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The word amateur has at least two connotations. In the first, more widely used manner, it means someone performing some task without pay, in contrast to a " professional" who would be paid for the same task. In this sense, labeling someone an "amateur" can have a negative connotation. For example, amateur athletes in sports such as baseball or football would not be regarded as having ability on par with professional athletes in those sports.

Where this can be interesting is in the case of the Olympic Games. Most Olympic events required that the athletes be amateurs, or non-professionals. To receive pay to perform the sport could have disqualified an athlete from an event, as in the case of Jim Thorpe. Such regulations are now nonexistent for all Olympic sports with the exception of boxing.

Also in the areas of computer programming and open source, as well as astronomy and ornithology, many amateurs make very meaningful contributions equivalent to or exceeding those of the professionals. To many, description as an amateur is losing its negative meaning, and actually carries a badge of honor.

The other, perhaps somewhat obsolescent usage, stems from the French form of the Latin root of the word meaning a "lover of". (See amateurism.) In this sense, retaining its French inflexion ("am-a-tEUR"), an amateur may be as competent as a paid professional, yet is motivated by a love or passion for the activity, like a connoisseurA connoisseur (Fr. connaisseur from conoistre connaitre meaning "to know of|about") is a person who knows a lot about the fine arts, an expert judge in matters of taste. Modern connoisseurship must be seen along with museums, art galleries and "the cult o. In the 17th and 18th centuries virtuosoA virtuoso is a musician who has attained the highest level of skill in a fine art, especially at playing a specific instrument or singing. Many Baroque composers were also virtuosi on their instrument, most commonly the violin ( Pietro Locatelli and Anto had similar connotations of passionate involvement.

See also hobbyThis article is about pastimes. For the bird species, see hobby (bird). For the horse species, see hobby (horse). For the airport, see Hobby Airport. A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. In the Middle Ages, falconry was a very popular pastime (wh, particularly for Amateur Radio (also known as ham radio.)

Topics: Amateur Astronomy, Amateur Radio, Amateur Telescope Making...

Amateur astronomyAmateur astronomy often called back yard astronomy is a hobby whose participants enjoy observing celestial objects. It is usually associated with viewing the night sky when most celestial objects and events are visible, but sometimes amateur astronomers a	AmateurThe word amateur has at least two connotations. In the first, more widely used manner, it means someone performing some task without pay, in contrast to a " professional" who would be paid for the same task. In this sense, labeling someone an "amateur" ca	Amateur radioAmateur radio commonly called ham radio , is a hobby enjoyed by many people throughout the world; as of 2004 about 3 million worldwide, 70,000 in Germany, 5,000 in Norway, 57,000 in Canada, and 700,000 in the USA. A holder of an Amateur Radio license has
Amateur telescope makingThere is a strong tradition of amateur telescope making within the amateur astronomy community. The classic amateur telescope is the Newtonian reflector with a dobsonian type mount. Amateur telescope makers typically make the most critical and expensive p	Amateur Radio Emergency ServiceThe Amateur Radio Emergency Service ARES is a corps of trained volunteers organized to assist in public service and emergency communications; it is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. Usually, the ARES is organized by city and county and will be	Amateur AuxiliaryThe Amateur Auxiliary is an American amateur radio organization operated by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) that is authorized and works in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Auxiliary consists of Official Observers w
Amateur Athletic Union	Amateur television	Amateur Photographer
Amateurism	Amateur Football Alliance	Amateur Hockey Association
Amateur press association	Amateur Rowing Association

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