bunch of
needed modems for our purposes and nearly back to square one.

--
Curt, WE7U.   APRS Client Comparisons: http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
"Lotto:    A tax on people who are bad at math." -- unknown
"Windows:  Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates." -- WE7U
"The world DOES revolve around me:  I picked the coordinate system!"