For example, in December 1916 QST magazine, an amateur operator working on long distance message passing describes one way to avoid interference was to send messages ".on Thursday nights, when the children and spark coil 'hams' are tucked up in bed" (a spark coil was an unsophisticated radio transmitter, made from an automobile ignition coil, that produced noisy interference).
![etymologyof sorty etymologyof sorty](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523466867i/36204285._UY630_SR1200,630_.jpg)
Įven among amateur radio operators, the term was used pejoratively at first by serious experimenters. This pejorative usage continued into at least 1940, as evidenced in the January 1940 issue of The APCO Bulletin, where it was written "Rumors of citations by the FCC for violation of the superfluous traffic regulation on the part of certain of our radiotelegraph stations have resulted in a sudden decrease in 'hamming' on the police frequencies.". This is the name that the commercial wireless service has given to amateur operators." In "Floods and Wireless" by Hanby Carver, from the August 1915 Technical World Magazine, the author noted "Then someone thought of the 'hams'.
#Etymologyof sorty professional
These disreputable telegraph schools were referred to as "ham factories." Įarly radio (initially known as wireless telegraphy) included many former wire telegraph operators, and within the new service "ham" was employed as a pejorative term by professional radiotelegraph operators to suggest that amateur enthusiasts were unskilled. Railroad executives during this era were also accused of hiring unskilled operators to save money and were said to be accepting bribes from telegraph schools to hire unqualified students.
![etymologyof sorty etymologyof sorty](https://www.etymologynerd.com/uploads/1/5/8/8/15888322/published/untitled_1.png)
Their miscommunication was blamed for causing severe train wrecks. These unskilled operators were described as either drinking alcohol while working, irresponsible teenage boys, or merely having very little ability. By 1881, it had been alleged by telegrapher unions and trade groups that companies were employing "ham" operators who were negligent or incompetent.
![etymologyof sorty etymologyof sorty](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c5/92/04/c592048f7f23f19af97e6a38033673df.jpg)
A newspaper article about a self-described "ham" telegraph operator, 1909Īt the turn of the 20th century, the terms "ham" and "plug" were used by landline telegraphers to describe an operator "who lacks ability" or who had poor or "ham fisted" skills.