Holding the Torch for 'Dead' Morse Code

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Holding the Torch for 'Dead' Morse Code
By Miguel Helft
The New York Times

"Freed from all pretense of practical relevance in an age of digital communications, Morse will now become the object of loving passion by radioheads, much as another 'dead' language, Latin, is kept alive today by Latin-speaking enthusiasts around the world," Paul Saffo, a fellow at the Institute for the Future, wrote in his blog.

It may be the ultimate SOS. Morse Code is in distress.

The language of dots and dashes has been the lingua franca of amateur radio, a vibrant community of technology buffs and hobbyists who have provided a communications lifeline in emergencies and disasters.

That community has been shaken, however, by news that the U.S. government will no longer require Morse Code proficiency as a condition for an amateur radio license. It was deemed dispensable because other modes of communicating over radio, like voice, teletype and even video, have grown in popularity.

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