Do you really care if someone writes HAM instead of ham?

OK.... bere's the deal: A friend of mine and I are in a debate as to whether or not it really matters a hoot if folks write "HAM" instead of "ham". Personally I don't care if they write HAM, ham, H.A.M. or any other way of saying it. While "ham" might be techincally correct, it is such a minute point as to not even worry about it.

My friend however, sees it differently. He thinks that it is important, and that a lot of folks really care about this point.

So..... here's the question: Do you really care what somebody writes in this instance?

(by the way, this is intended as a fun discussion....not a moratorium on the demise of radio, code vs no-code, or anything serious.... so even if you feel strongly one way or the other, let's respect folk's opinion. OK? )

 

First vote. Yay!

I do care, but tend to let it slide.

I'm less forgiving, and often downright snarky, with your/you're/yore, there/they're/their, and diluted/deluded type stuff - especially before the day's first cup of coffee.

Make a visit to the Drudge Report or watch some news on TV - then judge if there are more important things to get all worked up over than someone talking about just getting into HAM radio...

 

As long as they are using and furthering the hobby legally they could call it the purple people eating duck monster radio for all I care.

 

our local License Comissioner's office has a sign that says:
"Due to Budgetary Restraints, we will be close on Wednesdays"

 

The last time this subject came around, it was decided
that on the Zed it was spelled hAm.

 

...

 

Maybe it should be "ha'am".... like one spells "ma'am", as in "Thank you, ma'am"

 

The reason it matters is because it is part of the history of our hobby, and an integral term. In any hobby or endeavor, there are terms that people need to know. If you are into photography, you should know the term is "film" and not FILM or F.I.L.M. If someone wrote that on a photography site would people take notice? I think so.

That being said, the term "ham" is over 100 years old. The term HAM is around 20 years old, and is used either by newbies or people unfamiliar with our hobby. Look around the internet, the seasoned hams use "ham", the preppers and neophytes tend to use HAM, probably because they either think it stands for something, or are used to acronyms in other radio services, like CB, GMRS, FRS, etc.

If someone thinks HAM is correct, they need to identify what exactly it stands for, otherwise there is no reason to make it all caps. If it is just a word, then it needs to follow the normal procedures for words, such as first letter capitalized if used as the first word in a sentence, or as a title for something.

The truth is HAM is simply incorrect, and a bastardization.

 

It appears --at least to me-- to be common among newbies.
So it's incumbent upon us "greybeards" to let them know.

 

you know.... I can understand the point about guiding young minds.