Hello, DB.
Good to see you chime in, although I think you may have skimmed over what I wrote, or else you have fallen into the same quagmire most are who find it difficult to understand what can be said on this subject.
Personally, I agree misuse has led to disuse, but I believe we live with the the properties described by the original use of the term counterpoise daily in the field of antenna science. So I disagree that we should not find understanding and consensus for it. Use any other term when we don't even know what it is?
As Mama used to say, "If anything will do nothing will do as well"
And that is where we are today, anything has led to nothing, which has recycled to everything one can imagine.
I want less to be accepted than I want to be correct in my understanding.
I used to play a game with my children when they were very young. I would ask them "what if orange is really blue, and blue is really green, and red is yellow and not what we say it is? What if round is square and rectangle is triangle and our feet are up instead of down? What if we have been saying it this way and got it all wrong just because everyone thinks so and say it that way?"
Of course, this would lead them to frustration and next news you know they would be crying out for Mama to make me stop. It was for me partly entertainment, but mostly an exercise of teachin. Today these adult children refuse to accept information without proof of its validity. They are open enough to accept things at face value only to point of giving the matter a chance to establish itself as a point of reference, but they are no ones fool, and there must be validity to all things without chaos in conclusion. So, there we are, with smart people saying dumb things all the time, and clueless people even less informed.
Staying where I am.
PS. 3 hrs later:
Ok, DB,
what I wrote above was at around 3:30 AM.
I awoke with a serious headache and was still very sleepy. I just reread your post and realize I misunderstood your message. It is quite clear, and in complete agreemant with my thoughts with only the exception of my belief that we need to not toss away the original meaning for a variety of phrases or terms. I believe we ought to teach and preserve real antenna science as it has been tried, trued, and experienced.
Thanks, again.