[aprssig] !x! (was: IS-to-RF proposal (rev b))

[Heikki Hannikainen]

On Tue, 3 Jan 2012, Steve wrote:

> On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 4:58 PM, Heikki Hannikainen <hessu at hes.iki.fi> wrote:
>> Someone has requested it from me a few years back, and I have implemented it
>> in aprs.fi, but it seems like my code requires it to be in the beginning of
>> the comment string for position packets.
>
> Hessu, that was me. Sad story. I was sending objects with !x! in the
> object description and the source of the data found their data via
> google on aprs.fi. I explained to  them that I had tagged the data
> with the no-archive flag and that it would be on the site for only a
> short time 'as-it-happens' but not long term, which they were ok with.
> Turned out, that wasn't the case, I lost access to the data, and they
> stopped working with me (and I heard they stopped working with other
> hams too), I never knew why until now. i really wish aprs.fi had
> implemented !x! for object descriptions.

Ouch.

It is implemented for object descriptions (and items and other position 
formats), but as described above, it needs to go in the beginning of the 
comment. It might make more sense to have it in the end so it would not 
affect the readability.

If the people who provided the data are afraid of that sort of thing 
happening, they're doing the right thing not letting you transmit it on 
APRS, even if aprs.fi would not be showing the data. Anyone else can 
record it off the air or APRS-IS and has every right to publish it on the 
Internet, !x! or not. Amateur radio transmissions are public by definition 
and there is no guarantee of any privacy at all.

That said, I will continue to support !x! since it does serve a purpose 
and might become more popular over time.

   - Hessu