The only thing that gives me pause is, I'm not sure people turn to their hobbies for more of what they get at work, and I'm not sure that what we enjoy with our hobbies necessarily leads linearly to general applicability. In my case, enjoying CW led to working in software. What mattered was the enjoyment and inspiration. It does not necessarily follow that having worked in digital modes would have prepared me any better (or worse) for that career path. And I get plenty of screen-clicking in at work. I like the fact that CW is something entirely different.
Understood. We each have our own perspective and motivations. In my case, very early fascination with electronics and later digital electronics, then signal processing, helped shape the career I went into. I've been lucky in that I've always enjoyed this - at home and at work - so much so that a group of co-workers became friends, had families, grew our careers and still meet in retirement on a regular basis.
But, probably like you, I have diversionary hobbies which do NOT align so much with my profession and provide a welcome change.
Regarding CW, it's the original, manual "digital comms" mode with signal processing by the Mark I human brain. Nothing to sneeze at and a wonderful hobby and skillset enjoyed by many of my friends. Very well supported in the ham community, still. But the code bug never really "bit" me, though I qualified when I earned my first call. Even then, decades ago, the majority of my contacts were with AMTOR, RTTY and packet radio, which I did some amateur development work in. What we need and gravitate to is a very personal thing, and we're lucky that this hobby accommodates a broad variety of modes and interests, from Moon Bounce to Wires-X to FT8 to SSTV and Hellschreiber. Plus more.
WO7R suggested some similarities between FT8 and gaming. I think there is some possible merit to that but it is probably at the "casual gaming" level. People eventually get bored with simple games and move on. If other hams follow my arc, they may eventually get bored with FT8 because it is very repetitive. At some point you very well may find you are bored, regardless of how much fun you are having with it now. When that time comes, will a new digital successor be waiting in the wings? CW and Phone have both survived for a century now. RTTY was always a bit of an obscurity. I don't think any other digital mode has had more than 10 years in the sun. I think we need at least one solar cycle to determine if FT8 was lightning in a bottle or something more.
There's plenty of merit to a gaming interpretation of FT8. After all, it's development criteria were heavily influenced by contesting. And it can accommodate serious competition OR casual accumulation of QSOs, almost like the card game "Solitaire". Will it be THE mode of the foreseeable future? I sincerely hope not. I hope that the trend Joe and his team has set continues and that the amateur digital modes evolve to cover nooks and crannies we haven't really thought about.
Believe it of not, when the first PCs (Altair 8800, IMSAI8080, SWTP6800, SOL = there were so many) came out, the primary use for them was believed to be for holding a ready database for cooking recipies. Seems INSANE now. Then came Electric Pencil (first S-100 based word processor) and Visicalc, then PWB routing programs and dBase. DEC went bankrupt. And everything changed. We're about at that tipping point with amateur radio. At some point the real, meaningful digital comms modes for data, voice, etc. will resolve itself and major growth will start. DSP has already invaded HF radios, and it's here to stay. So maybe it already has started with FT8 and Pactor (critical to MM users worldwide - but a niche), too. We'll see. It'll be fun to watch and learn - in that way, we're VERY lucky to be in the ***once again dynamic period*** of amateur radio. But to enjoy it, you have to be comfortable with change/evolution. I still have my PK-232MBXs - hard to let them go even though they're never used anymore. And I still have an Altair 8800 and IMSAI8080. And my CW keys (straight and Iambic). Hard to let go of the past.
I'm pretty sure the hard core contesters will eventually "glom onto" whatever mode makes them most competitive. After all, that's what STARTED this thread. And like the old Colt .45 Peacemaker in the old west, FT8 and its variants is a kind of equalizer among operators. Definitely upsetting the applecart. Definitely offering new opportunities for those willing to stand up and grab them. Technology changes - but humanity remains the same.
BTW - 10M/12M operations were fun today. Lots of new European contacts. Incredible propagation.
And one thought on "casual gaming" trends... The card game "Solitaire" is going on 300 years old. Hmmm.
Well, back to "Whac-a-Mole" on FT8

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Best Regards,
Brian - K6BRN