Re: Why is there such a strong link between HAM radio and BBSs?
By: Doctor Who to All on Wed Feb 24 2016 21:00:44
DW> I'm not into HAM radio, but I noticed a long time ago that HAM radio
DW> seemed to share a strong link with BBSing as a hobby, and, though perhaps
DW> to a lesser extent, to the use of Linux. I was wondering if anyone had any
DW> insight into why these interests seem so strongly linked.
There's definitely a link, but it mostly flows in one direction. The
percentage of BBS enthusiasts who are also into ham radio is much greater than
the percentage of amateur radio operators who even know what a BBS is.
Though there are plenty of fundamental differences, the two hobbies do have
some similar characteristics. Both are ultimately about communication,
interaction, exchanging information. Each offers plenty of things to tinker
with, and different areas on which you can focus your interest. On that level
it makes sense that a number of people are interested in both.
It's also worth noting that the ham radio world has its own stripped down
version of the BBS. There are plenty of not-very-active BBSes that you can
connect to via packet radio, some of which are also connected to the internet.
There's a lot of amateur radio software available for Linux, but Windows is
also a popular platform in that realm. I would guess that there are far more
Windows than *nix users there, particularly among the older operators - but I
don't really know. Either way most of the software is ugly and just kinda gets
the job done.
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