True that had a lot to do with it too. But I remember all the buzz around APRS when it came around.. I never really understood it, if all you're doing is putting a little flag on a map you're not really communicating. And as a privacy advocate I really try to prevent this very thing :P
But some people really loved it and in my area in Europe it absorbed all the buzz around packet. At that point the internet had already been around for a while but packet was still being used. I guess it depends on the region too.
These days there is actually a movement to provide a high-speed backbone microwave net independent of the internet with emergencies in mind. The idea is for it to replace all the internet-based repeater links for DNR, Brandmeister etc It's called hamnet and it's pretty active in the Netherlands and Germany.
I love APRS. The big deal for me is being able to not just hit a repeater, but 2 or 3. Now my 5 watt hand held can reach out of the back county when I'm hiking and actually get somewhere. Bonus that there is a gateway between APRS and SMS.
Yeah, you can drive around and show the world where you are, but using it to write SMS messages when cell reception doesn't exist is awesome.
I don't know about everyone, but if I'm driving around with it on it is so I can see where I get coverage and where I don't. I have to use and test so I know it works when I want to communicate, but overall I'm not a ham to be social.
But some people really loved it and in my area in Europe it absorbed all the buzz around packet. At that point the internet had already been around for a while but packet was still being used. I guess it depends on the region too.
These days there is actually a movement to provide a high-speed backbone microwave net independent of the internet with emergencies in mind. The idea is for it to replace all the internet-based repeater links for DNR, Brandmeister etc It's called hamnet and it's pretty active in the Netherlands and Germany.
https://hamnetdb.net/map.cgi