Ham radio: the original social network

Here’s an interesting article from the Lowell Sun Online. The Lowell Sun is in Lowell, MA. Yes, Ham Radio is a social network!

CHELMSFORD — Andy Stewart and his friends could be considered revolutionary.

“The jokes that I hear are that ham radio was the original social network,” he said.

Stewart, 50, a ham radio enthusiast, belongs to the Police Amateur Radio Team of Westford, which is open to residents of surrounding towns.

“I’ve been in the club for a little over five years now. I was teaching a computer Linux class with Chelmsford Community Education mid- to late 2006 and I met a couple of gentlemen in class that were amateur experts,” he said. “They suggested I would be a good fit for this hobby.”

Like people who text, the ham radio community uses certain abbreviations and shortcuts, so even people who don’t speak English can communicate with one another. Stewart, who got his first license in January 2007, says he communicates for pleasure, speaking with people in other countries. – Read more By Marie Donovan, Sun Correspondent by clicking on the link below.

Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/lifestyles/ci_23034582/ham-radio-original-social-network#ixzz2QihZ61LE