QRZ User Behavior

Upon looking at the responses to some of our latest postings, I have to agree with some users who've recently commented that QRZ seems to be stuck in a mire of name calling, rudeness, disrespect, intolerance and insensitivity.  It seems that lately, every argument or discussion leads to a debate about CW, comparisons to CB'ers and a lamenting about "the way things were way back when...".  It becomes particularly ironic when people use this forum to rudely complain that certain licensing proposals will dumb down amateur radio and turn it into a channel 19 free-for-all reminiscent of Smokey and the Bandit.  Can you see where I'm going with this?

The QRZ staff has, as of late, deleted several dozen postings and has removed user access privileges for a few individuals based in part upon their repeated abuses of the system and its members.  Although it may seem apparent to some, I feel now would be a good time to reiterate our position on basic civility and personal conduct that is expected of all users on this system.

Let's look at some of the basics:

Ad hominem attacks are strictly prohibited.
What is an 'ad hominem' attack?  The phrase 'ad hominem' is latin and it means, literally, 'against the person' (Look it up on Google).  What this means to QRZ users is that as a reader and poster, you are free to write and disagree with anyone's postings or articles but under no circumstances may you attack the person that you disagree with.  It's all about personal respect and dignity, something that everyone deserves at some level.  In other words, you can remark that a particular position makes no sense but you can't say that the person writing it is an idiot!

Sexisim, Racisim, and Homophobia are Not Allowed
A recent posting by a female ham was met with a reply that suggested something along the lines of "women should stick to raising babies and washing clothes...".  While some people might feel that such remarks are nothing but free speech opinions, they are nonetheless unacceptable at QRZ.   The same holds true for any remarks about race and/or sexual orientation.  The bottom line on these subjects is the time honored "keep it to yourself" principle.  Those who feel like being naughty and engaging in such postings will quickly see how if feels to be ostracised from the rest of the group.

The QRZ Editors and Moderators have the Final Word
Don't try and appeal the decisions made by our Editors and Moderators.  You have no right to free speech here.  Your thoughts and opinions appear on the QRZ website at our pleasure.  Once you post something here, you no longer own it and we can reproduce it, or not, in any manner that we see fit.  We can and will censor articles as we choose.  This doesn't mean that we condone or share any opinion that is posted here, nor does it mean that any failure or delay on our part to censor something constitutes our approval of any kind.  We do our best to keep the site running cleanly with a friendly, open atmosphere but frankly, it's no small task.  With 100's of new postings every day it can be difficult for our moderators to stay up to date with the latest rants and raves.

Improper postings will be deleted without notice.
Don't expect to be notified when we remove something that you posted here.  We usually don't have the time to explain that your posting was rude, offensive, out of context or just plain stupid.  It should be apparent  as to which types of comments are considered civilized and so if you're stuff is getting deleted often then perhaps it's time for you to take a good look at your approach to communications in general.  We're not going to tell you that you're an ass, we'll leave that up to you to figure out.

Anonymous Users get the Least Consideration
When we're making editorial judgement calls on what should and should not be allowed on the system, we automatically cast a jaded eye on postings from people who register and post anonymously.  It should come as no surprise that some of the worst abusers that we've ever had never registered with a call sign or any tracable identity.  This author feels that comments made by a users having anonymous or fictitous names have little more value than bathroom wall graffiti.  Few if any second chances are ever given to anonymous users.

Code vs. No-Code
We're all getting tired of this endless debate.  I haven't seen a fresh idea on the subject in many months, perhaps years, of operating QRZ.  It doesn't matter what you say regarding the issue, it's been said before and been rebutted before.  The majority of the free world has already decided the issue and there isn't a snowball's chance that we're not going to join with them.  We should all just get used to the idea and move on.  There are other fish to fry.  Let's try a fresh one!

How to Tell if your QRZ Account is on the Skids
Your QRZ account might be in trouble if:

[*]Your postings never seem to stay online very long
[*]You see the message "Your posting permissions have been removed".
[*]You find yourself becoming increasingly involved in heated, off-line email exchanges with other QRZ users.
[*]A QRZ editor or moderator issues you a warning that you choose to argue over.
[*]The QRZ editors stop answering your emails altogether
[*]The people at eHam.net have banned you as well.
[*]Your name keeps popping up on the 80 ragchew nets
[*]It feels to you like everybody on QRZ is an idiot and that you're the only sane person around
[*]You're getting fired from your job after your boss catches you filing a ranting diatribe on QRZ about "The Elimination of CW" on the company computer.
[*]You threaten QRZ with legal action over your free speech rights.

Don't let any of these things happen to you.  Now that we have over 200,000 registered users, we can afford to lose you.  In fact, losing you might mean that 40 other users don't quit the site in utter disgust.

And finally, one last word about censorship and free speech.  As I said at the beginning of this article, your arguments for and against the discussion topics presented here are always welcome.  Don't ever let it get profane or personal, however, and don't forget that almost everybody here has a life outside of ham radio.  Use yours wisely and have fun (but not at someone else's expense)!

Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ