I wonder if Mr. Samuel Morse new that he was going to create something that starts almost religious wars amongst Radio Operators? 

C.W. stands for Continuous Wave. It is simply turning the transmitter on and off for short.and long periods (called "Dit's" and "Dah's", NEVER "Dot's and "Dashes"). 

Recently the requirement to know the Morse Code has been dropped from the basic categories of Amateur Radio License in Canada. 

You DON'T need to learn the Morse Code to get your Amateur Radio License in many countries!!! 

  Check with local Amateur Radio Clubs for regulations in your area! It is technically VERY simple to transmit and relatively easy to receive. The "Code" is outstanding for long distance communications because it is easy to distinguish the characters in poor conditions and all the transmitted power is concentrated in very little space in the radio band. 

  Some Amateur radio operators feel that having to learn the Morse Code to get your Amateur Radio license somehow made people better operators. This has NOT proven true. Just as in other things it's the Person who is a good or bad operator and not a piece of paper that says you know something that someone else doesn't. 

The Morse Code is STILL a good thing to know. If you want to learn it, try a computer program for the P.C. called "SuperMorse". It's available from many of the Links on the Internet.