The Shield of Anonymity

Hello All.

Anybody anonymous or not, ham or not,
should be allowed to express his opinion and this
would add value to this forum.

But why should some user be anonymous
when some others are not?
A simple example: if user A works for user B
(and B is the Boss of A) A would feel better
when disagreeing with B, if he is anonymous...

On the other side anonymity, could leave the door
open to abuse.

Therefore I think that anybody should be identified
at the forum-sysop side so that anybody remebers
better his legal dues, while posting an article.
Also, anonymous users should have to respect
even more rules than identified ones.

Some examples, to clarify.

Example 1:
In a thread dealing with "honesty", user B (anonymous)
could tell user A (not anonymous) "you cannot
talk about honesty because I remember when you stole
my money".

Example 2:
In a thread dealing with "antennas", user B (anonymous)
could tell everybody: "never use antennas from
XYZ company because they would cause you very big
troubles" (note that B could be a competitor of XYZ).

Both cases above could even be allowed to identified users but not at all to anonymous users.

An anonymous user should pay the price of revealing
his identity if he falls in cases like 1 and 2 otherwise
he should avoid this kind of discussions.

Best Regards

Fab (IK4VYX)

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KD7KBR @ May 11 2002,22:59)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Besides, isn't a call sign a handel like any other?
Mine is KD7KBR. which is Identification enough.

P.S. to Mr. Bechler, If your not ashamed, I recommend you study the C.I.A's actions in Nicaraugua, Especially those
works enumerated by one Professor Noam Chomsky. if you accept his account as true and can still salute, check your pulse. just to see if it's there.

Thank you and I am still me, Kd7kbr[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
To Mr. Salter:

No. A callsign is not a 'handle like any other', in that there is only one like it in the entire world.

And I never said that I was never ashamed of of the actions,or some of the statements made by my fellow Americans from time to time.

I maintain that I am never ashamed to be an American.

If you are...there's always Nicaraugua.



Sincerely,
Scott,KE0VK

 

I don't envy Fred's job but I for one think he is doing a very fine job.

Now about this issue. If you don't want to let the rest of us know who you are, don't post. It's just that simple. I have read some of the commits and concerns about spam, etc... But how anonymous do you really think you are when you start visiting web sights.

This forum is about Amateur radio and hams in general, so if you have a ham call what is wrong with using it. I have my call on the state license plate on my vehicle.

If you don’t have a call I see nothing wrong with some other way of ID i.e. Email address or some thing like that, but anonymous I don’t think so. If you think that is being closed mined, that is your opinion, I have just stated mine.



Thank you, sign me, N8PU Dave

 

Unidentified posters are like unidentified stations on 40 meters. They are merely cowardly trolls crouching under freeway underpasses using their anonymous status to attack anyone they disagree with. As I do with unidentified stations on 40, I completely ignore anonymous postings.

I say BAN THEM ALL.

73,
w6pv

 

Why should somebody choose to be anonymous?

1) He prefers to protect his privacy for reasons
that we ignore, but they might be good reasons.

2) He is not a ham so he has no callsign
But even if he is not ham officially,
he could be ham in the spirit.

3) Throw stones and hide his hand (being ham or not)

Now if someone anonymous throws no stones, hurts
nobody and expresses his ideas in a discussion,
why ban him?
Only if we are in case 3: yes, ban him.

The point is: find a good method to identify
someone (callsign or not) so that if he breaks
the rules seriously, he is banned without
being readmitted.

Best Regards
Fab (IK4VYX)

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (IK4VYX @ May 12 2002,11:47)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Why should somebody choose to be anonymous?

1) He prefers to protect his privacy for  reasons
that we ignore, but they might be good reasons.

2) He is not a ham so he has no callsign
But even if he is not ham officially,
he could be ham in the spirit.

3) Throw stones and hide his hand (being ham or not)

Now if someone anonymous throws no stones, hurts
nobody and expresses his ideas in a discussion,
why ban him?
Only if we are in case 3: yes, ban him.

The point is: find a good method to identify
someone (callsign or not) so that if he breaks
the rules seriously, he is banned without
being readmitted.

Best Regards
Fab (IK4VYX)[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I was luck to have good elmers (k6ewk & wa6zdo) when I was studing for my ticket, some are not so lucky.

Some "elmers" treat newbie's like retards & will not answer questions.

Without someway to get questions answered some will never be able to become hams.

Do you really want to slam the door in newbie's faces?

 

It's your web site, and you should have complete control over it, since it's your reputation that's on the line. I have no problem with "censorship" as some would call it, since in your case it's really "quality control." I enjoy the QRZ site!

 

This is a great website and the creator's efforts are greatly appreciated by all HAMS.  Why not restrict its use to licensed operators with verified FCC call signs.  This would be one more incentive for non-hams to get licensed and come aboard.  

73

WAØKNP, "Ray"

 

I think we should blame AOL and CB "Handles" for all these stupid "Screen Names" or "Aliases".

Early BBS services, CB radio and internet providers started all that screen name stuff.  After 35 years in the radio business, I never once used anything but my real name and I'm still alive.  Nobody is after me and no one is looking for me in shopping malls.  Wonder of all wonders.

I have never understood the need for aliases.  I used AOL once and only once.  Called myself "Bill" (my real name) but it was not allowed.  OK, fuBill598ko was OK.
Go figure.

K2WH

 

This is a tough one.  I don't know as we want to keep out folks without a license, yet there is a need for QRZ to be able to ban individuals.  There might be a couple of ways to do it - one of which would likely be undesireable.  That would be to set up a secure website where a new user, if not providing an amateur callsign that could be verified as his (&#33, could provide a credit card number which could be verified with the bank.  Upon verification, the user could select his anonymous handle and any e-mail address.  Who cares after that?  If he gets banned, he is going to have to provide another credit card - which would then provide the same name - and would NOT be able to get a new user id or password!  Another possibility would be through snail mail - very expensive for QRZ.  What would the cost of setting up the secure website be?  Would members be willing to kick up say ten bucks a year for the service?  Ummmm ... there ya go, ten bucks a year through a credit card - all secure, members need not know your identity.  But IF you get banned, there would be no way back in.  It is YOUR website, and frankly, some control IS needed.  I've seen a number of websites and boards disappear because of a few individuals who simply enjoy spreading misery.

73 from Rochester, NY
Jim AA2QA

 

I don't know about anyone else, but when I first became a user of the QRZ website I was in the process of studying for my license. At the time I didn't have a call sign so I couldn't use one . I have tried to put it in place of my user name but it just dosen't work out. So I'll continue to use my anonomus name, but rest assured , their is no bad intent here.  Thanks  KD5MFA

 

Hello,

To start, let me thank you for a great web site.  These "anonymous" guys make a good arguement.  So here's the trick, if you can do it...  If an individual wants to post and remain anonymous then make if very difficult to impossible for them to post.  By that I mean, if somebody wants to remain anonymous make them fill out a form that has their real name, address, (gasp) phone number (gasp), real email address, and/or real call sign (if applicalble).  You can varify the name and address, the best you can.  Otherwise you can continue to read and delete posts like you have been.  People who want to be HAMS and who have questions will still have access to the site and you can come up with a "privacy statement" that will make "most" people happy, their personal information will be safe with you.

A previous poster said something to the effect that he would not become a HAM because we HAMs are all snobs...  It's not that we are ALL snobs it just that we HAMs like order and discipline (being able to spell would be nice too) and we HAMs get a bit cranky when this order is deviated from.  Wether it's on the air or on the internet.  The poster, coming from a CB background might not understand our need for this discipline, but it's this very discipline that sets us apart from other communications services.

Just a thought...

73 Mike KØABE

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (wizard41 @ May 12 2002,20:10)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I don't know about anyone else, but when I first became a user of the QRZ website I was in the process of studying for my license. At the time I didn't have a call sign so I couldn't use one . I have tried to put it in place of my user name but it just dosen't work out. So I'll continue to use my anonomus name, but rest assured , their is no bad intent here.  Thanks  KD5MFA [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Simple solution. Register for a new account with KD5MFA as the User ID and abandon your wizard41 account. I went through the same thing when I received my new Extra callsign.

73 de AG4RQ

 

Thanks, Fred, for the site.  It is often informative, and always usefull.  I agree with the majority, do not allow anonymous postings.  Yes, this is a free country, and we do allow free speech.  But even there we have limitations, such as not allowing people to yell "fire" in a theater, or make libelous/slanderous commentary.  So "free speech" is already regulated, to an extent, in this country.  And rightly so.  So far as the ham community is concerned, the statement has been made, many times...  if you can't stand behind your words, don't say them.  We are given a tremendous responsibility as hams, what with an enormous amount of spectrum at our disposal, that sometimes crosses the world.  We have to use that priviledge in a responsible manner, and most of us do.  Why should anyone who is proud of being a ham, and can behave responsibly on the air, identifying him/herself on the air where anyone in the world can possibly hear them, be afraid of putting their callsign at the bottom of a comment here on QRZ?  
  If you are really afraid of someone seeing your callsign on here, and that person harrassing you as a result, you probably need not use the internet for much of anything other than reading.  Yes, there are unstable individuals out there.  (Probably even in the ham community.)  But if you let them dictate your life and behavior, then they have already beaten you.  I'm not suggesting that we act rashly, but identifying yourself in what is primarily a forum for ham radio operators doesn't seem to pose much risk to me.  You risk more walking across the street, or driving on our highways, every day.  Don't let the bad guys lessen the joy that is ham radio, and don't let this wonderful forum suffer from them. either.
Keep it fun!
73
Bruce, N1VLQ

 

Thanks, Fred, for the site. It is often informative, and always usefull. I agree with the majority, do not allow anonymous postings. Yes, this is a free country, and we do allow free speech. But even there we have limitations, such as not allowing people to yell "fire" in a theater, or make libelous/slanderous commentary. So "free speech" is already regulated, to an extent, in this country. And rightly so. So far as the ham community is concerned, the statement has been made, many times... if you can't stand behind your words, don't say them. We are given a tremendous responsibility as hams, what with an enormous amount of spectrum at our disposal, that sometimes crosses the world. We have to use that priviledge in a responsible manner, and most of us do. Why should anyone who is proud of being a ham, and can behave responsibly on the air, identifying him/herself on the air where anyone in the world can possibly hear them, be afriad of putting their callsign at the bottom of a comment here on QRZ?
If you are really afraid of someone seeing your callsign on here, and that person harrassing you as a result, you probably need not use the internet for much of anything other than reading. Yes, there are unstable individuals out there. (Probably even in the ham community.) But if you let them dictate your life and behavior, then they have already beaten you. I'm not suggesting that we act rashly, but identifying yourself in what is primarily a forum for ham radio operators doesn't seem to pose much risk to me. You risk more walking across the street, or driving on our highways, every day. Don't let the bad guys lessen the joy that is ham radio, and don't let this wonderful forum suffer from them. either.
Keep it fun!
73
Bruce, N1VLQ