[aprssig] Email addresses in APRS

[Gary]

Why are email addresses needed over APRS anyway? I'm concerned about this seemingly never-ending
effort in amateur radio to connect more and more radio modes to the World Wide Web. Some
interconnection is useful but the internet is infrastructure dependent whereas radio (for the most
part) is not in my view. Winlink, Outpost, Packet, APRS, PSK, and who knows how many other data
based modes can interconnect wirelessly. I see these modes as each a sort of network parallel to but
not adversely affected by the internet and its weaknesses. If the internet should it fail locally,
regionally, or globally then I would hope these modes (and others) could be used by amateurs to
restore some critical communications to the affected area without having to reprogram or reconfigure
their gear or the automatic messages they send. Seems to me some may need to reprogram or
reconfigure their APRS message(s) if they include only internet based email addresses vs. say,
Winlink or Outpost addresses (as an example). Sending info on a local info/emergency (voice) channel
that is always monitored would seem more useful than an internet email address especially when there
are limited bytes available in the APRS message. In my area GMRS enthusiasts are still doing this
but amateurs here seem to have gotten away from forming a group of control ops who rotate the
monitoring of key freqs and/or repeaters. I don't have the answers but it just doesn't seem right to
continue building dependence between amateur wireless networks and the internet.
Gary
N6LRV