[44net] On Allocations, PoPs, Proposals, and something called RF

Wow. I've been watching lots of message traffic that really only applies to what I would consider to be "edge cases"...BGP especially, when I'm here in the Adirondack State Park in upstate New York, Secretary of the local club (W2WCR), hollering "Hey, we should look into rebuilding the packet network north along the Hudson to Montreal and west to Buffalo along the St Laurence like it used to be." for a few years now and getting "Well, we have winlink, so it's ok." I have my allocation, and can't even use it because my local packet nodes are stuck using some archaic BS that can't route netrom needs either a DOS box with real serial ports and UARTS and a real TNC-2 with 6pack eprom (done, invested about $100 in a mfg-1270c and community-supported eprom...only to find out a year after buying it and waiting that it doesn't work) or an old 2.x Linux kernel to even have half a chance. I'm an extra now, but to be honest, I was really looking forward to playing with packet. The local packet folks have been great, tho similarly frustrated, either with having to attempt to upgrade the existing Eastnet/Flexnet history lesson on sites that aren't exactly accessable or even upgradable, or trying to convince clubs and county-maintained systems that it would be in their best interest to upgrade or replace equipment that used to exist but there is actually no real upgrade/migration path. So I have a node running as best as 24/7 as I can, with no real motivation to do so, no mail feed, wondering what the point actually is. And all I see is BGP BGP BGP BGP....BGP, and oh, BGP mentioned in this mailing list, wondering if there is some relation to CRT, as old as the tech is around here. I thought there was some RF involved, but all I see is BGP. If I wasn't an IT person, with a MikroTik Routerboard, I wouldn't have a clue. That, and the fact that I'm practically in a broadband desert, literally makes me sick and tired of any discussion of connecting anything anywhere that doesn't involve RF. Hm. Perhaps I need to say that again. I AM PERSONALLY SICK AND TIRED OF CONVERSATIONS DEALING WITH PACKET RADIO/AX.25 THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE RF. YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE!!!!!! FSCK GBP. Some of us can only wish we weren't stuck with hoping someone will connect with our PC3+s or hand-configured direwolf linux/uronode systems who are interested in something called "packet radio". When is someone going to start dealing with the fact that there are AMATEUR __RADIO__ OPERATORS, WITH _AMATEUR RADIO LICENSES_ that may actually be interested in sending digital, AX.25 via IP to other anateur radio operators via RF? I can't possibly be the only one. Geez. Sorry. Just frustrated for a little too long, seeing lots of traffic I'd consider "Much todo about nothing" and lots of money behind it. WTF, over. 73 de Jeff AJ2A Jeff Archambeault Proprietor, Bark Eater Studios Technology Frustration Resolution Solutions jeff(a)barkeaterstudios.com (518) 696-5675 (home) (518) 595-9815 (cell)