[aprssig] APRS Mobile 1.0 Released for iPhone/iPad

[Steve Dimse]

On Sep 18, 2014, at 12:39 PM, Tom Hayward <esarfl at gmail.com> wrote:

> Once the back door is boarded up, that $500 lock will work quite well.

Wouldn't it make sense to board up the back door before spending the money? If no one wants to hammer in the nails the lock is wasted, and that is the current situation.

> I apologize. I forgot this is ham radio, where we stopped innovating in 1993.

It isn't an issue of innovation, it is an issue of effort vs. return. The APRS IS has been wide open for almost as long as it has existed without causing problems. If there is no perceived problem there is no return, so no effort is justifiable to most people who look at this as a practical system. 

The only way to secure the APRS IS is to start over with a secure infrastructure which is separate from the existing one. Until there is a perceived need, until the users are unhappy with the current system, a new system will not attract many of the users - especially if it invalidates favorite software or requires additional effort.

My point is not rehash this, only to take exception to your challenge of a new client based on this issue. A sure way to squash innovation is to expect a new client to address a problem the vast majority of existing clients do not, and which the vast majority of users do not care about!

Steve K4HG