Qnews for August 24th 2025

Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking.



 We use them every day and they are tools for communication and sharing

 ideas and we call them words. One of the big things about words are that

 they can convey meanings and promote actions both good and less than

 good. We like to think that we are progressive in our approach to amateur

 radio and its growth in the community.



 So let’s look at a word.



 Incentive.



 Here is a word with ideas that suggests the possibility of growth,

 of achieving something positive and then we must ask, what do you think

 is a good incentive, something that works for you?



 With all the activities that make up AR, most of us have personal choices

 that fit our level of knowledge and lifestyle. It may be a choice of

 operating modes, a certain award to gain and decorate the wall or it

 might be just the somewhat irregular operation when the mood and time

 allow. There is no right or wrong in the choices we can make within the

 terms of our licence.



 But somewhere there are the things that give us the enthusiasm to get

 amongst the action and turn on the “big switch” and enjoy those special

 activities.



 For the many amateurs who enjoy the social interaction of club life,

 there can be the opportunity to apply incentives in maintaining the

 friendliness and co-operation that a well functioning club displays.

 Once again it is the case that local conditions such as location and

 member interests will guide the choice of activities.



 Many a club has a basic coffee bar that lets people relax together with

 a nice beverage. It doesn’t have to be fancy and I know that the drink

 tastes just as good when perched on an upturned milk crate as it does in

 a sleek restaurant. Some freshly cooked food can provide satisfaction

 whether from a bush barbecue or a commercial kitchen. These are just the

 facts of where we are at the time and it is the company and atmosphere

 that gives the comfort.



 What I driving at is that when we have something that we look forward to,

 that motivates us, it is an incentive to join that activity regularly.



 On another topic, it bemuses me that some of the giants of the internet

 and social media display such blatant irrationality in the standards that

 they impose on users of their platforms.



 The YouTube creators are looking over their shoulders in case something

 that they use in front of the camera or get on the sound track breaches

 someone else’s copyright. You compare this with the artificial

 intelligence developers who seem to want to scour the world for all

 material to train their algorithms. You look at social media and see that

 people get penalised for sharing material that others have posted but the

 fraudulent and unidentified material remains to scam the unwary.



 It used to be that we gave the warning, let the buyer beware.



 Now it seems it is let us all beware.



 I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and that's what I think, how about you?