[aprssig] POI engine on APRS-IS (OBJ engine IS required)

[Steve Noskowicz]

> --- Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr) wrote:
> APRS DOES require some level of smarts and education (on
> APRS), though I agree the less (pre-defined knowledge) you
> require, the better..

  I agree (and think I said it) that APRS requires some (actually some pretty sophisticated) knowledge and this causes some newer, or less serious operators grief.  IF you want hams to use it, then some simplifications are not bad, but I agree that you can't make it idiot proof because idiots are too damned ingenious.

I'm still a little hung up on the "why".  Unless I missed it (entirely possible) what is the justification for this?  That is, over the Pseudo-Object of changing your call.  Is it simply to allow non-object-able clients to place an object on the APRS-IS map?  On Kenwood (can't speak to Yaesus) it's pretty easy to make a PM with another call for Objects.
  I'm thinking that a listing of the various aspects of the radios/clients that make the pseudo-Object a not-so-hot idea would help to define the required features/parameters.

  Now, I know this discussion has moved on to symbols, which I’ll stay clear of, but I have some comments on the server name ... taking a more analytical approach, as an Engineer tends to.

  Since an Object is already an APRS feature, perhaps the server name “OBJ” is too similar for something that operates differently.    Then again ...  if this OBJ Server provides a function so similar to a real Object, then perhaps OBJ ain’t so bad after all. 

  However, since this *is* something different from a pure Object (otherwise why do it) then a new name seems appropriate, tight?
  Calling it ,POI for Point Of Interest,  makes it ‘something different’ which would garner a bit more attention from the newbie.

…so…

I did some synonym searching, considered pushes and came up with:
POS (position) 7 pushes
FIX (not an uncommon term) 8 pushes
SET (Set a place on the map) 6 pushes
DOT Put a dot on the map) 5 pushes 
...
  Then *strictly* looking at pushes (and obviously ignoring the twist-and-click method, which, as they say, is "a whole nuther story")
If the middle letter is “A”, then the fewest pushes with a center vowel is 3 and if “E”, 4.  In this exercise I noticed that “A” is the only one push vowel and ”E” the only 2 push vowel, so these are preferred.
  However, a non-exhaustive search finds these.  “DAT” for Place a Datum.  “MAP” for place something on the Map.  “TAG” to tag a location on the map.

A bit more than 2 cents, but whatever...
--  
73, Steve, K9DCI