.-. .. .--.

[gfish]

After my recent Morse code post, I decided to refresh my skills. I passed the 5 wpm test for my Tech Plus license with flying colors, but that was many years ago. I'm sad to report that the available practice software hasn't improved much in the intervening time. (Maybe the DOS-based one that sells for $24 is super awesome, but I'm not about to find out.) After several day's practice I'm back to where I used to be, which is nice.

It's too bad Morse is a dying art. It's so iconic, such a classic adventure skill. In a generation, no one will know it anymore.

Comments

[encapsulate.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking about your post as I drove to work tonight. Specifically the fast tap/slow tap faux pas.

The thing that gets me about the nature of communication, is that at its base level, there only needs to be an agreement on the basic rules. In this case tapping out "bang.bang.bang.bang...bang...bang...bang.bang.bang" on the pipe in your cell, while not in the rules according to Hoyle, could do in a pinch, since it's been seen so often, it's an accepted ... Morse Dialect.

Now, granted, you aren't going to be able to send a lead pipe-o-gram with the text

--. --- --- -.. .... . .-.. .-.. --- ... .. .-. ... ..
.- -- ... --- -. --- ..-. .-.. .- - . -. .. --. . .-. ..
.- -. --- .. .-.. .--. .-. .. -. -.-. . .- -. -.. .- --
- .-. -.-- .. -. --. - --- -- --- ...- . ---.. -- ..
.-.. .-.. .. --- -. -.. --- .-.. .-.. .- .-. ... --- ..- -
--- ..-. - .... . -.-. --- ..- -. - .-. -.--

But in a pinch the slow/fast dialect would do. I think the spirit though, is that in any communication form, you should learn the rules first, before you break them.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you could make it work, with practice, but it's not something that someone who only knows Morse could understand immediately. To borrow a phrase, that's not how the myth is described.

.--. ... -.-- --- ..- ... .. -.-. -.- ..-. ..- -.-. -.-