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Speak Out: Trolls on eHam:

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KB9KGI on 2009-11-03
C'mon guys,if it wasn't for trolls this whole page would be empty. They are a fact of life whether on the air or in the supermarket. The King of Trolls was covering a Special Event station(I won't give the QTH) last weekend and called a check in a C**k S****r and told him to get off the frequency because the check in didn't know the format. The Troll was probably pushing a kilowatt on transmit. He wasn't part of the event, just a no callsign Guard. That's what Ham Radio really needs,blow the new ops off. I'm sure the check in will really profit from the experience.
KB9KGI (real callsign)

KF7ATL on 2009-10-03
I agree with K7MMB. I'm running 100 watts on an entry-level
transceiver through a homemade dipole. On CW I only work
about 7 wpm. But guess what? I'm having the time of my
life! It took me years to get here. I'll be darned if I let a few
trolls ruin an otherwise great hobby for me. Besides, the
vast majority of hams that I have interacted with have been
wonderful, friendly, helpfull people. 73 es hpe to cu on the
air.

KD8DUG on 2009-09-30
I agree with K3VW,best responce

WMCO on 2009-09-11
Trolls,
Trolls are people that believe receiving this piece of toilet paper called a ham radio license makes them instant experts of everything from radios, to antennas, to constitutional maters, to gall stone operations.
Spend a day and look at some of the instant experts websites and you will realize, that altough they are nice and authoritative looking, stuffed full with ""knowledge"" and formulas at best they are stuck in the 50s in regards to physics and true knowledge.
Most of them just repackage what they have seen on commercial sites or websites of real experts and spew the stuff back out as they're own creations. There are only a small few out there that are true experts and have the knowledge to call them self experts....but they have better things to do in life than to be here on e-ham.

John

N8NSN on 2009-09-09
I thought I would ring in with a little more sense this time...

I placed a few articles on E-Ham since 2005.

Each time I have done so, the articles were met with some, "I could have done so much better" types of replies. The articles were helpful to a few and never intended to be a representation of some gold lined method or project.

I found this to be discouraging the most when I placed an article about my inexpensive 20G tower installation. It was clearly stated in the article that it was a LIGHT DUTY installation for a small compact 2 element HF beam and a small 2 meter beam.

A certain well known contributor to the site literally attacked my article with his proclaimed knowledge through a professional involvement in the tower installation business. I respected a great deal of what he was saying , but respected NOTHING in his delivery. His comparison of my economical LIGHT DUTY tower to one of the surely many $50K or more tower installations he was involved with was simply ludicrous. Went on about my use of my old Kline belt being placed in the article was a threat to others safety, as if I was saying I tied my self to the tower with a tripled up 14 gauge extension cord. Perhaps his intentions were good but, really this particular person really sounded more like he was out to make the simple article out to be the efforts of an idiot. Oh well. I got over it and I am sure he received his needs to feel superior, as well....

THIS type of behavior is essentially why I think a great deal of people do not contribute some very worthy articles... They know some one is going to find their personal power stroke in attempting to make the article writer look like a goober.

Trolls or not, arrogant know it alls and bitter old farts keep this a dying hobby. I can say bitter old fart because I am not so young... I am old and I fart, but I am not bitter. The FCC can barley even GIVE licenses away. Dropping the code has not expanded the numbers nearly as much as it was forecast to do. Site garbage on the ham sites surely is NOT helping. I am pretty sure if I was still a youngster and had the choice to pick between ham radio and computers (IT) as an interest, in the way things are with ham radio today... I'd not even hesitate to go with IT... Say what you will, you can even personally attack me on that comment, but truth be known; even though my station is quite capable of great BC comparable audio, I choose to go with CW 90% of my on air time because of the attitudes like, "If you don't run at least a KW and have a minimum of 5 pieces of gear in your audio chain, I don't want to talk to you"... or "I can barely hear your QRP signal, on your simple parallel fed doublet on my $30K radio station and 120 foot tower with a full size 40 m three element beam, so QRU & QSY..."

You know, I'd rather work a ham 20 miles away on his H.B. station gear with his excessively chirpy signal than talk to an easy 50% of the other "oooh look how much toys I BOUGHT, PLUGGED IN, and MADE WORK (after reading the poorly written manual, that I still don't understand 30 times)", at 500<8000 miles away, who have nothing more to offer to 'the fun' than, "I am the king of call area (X) and I never get under a 59(9) report. Am I bitter? No, I am selective ;-)

Trolls are not necessarily limited to not having a call sign on this site.

My latest article on modifying the 135 foot doublet, here at the station, to work on 160 meters, efficiently, received a good deal of response. The ratio of 'Know it Alls' to 'Thanks for the Infos' was a redemption to my opinions about E-Ham. Not just because of the personally more acceptable S/N ratio... just because, even after rereading the article after it was posted; I found TONS of holes and errors that many could have pulled into the mud of dispute, but for some reason didn't do so.

I am inclined to agree with AI2IA (Raymond)... No Call Sign, No POSTING! period. We who post with our call signs are exposed with our names, addresses, and etc fully available through any ham call database. Those who choose to post with no call and flame others etc are indeed COWARDS.

The tower article, by the way, was posted under my old call (KC8BYF)...

My mention of the 'professional tower installer' and his comments was not intended as a personal attack. But, this individual is still on here regularly and just letting on that I still remember how the arrogant comments came off. Certain things a person says, no matter what their intentions are, if said with arrogance; will leave that person forever to be held of that esteem. There were even personal e-mails I received from other hams who volunteered their unsolicited opinions as to this fellas crass demeanor. I fully respect his knowledge of towers etc. If I had 10K or more to place in my tower I surely would, but my free 5 sections of 20G is doing quite well for my needs. The whole point of the article was "Economical, Safe, LIGHT DUTY tower installation"... By the way, that article is still in the archives. Some people could stand to gain some better understandings of public relations when dealing with regular people outside of their trade or whom they assume to be underneath their 'intellectual level'. Just another example in life of the ones who say, "You can't do that because you're not doing it the way I do it."

All the CRUD aside,
I still love RF
I still enjoy helping as much as I am able
I probably always will.

Jim
N8NSN

N8NSN on 2009-09-09
YES, I do like french fries !

W6EM on 2009-08-30
No matter what you think of them, it is better that their extreme behavior is tolerated than the other popular site that removes all dischord of any type.

The result at the other place: Low participation, low quality postings and general disinterest.

Frankly, since websites advertising gimmicry includes the number of "hits," if the hits suffer, so does the advertising revenue.

Where fear resides, a creative mind does not. At least for very long.

KB2SEO on 2009-08-12
JEEZ Gang,

Ever go to a Large pool party, or at the Public swimming pool?? The Kid- Booger nose, Way too loud, usually got the water wings on, trying to get his Mom's attention...AGAIN...
Loook Mommy MOMMMMMMYYYEEEEEE! Loookat meeee! Oh Mommmmmmeeeeee! Loook at what I am doing Mommmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! So the burnt out frog dropper looks up from her Valium riddled Bloodshot eyes, in the back of her mind wishing she never let hubby talk her into going out drinking that night...WHAT JIMMY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...>WHAT? WHAT!?!?!?!

The Kid splashes her in the face, runs away laughing...

Trolls begin young, It's their Mothers Fault. Mom did not breat feed him (probably cause it hurt to boil the nipples)

So think of this fact next time the Troll posts yet again, the Mom is probably Dead, he's never gonna cure his Carpal tunnel and his eyesight will continue to get worse. His Dog hates him-His kids don't call anymore, and he can't turn on his Kenwood 520 let alone his wife.

Just smile and move on!

K3VW on 2009-08-07
Trolls are folks with "no life" ! They jump on any remark or article that does not fit their idea on the subject. They, unfortunately, are a necessary part of the system to keep folks on the right track. If a trolls comments are worthless, don't answer them or try to defend your article. You are giving the troll an audience, which he/she needs to survive ! (right HV ?)

XU7ADQ on 2009-07-27
Hi all,
It's probably been said a thousand times, but I'll say it again.
Trolls are one thing, but as stated on this thread, when someone asks a polite question (even if a naive one), that question deserves a polite answer.
I get tired of seeing someone ask a simple question about 'modding' a radio to enable out of band operation, being bombarded with negative, obnoxious or just downright rude replies.
The respondees assume that everyone that mods a rig, is going to go straight on the air, and wipe out the local emergency services.
Although some idiots may try this, some people just want to do the mod 'because they can', and after all, isn't ham radio about experimentation?
The other replies usually follow the same tired old 'You can't do that - it's against the FCC regs' line.
Errrrr... last time I checked Eham, there are callsigns (or alias's) from every corner of the globe on here.
Why does every american assume that the FCC has a global juristriction, and that their rules and regs apply to everyone in the world.
There is more to Earth than the usa (although GWB didn't think so!).
To prevent this site turning into a schoolyard squabbling site, please think on.
That person getting your reply could be some 10 year old kid, with the ink still wet on their licence.
This hobby needs new blood, and upsetting the newbies is not going to help anyone.
Although some people may 'get off' on upsetting people via their keyboard terrorism. some of us out here are quite happy to point folk in the right direction (if able), and don't feel the need to get a power trip from the safety of being behind a computer screen (those people should get out more often).
I, like most others on here, put a lot of time and effort into attending night classes and sitting the exam to get their licence (straight from work to the college, missing quality time with my kids), but don't feel superior in any way to a newly licenced ham.
The old fart syndrome, coupled with the oneupmanship of the older generation serves no other purpose than to drive people away from this hobby, and condemn it to staying a 'weird' pastime (my wife's words - sorry ex-wife).
Ok then, I'll sit back now that's off my chest, but remember when responding to questions like 'how do I freeband..?' or 'can I use my 10Kw Yaesu on FRS,GMRS PMR446', treat these questions as though they were being asked by YOUR kids.
Like Thumper said to Bambi 'If you can't say nuthin nice - don't say nuthin at all'.

LOL
Cheers.

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