73,
Phil, K9HI

(Sorry I can't add a link. When posting it says I don't have permissions to publish links on this site.)

One is to give new users access only to a special "Activation CQ List" and their account would be activated once someone on that list receives a radiogram from them and then activates their account. The list would be made up of trusted amateurs that have been given special roles on the site to do this.

The other is just to have an administrator approve new accounts (after perhaps checking to make sure basic things like their name and callsign match-up). This would make it easier for people to sign up, but wouldn't be as good at preventing fake accounts.

I didn't know if anyone had any other suggestions, or if one of these two seemed the better approach.

Thanks and 73,

Dave

NTS has always stressed the public relations aspect of final message delivery. This proposal morphs putting amateur radio's best foot forward to advertising. My impression is that the public sentiment toward email advertising has become just as strong as toward telemarketing. Perhaps the delivery can be presented in a manner which will avoid an association with unsolicited email advertising while providing information or link to information about amateur radio.

The main problem with email delivery has been that one cannot guarantee that the recipient has received the message or even that the message was sent to the correct addressee. Spam email filtering likely makes successful delivery even less certain. Ensuring delivery to the addressee is one of the advantages of the NTS. Is this issue the same for postal mail delivery which is an accepted practice? Is there a way to address the problems of email delivery?

In my view, NTS needs not so much a new mission as new ways to put the system to work. It won't be one thing but rather many things which catch the imagination of radio amateurs that will bring operators back to the NTS. While direct advertising of amateur radio may not be a motivating purpose for me, maybe it could be for others.

World Radio Online is available for download in PDF format. Jim's article appears in download part 3 of the April 2009 issue, available from the WRO Back Issues page.

73,

Dave

73,

Dave

For additional information, check in on the net or check out the net web page here on NTS Talk.

Coming January 1, 2009 (11 p.m. EST)!

The North American Traffic and Awards Net is returning to the hambands! Please join us for a rebirth of this classic WAS net! We've got a system of FREE awards for you based around the net's original premise of Worked All States.

We will also be handling formal message traffic at the outset of each net and welcome all stations with message traffic to be passed nationwide to join us nightly on 3905 kHz at 0400z. We even have an award to recognize stations for bringing and passing message traffic!

For more information: www.northamericantrafficandawards.net

As of November 1, 2008, the Second Region Net (2RN) of the ARRL National
Traffic System (NTS) expanded its reach, providing regular network nodes
for Canadian provinces in Eastern Canada
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/nts-mpg/>.

In a joint announcement last week, NTS Eastern Area Chair Marcia Forde,
KW1U, and Bill Thompson, W2MTA, NTS Second Region Net (2RN) Manager for
Cycles 2 and 3, invited those Canadian radio amateurs who handle traffic
to participate in Second Region Net operations as the Eastern Canada Net
(ECN) is no longer active. According to Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC)
<http://www.rac.ca/>, the ECN, a CW Net, handled traffic for Ontario,
Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Price Edward Island and Newfoundland
into the US for transcontinental transmission.

"This expansion of 2RN operations is intended to allow Section Nets in
the eastern provinces of Canada to have outlet to Eastern Area Net
operations and to allow inbound traffic to flow to those provinces of
Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes," Thompson said. "This is much the
same way as the more-western provinces in Canada currently interface
with the NTS RN7 (Seventh Region Net) and TEN (Tenth Region Net) nets."

Canadian operators are invited to participate in the 2RN operations in
addition to those of their provincial NTS Section Nets. The Second
Region Net operates four times daily on the 75 and 80 meter bands (3.925
and 3.576 MHz) in accordance with the NTS Four Cycle timetable using
Cycles 2, 3 and 4.

Thanks!

Dave