Two beefs here. First, “Amateur Radio” needs a different name. Second, “Ham” radio needs another name. It has always been a bit embarrassing to me that regular people who have learned a shitload about electronics, or who like to experiment with radio, are called amateurs. I’ve met many who are as knowledgeable as a radio professional.
Of course, they are called amateur because they are not professionals, in that they are not paid for their work and it is a sideline and not their primary work in life.
And calling it “ham” has always been tough for me. To get ham, you have to do something bad to a cute little piggie, and “ham it up” has always been a distasteful phrase to me because of the connotation—bad (or embarrassing) acting.
So enough complaining—what should we call it? Maybe base it on experimentation. “Radio experimenters” Nah. “Radio hobbyists?” Nope. “Radio people?” Nyet.
Then what could it be called?
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