QRZ Policy Update - Ban on Trolling

Thumbs up to KG4TKC and W6PU. Outstanding observations gentlemen.

 

Protection from Trolls

I understand and accept that Fred has every right to set the rules since it's his site. He is not an agency of the state and so he has every right to censor what appears on his site. I must confess, however, that I'm not happy with him in trying to "protect" me and others from the stupid and distasteful antics of trolls. It's a bit insulting and suggests that he's doing something "for my own good" that will serve to insulate me from the influence of bad ideas and distasteful behavior. If he follows his policy to make himself happy because he just hates the constant bickering and stirring of the pot - then that's just fine. If he's doing it for some sort of paternalistic "father knows best" reason, that bothers me. One man's "troll" is another's "spirited adversary." If QRZ.com is to be a public forum regarding amateur radio (and maybe it's not) then it seems to me there should be room for a few trolls and the victims of trolls - no matter how personally distasteful they may be. The antics that go on nightly on 75 meters are far more disgusting and revolting than what occasionally takes place on QRZ.com. I think the misguided individuals on 75 meters serve a useful function. They serve to remind us just how warped and twisted certain members of our species can be. I'm not being facetious when I make this comment.

My take on the founding father's notion of freedom of speech is that it is really directed more at the recipients of the speech than at the speakers and that perhaps it should be called "freedom to listen." I believe they wanted all ideas to be put before the public so that the public could make informed decisions about which ideas had merit. Obviously many, if not most, of the ideas put before the public are without merit... but the public never gets to make that choice unless they are exposed to unpopular points of view.

I believe that the best way of dealing with bad ideas is to expose them publicly. Trolls serve to perform this valuable function.

 

We have rights? Wow, who knew?

Seriously, that is one point I'll agree with you on 100%. Same theory applies to so many other situations in life although not appropriate to discuss here.

 

His site, his rules. next question?

duh.

 

If you don't like the rules, then why are you still here?

BYE!

 

Hmm, I would not have thought this at all. In fact, I've gone back over the HAMs I know and if I know how they got into the hobby, I can only think of one (as in a single individual) who got into it this way. And even then it was years till he became a HAM. Everybody else was just exposed to HAMs at work or social events, got interested, and then pressed on. Mostly work. Seeing a 2M or 440 rig in a car, that kind of thing. Then once there were more than 2 HAMs in a workplace that happened to converse on a regular basis, it was like planting a seed and it grew rapidly.

Unfortunately, I have to agree. But whose fault is this? Monkey see, monkey do. Some of the newbies have to decide, do they want to be a HAM, or do they want to just be someone who has a HAM license. Problem is, they don't understand the difference. Still using 'handles'... Trying to 'sit on a repeater' the way some CBers sit on a channel and become the 'manager' kind of thing. People need to wake up and set an example, not be one.

But what kind of technical conversations do you miss? What would be relevent today? Discussions of computers? How to modify PLL circuits? I'll bet they are there just as often as technical discussions years ago, but with the wide range of topics now associated with HAM radio, I'd bet most people just 'tune out' what isn't in their sphere of interest.

Now this is bordering on a troll. No, excuse me, I think it's a full grown troll and you're full of horse hockey. Licenses today are 'different', not easier or harder. They may seem easier only because you're already in the club. Uh, if you're in, SHOULDN'T they look pretty darn simple?

Mike

 

Was that an attempt at trolling?