Bitterness on Ham Radio Websites / Thankful for This Site

Started by RadioRay, June 27, 2013, 05:29:36 PM

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RadioRay

Is it just me?  It seems almost daily that on the 2 big name ham radio sites, the most bitter, mean spirited and generally obnoxious postings are made as a matter of course.  One ham posts about ham radio being useful in this terrible monsoon damage in northern India.  Straight away, some son of a pig has to post something about call centers from India (which I like BTW - polite people who speak English are rare) . 8,000 dead, 66,000 missing and entire villages including their subsistence farms, literally wiped off the face of the Earth and these are the comments made by the 'hobby' guys!?  May they personally come to know the terror about which they make jokes.

It does not matter if the topic is about QRP, EMCOMM, antennas or almost any topic, these self-propelled-rectums are blethering away, spilling filth, trying to troll. I could go on, but why? 

Interestingly enough, in face-to-face conversations at Dayton or the occasional ham fest, I rarely find this sort of behavior - in fact it's been zero.  Perhaps the fact that I'm 6'5" and able to "correct" such poor behavior on the spot might have something to do with it.  It's not that I have a bad temper - I do not.  It's the cowardice of sniping from behind a keyboard or radio jamming on well established nets is seen as 'safe' because of being out of reach.  Any willingness to convert this bad behavior into actual, physical WORK face-to-face is rare indeed - at least in ham circles.

>>> This is the prime reason that I am grateful for THIS radio forum.  People here are more focused on exchanging ideas to make things better, helping others out with solutions, and trying new ways and methods - like Gil's magnetic loop experiments, which I enjoyed assisting in a tiny way as a distant receiving station.  The occasional troll, SPAMmer and/or anti-social malcontent is rapidly show the door.  We have a collection of raw beginners , old hands and just about anything in between and on a variety of topics, not ONLY radio. There is an increasing move to get on the air from outside of the home, even if it's only a short walk from the car to a park bench. The camping skeds have been AWESOME!  That's always enjoyable and SHARED right here on the forum. Now, I would NOT go so far as to publicly declare that none of us are CERTIFIABLY NUTS, but at least we all play well together.


Gil has run a good forum for what - about a year now? Glad you're all here. 


Now - GET BACK TO WORK!



>de RadioRay ..._ ._

"When we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can."  ~ Matthew Henry

cockpitbob

The general grumpyness on the web seems to track the economy.  On other sites I've seen the general disposition and amount of unprompted complaining get worse since '08.  It seems to be getting a bit better now.

gil

Well, thanks Ray, much appreciated  :)

I did not see that thread you mention about India, but some people really have no understanding of what it means to be in a disaster. Talk about lack of respect..

That said I'll keep bashing contesters!  ::) in a polite but firm way, mind you.. Hehehe.

Gil.

KK0G

Agreed, we have an awesome group of like minded members here. Although we don't disagree often - I've always enjoyed a good spirited debate - it's always done in a respectful manner.

I think the main reason we all get along so well, besides being like minded, is the fact we're a relatively small group and although I've never personally met anyone here, it feels more like a bunch of friends that just happen to meet on a forum as opposed to the other way around. Unfortunately therein may lie the potential problem; as the forum grows that could be lost, let's hope it doesn't.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin

KK0G

Quietguy

I quit going to those forums a few years ago when the petty bickering and backbiting made it not worth the trouble.  I still go to specific posts that a Google search turns up, but no more drive-bys just to see what's happening.  Actually, this is the only ham forum I visit any more.

Wally

gil

I am pretty happy about the way the forum turned out as well.. Thanks to you guys, really. The fact is that there just wasn't that kind of forum anywhere, so I got the domain name and installed the software.. All in about an hour.. No plan, no defined goal, on a whim. I still read every single post. As the forum grows though, I won't be able to do that anymore. That's when moderators will be appreciated! There are probably a dozen "usual suspects" here I could think of to promote to this role. Nothing much more to do than you do already, which is read and post what you like. However when someone posts something over the edge or spam, you can moderate, without me. I do hope the forum grows, but I also hope in a way that it stays the same, if that makes sense.. We'll just all have to be vigilant.. One thing this site has for it is that it is not meant to make money, only to pay for itself and whatever else is the cherry on the cake. I would have died of starvation long ago if I counted on it for income! So, there is no financial pressure.. It does of course bring me more than it costs me, in knowledge and friendship. Where am I going with this?  :o Getting tired, it's late.. I know people don't like censorship, but I will not censor ideas, only rudeness and false information.. I don't decide what's false mind you, the laws of physics do. as to rudeness, I just don't want to be subjected to it, so that's that. I'm the captain of this ship. I'm glad you are all here. We'll keep this place nice and open :)

Gil.

Frosty

Anything radio or electronics related, this is where I head.  Often more heat than light at many of the prepper sites with just a ham/comm sub-board.  Here, instead of getting a "here's what you should do" answer we get a "here's what I did that works" response (with pics!).  Thanks for putting this together Gil.

Geek

I am not familiar with the HAM forums mentioned, but I've lost count of how many survival/prepper or scuba forums I've walked away from over the same type of issues.  I do think that the quality of moderation helps.  A manageable size helps too.

Most of the acrimony seems to come from rules that say "no politics", but then the only time the rule is enforced is when the politics are contrary to that of the moderator.  Some of it comes from treating every newcomer as a troll.  Then some of it gets started by folks who really are trolls.

In the past year I also saw a genealogy society implode, so it isn't only Internet forums that fall apart.

I think watching our current political leadership, who will say anything to impugn the opposition, gives the impression that this sort of behavior is okay in other venues.

I am enjoying this forum and do think that both the moderators and the participants are making it a useful and friendly forum.  It will be a challenge to keep it that way over time.

KC9TNH

Quote from: RadioRay on June 27, 2013, 05:29:36 PM...these self-propelled-rectums...

It's the cowardice of sniping from behind a keyboard...
The first I'm stealing. The second is a round in the X-ring of how that happens. No different than how things turn out differently during email exchanges with someone they don't really know, and why people will text back & forth all day rather than dial the number after exchanging more than a few texts.

I also enjoy the camping skeds and plan to be on the distant end of those at some point as the retirement things sorts itself out. I already actually like Ramen noodles so it's OK.

I have noticed on both of the big boards mentioned that it's just sifting chaff from grain. I have less than 1 handful of people whose replies I'd really value because of their focus, humor & civil tone.  They've been & remain good mentors and I can email them directly if I want. Not coincidentally, the same folks on either board.

OK, as to the ASA equivalent of "now move out & draw fire" hey! - I'm workin' on it, it's almost looking like a radio. I'll shoot you a back-channel when ready for the first KX3 QSO.

Meanwhile, gotta go cut both yards before the daily tstms move in, a factor of late in this region I'm sure KK0G & others are familiar with lately - and it could be gone anytime.

As Geek saiqd, takes time for a forum to mature, this has been better than many on these topics which is why I still hang out. Keeping a relevant subset of fora on the site is helpful, as not everything is for everybody. First year is just a birthing process & a difficult balance of focus, tolerance, tempered with a willingness to kick the trolls right to the curb.

Happy trails - this dawn cup of java thing without pulling out of the drive to head for work is kinda nice.
8)

madball13

Well put Ray.

I have been turned off lately by certain forums. Seems to me instead of using a forum to promote ideas and help people it turns into bitch sessions. This place is low-to-no BS and i like it that way.

Geek

I don't want to negate the overall tone of this thread.  This has been a good forum so far.  However, we've really only been tested by a few trolls touting illegal topics like jamming or over powered CBs.

However, prepper forums tend to be populated by people who are not expecting the government to solve all of their problems, i.e. conservatives.  To the extent that someone is either a liberal or simply nuetral on an issue things can start to sound worse than the evening news pretty fast.

For instance, the last prepper forum I dropped off of had a whole series of anti illegal immigration threads.  To hear these guys one would have to believe that everything wrong in the country was due to illegal immigrants, like we couldn't have any problems that were our own fault, e.g. is the problem illegal immigrants getting food stamps, or is the problem the food stamp program is growing to absurd proportions?  Note that this forum had a rule against political topics, but didn't seem to see bashing immigrants as a political topic.

My wife is a naturalized citizen.  We are 6 years into what will be a 10 year wait for my step-daughter to get a green card.  We don't have any use for food stamps.  Needless to say, it was an easy forum for me to turn off.  I am sure they lose other members over different issues.

We will have challenges dealing with some topics that spin out of control.  Every forum does.  The recent posts about jamming were easy to spot, but something will come up that is more difficult to recognize and that will be the real test.


underhill

#12
This is about the only radio related forum I come to anymore.  Very comfortable feel, all seem to keep to the facts, the camp scheds, the technical, just the can do attitude is refreshing.

"...what I think >I< can do, what >I< would like to do, 'here's what worked, what didn't work and why".  There is no "here's what >you< should be doin".

Thank you for hosting the site, Gil.  I just wish I was a bit closer in, with a few less urgent distractions going on at my end, so I could be a bit more active.  Means more to me than I can say. 

Allan

Geek

Quote from: KC9TNH on June 28, 2013, 11:41:19 AM
Quote from: Geek on June 28, 2013, 11:17:24 AMEntire post above.
Superbly done, old man.

Thanks for taking it the way I meant it.  Thanks to Gill for his fine leadership.  Thanks to everyone who has helped me get started with amateur  radio.   :)

Joe

This is the only Forum I come to anymore. I have seen the bitterness not just on HAM radio sites but almost all forums I use to regular.
I tend to come up with crazy ideas, and its nice to have a place that I can post those ideas and get good solid feed back. The knowledge that everyone has and is willing to share is greatly appreciated. I would not be as far in my communications as I am if not for all of you.

Thank You Gil and everyone else for maintaining a great place.

73

Joe