QCWA Sell-out

[w2agn]

It is getting increasingly frustrating, trying to at least limit SPAM.
For example, for those of you members of QCWA, in the Summer newsletter,
it shows the QCWA BoD voted in October to SELL the member's database to a
bulk email outfit! I contacted the GM and President, as I have been a
Life Member for 20+ years. Sure enough, it was true, but they cancelled
the plan...not because of concern for member's privacy, but because it
turned out "they didn't need the money." Needless to say I told them to
expunge my records and cancel my membership. Probably useless, but it's
bad enough having spammers gathering our data with robots, but having a
trusted organization SELLING it was too much.

[k3sam]

A few years ago, this would have upset me. #Today, isn't it sadly the norm ?

If the spammers want the list, they will most likely get it one way or another so why not let the QCWA make money from it ?

On the other hand, if they ( QCWA ) do profit from this at any point, I would expect my membership to be upgraded to "LIFE" for free, plus a rebate check in the mail.

-Sam
<span style='color:blue'>QCWA #31761</span>

[ae4fa]

$eems like all organization$ the$ day$ are ju$t intere$ted in one thing. More ca$h come$ in, $o there'$ more for the honcho$ to $kim. And tru$t? Ju$ what $emblance of that do you $ee anywhere the$e day$?

Take the ARRL a$ an example. $elling out on the code requirement becau$e a majority of their member$ are too lazy to learn a damn thing!

The ITU is meeting next month - and eliminating the internation treaty provi$ion requiring code proficiency for HF privilege$ i$ on the table. ARRL honcho$ have decided to $it the fence, and not weigh in for fear of alienating $omeone.

Tran$lated, that mean$ they're ju$t going to $it back and let it happen. $o much for tru$t.

Lower requirement$, more member$ and more adverti$er$ equal$ more ca$h coming in. $o much for tru$t.

[KG4UDX]

Go away code troll, we don't want you here.

[ae4fa]

UDX:

And just how did you get appointed to make the decision as to who is welcome and who is not?

[k5frp]

UDX, Are you saying you don't like code? :-) Sorry, just couldn't resist.

As for the selling of the e-mail database, that's just sad. I wish there was a way to get on a &quot;do not e-mail&quot; list like the &quot;do not call&quot; list. Oh well, that's why they make e-mail filters.

73, KC5LAS

[w3sy]

Say what, Scott (UDX)? Why can't the guy express an opinion? OM AE4FA was just giving another example of how principles are sometimes compromised in the name of profit.

We know code vs no-code is an emotionally charged topic, and we know we'll never solve the code question here on QRZ.COM. Most of us avoid talking about code because people on both sides of the issue get too wound up when the topic surfaces.

I, for one, have long since realized the futility in trying to &quot;sell&quot; code to the codeless, except to say it's still a requirement for HF privileges. But if AE4FA wants to bring it up and express an opinion related to it, that's his right. That doesn't make him a troll.

How do YOU define &quot;troll?&quot;

QCWA should be ashamed, and owes an apology to its membership for even THINKING about selling its member list to spammers. What, we don't get enough spam every day? Every now and then, I get a piece of spam with a ham call somewhere in the reply-to address. I realize these reply-to's can be spoofed, but the notion of hams preying on other hams for the benefit of spammers makes me want to throw up.

--... ...-- -.. . .-- ...-- ... -.--


Out.

[KA8NCR]

As far as I'm concerned, corporate and many organizations and chartities have abused my personal information to the point that they no longer get my &quot;real&quot; information. Sure, I'll give you a phone number and an email address. The phone number, at some time belonged to me or it might be my data number. My email address resides at Hotmail and I log in there once per week to click the 'delete all' box and clear the mail without even browsing it.

Someday, someone within marketing will realize that all this database marketing and CRM-generated noise sent my way never reaches its destination. Then we'll have yet another &quot;paradigm shift&quot; in marketing where they realize they've been completely inconsiderate morons and will engage in a course to regain the trust of consumers.

Rue the day, the will.

As far as QCWA is concerned, I find this upsetting but not surprising.

[KG4UDX]

I don't currently know CW, but I'm working on studying it. I expect that once I learn it I may even try to do some CW work. Of course the lazy part of me wouldn't mind if the code requirement was removed, I'm more interested in newer digital modes.

As for my annoyance with AE4FA, I'm sick of people bashing the ARRL for their stance or lack of it on CW (the only thing that annoys me more in that area is people who still haven't gotten over incentive licensing). In the latest restructuring they supported a 12 WPM CW test. Perhaps now they aren't saying anything because the members that support them are divided in their opinions.

As for selling mailing lists to spammers, I'd be happy to tar and feather anyone who I caught at it.

P.$. I define troll$ a$ people who u$e too many dollar $ign$ :-)