if anyone else recently has had their IP banned over at HB recently.
My home IP has been 'forbidden' for ages, but there were other ways in. There aren't many of us left (i.e., those who go out of their way to broadcast with low power legally), so why they would waste time and energy doing that, I have no idea.
I can't even think what I've said in the last little while to cause it. I mean, when I likened their webmaster to the Dunning-Kruger Effect, I meant it in the best possible way.
That's why I'm asking. Maybe they're going to completely shut 'er in so they don't see any criticism when they screw up. Or maybe they just don't like me. <Hang dog face>
Oh well, no big loss, but I'm sure I can find another way in if I really want to. I'm just not sure if it's worth the time and energy.
Yes I agree that with so little of us why would a forum be so restrictive in allowing people to join. I can still get in just to see a ........... wait!
It's forbidden as of today with me too.
How is he helping the hobby by a forum that shuts everyone out. He is the reference for legal unlicensed broadcasting but no one can reference it, let alone join. So why does he have a forum to begin with.
I think he has blocked all here from accessing. He doesn't want us looking over there and talking about it here.
Could have been the posts about AM ending in a Decade putting the lid on the coffin.
I wish the couple of members he has there would smarten up, cancel the subscription, and
walk. I wonder what pledge of allegiance they have to agree to be a member there.
I don't know how other than getting an internet subscription from another provider or going on someone else's computer you can bypass it and get in.
But if I am at Staples or Canada Computers sometime I can go on a computer on display for a minute and get in from there. Lets see if he can make himself invisible to the world. Or a library. Lets see if he can block that.
Artisan made a good point....not many of us that do it legally. Legally the big word.
My ip was banned for literally years, at least three years, in fact not just my ip, the entire island, I couldn't even access his site from the local library nor any of the multiple public wifi spots on the island. I could always however access it using Walmarts free wifi from the parking lot on the next island. Petty petty petty.
Eventually after a few years I was able to finally access again, but today it's back to a 404 again. Funny man.
Don't look at me, don't talk about me, Don't call me out when I'm wrong. Little child.
Sorry guys, I'm quite sure it was my fault.
Actually it's not a 404 error I'm getting, it a 403.
"A 403 error code signifies "Forbidden," meaning the server understands your request but refuses to grant access because of insufficient permissions, incorrect credentials, or a server-side configuration issue. Common causes include restricted access, IP blacklisting, a corrupted .htaccess file, incorrect file permissions, or missing an index file like index.html. To fix it, you can try clearing your browser's cache, checking the URL, waiting and refreshing, using a different browser or network, or contacting the website owner for assistance.
In a way it always offended me being booted from his forum because it's undeniable that I had for several years consistently contributed substantially more fresh content in his forum specifically about part 15AM, unknown stuff, complete revelations (unknown history mostly), than anyone anywhere (including Bill), content not unavailable anywhere else on the entire internet, things only I had dug out and presented there first, and he frequently personally publicly praised my efforts.
For years I also publicly defended him (in this forum and others) concerning his personal flaws because it's undeniable that he has contributed significantly to the he hobby by keeping part 15 broadcasting in the limelight with his frequent articles submitted to mainstream publications, plus the same effort he put forth in compiling and organizing a structured source of info concerning the hobby -- No one else has ever done that.
Hobbybroadcaster.net is and always has been the best single resource regarding the hobby. It's a true shame that he greatly tarnishes his reputation by the way he runs is forum and frequently alters the post of his members (at least he frequently did to my post for no legitimate reasons at all) so that it can conforms to his personal liking.
It's such a shame, and it's the very thing that stains his legacy. He just doesn't get that and probably never will, but we all have our flaws don't we?
@richpowers I'd like to see him block the whole city of Toronto from all sources.
By the way, my IP address is not in Toronto even though I am here. The IP address is where the companies headquarters are which isn't in Toronto. So he can go through all Canadian IPs one by one and block everything I guess from all providers? I still would like to see him block all the GTA(greater Toronto area). Why not do it the easier way, just block the forum so no one browsing can see any posts at all? And just say only members can see any posts in the forums.
Why block the whole forum? Makes no sense. How would any potential members even know there's a forum that exists? So it's a one man show invisible to the world.
To all members there: We here at Part 15.org are friendly, anyone interested in the hobby can join, no subscription fees, you have the right to your opinion respectfully even if it disagrees with admin. You are welcome to join here from outside the USA. No nonsense like not accepting Yahoo or Google email addresses which most of us have.
Rich said.....Hobbybroadcaster.net is and always has been the best single resource regarding the hobby. It's a true shame that he greatly tarnishes his reputation by the way he runs is forum and frequently alters the post of his members (at least he frequently did to my post for no legitimate reasons at all) so that it can conforms to his personal liking.
You mean he censors and edits a members post and changes what was said to what he wants?
Wow! I don't know what to say to this and if I did I can't as moderator and the forum rules won't let me.
But I can invite members over there if you want to leave you are welcome here.
Yes it's a true shame that being the best single resource for the hobby is tarnished by his running of it and not making it welcome to any interested in joining. But going as far as he does in editing posts to say what he wants.....
You know, when Artisan said about Gerry with his new FM transmitter having to keep it quiet for so long as Bill has to be the one to announce it first, had it been me, I'd tell him to "blow it out his ear".....
I moderated that remark but now, I should have left it. Sorry Artisan!
I'm not so sure about HB being the "best single resource" for Part 15.
If we measure "best" in terms of longevity, Part15.us and Part15.org has been around a lot longer. Well back into the early 2000's. It amuses me to read on the HB site that others (i.e., us) copy him, and yet his site was/is a blatant rip-off of the original Part15.us.
Most of the material posted here is original. Either research, such as the great work Rich Powers does on Part 15 history, or the results of experimentation. For as far back as I can remember, and that's a ways, most of the posts over 'there' are just google links. And as Rich has pointed out on occasion, a lot of them aren't even read by the poster. It's pretty easy to be a google warrior. It takes a lot more to create your own work.
A lot of stuff on Part15.us got lost in the translation to Part15.org. That's partially on me, as I haven't gotten around to restoring a lot of it (it's time consuming work). But originally, there were a lot of extra resources here that were in addition to the Forum part. I hope to bring those back eventually, as well as a lot of the lost posts that are currently in the /temp folder.
You mean he censors and edits a members post and changes what was said to what he wants?
Wow! I don't know what to say to this and if I did I can't as moderator and the forum rules won't let me.
In the majority of the cases he edited my post (and others) was due to name mentions.. For example, you definably could not mention Richard Fry - if you did he would edit the post, usually within only a few minutes after posting, he'd replace where I mentioned Fry's name with some thing like "a retired engineer with too much time on his hands" or something similar. That's why it surprised me so much when Bill himself posted about Richard Fry's obituary. Other names instantly removed when mentioned included Carl Blare (or KDX, or the Low Power Hour) - there a particular post I had made there that reviewed one of Carl's episodes where he had interviewed Bill Baker of ISS, it was a fascinating episode and I had posted a summary of what it was about - but within minutes Bill had completely butchered my post to the extent that it hardly made any sense at all, one of the other members had replied my post (after Bill had tore it apart by removing Carl's name, station and link to the mp3) saying he wished he knew what program and station I was talking about because he would like to hear it.
Another time he edited my post when I talked about what led up to the FCC field manual being obtained and made public -- I forget now exactly who off the top of my head, but I think it was Tim in Bovery who had actually obtained the copy, and I talked about that, but Bill would has numerous times deceptively bragged about discovering that FCC Field manual in such a way that makes it sound like he himself had obtained it, but he did not, his FOI request had been denied, - Anyway, Bill rewrote my post, by removing Tim's name and replacing it with something like "a later subsequent attempt to retrieve copy of the field manual succeeded. He doesn't believe in giving credit where credit is due.
I could go on and on, but that's just a couple that stuck in my mind. There are several other hobbiest names that are prohibited from metion there, and of course you know mentioning part15.org there is prohibited as well. Eventually he began editing my post for seemly with no reasoning or point at all.. I guess it was his way of punishing me or something. But yes, I began getting real sick of him altered my post on a rather regular basis for absolutely no legitimate reason. He seemed also to got pissed off when my punctuations or grammer or not capitalizing letters in some of the topic titles I had posted.. other stuff, silly, ludicrous little things.
I had gotten so fed up with his tactics that I eventually began subtly intentionally pushing his buttons in the forums as a kind and of retaliation, just to rattle him up (it is extremely easy to push his buttons because he is overly sensitive), I kept doing it, softly, but just enough to hit a nerve.
Ok... Oh, I kind of want to go on.. as I write this I keep recalling other occurrences, but I think I've already got carried away with this rant.
I'm not so sure about HB being the "best single resource" for Part 15.
If we measure "best" in terms of longevity, Part15.us and Part15.org has been around a lot longer. Well back into the early 2000's. It amuses me to read on the HB site that others (i.e., us) copy him, and yet his site was/is a blatant rip-off of the original Part15.us.
Well, Artisan it is the "best single resource" about Part 15 on the Internet (or anywhere else). You can go to the site, never enter the forum, never ask a question but easily find out all there is to know about the hobby. There's no place that compares, or has there ever been.
Despite his personality, you got to give him credit for his accomplishment whether you like him or not. If there's any single source, past or present, that's more of a complete resource concerning the hobby, or has even come close, let me know.
Yes part15.org has been around the longest, but it has for the most part been solely a discussion forum (we've got HB beat as a forum and always have), but it's never been an actual "resource" in the sense like a library dedicated to the subject would be.
I'm just saying to not give credit where credit is due just because of personal feelings, well, that would make us as bad as Bill. He does deserve the credit for what he's done - both the positive and negative aspects. The main site of HB has always been a positive (although the incessant self-promotion which seems to saturate everything can be a little nauseating)
I once in the past thought to try and join but couldn't even communicate or attempt to register with my email.
That was a deal breaker right there.
But I recognize what Rich is saying about him promoting the hobby along with the articles he writes in publications like Radioworld and others. Also a book on Part 15 you can get on Amazon. I agree with giving credit where credit is due.
I think it bothered him that you could as Rich says just go to the site without joining and just read the forums and learn all there is to know.
Wouldn't it be to his advantage to make the forum open and more friendly to many who would like to join but can't because of his policies.
Lol... You know all this talk was incited by a false flag.. Apparently we weren't being blacklisted at all.. Must have been a fluke. The site is loading normally now
I once in the past thought to try and join but couldn't even communicate or attempt to register with my email.
That was a deal breaker right there.
@mark Oh yeah, anyone that uses the most popular and common email server in world (Gmail) is not permitted to join at HB. I'm guessing Comcast email addresses are permitted either, Bill hates Comcast for some reason - I forget why but he's bitched about them numerous times in the past.
@richpowers I still get a 'Forbidden', whereas yesterday I could access his site via my secondary method.
I suspect he rethought his outright banning, and kept it limited to his 'favorite' critic, i.e., me. Unfortunately, he won't engage me directly, or at least, not for very long (I'm referencing several exchanges on Forums outside the two in question, such as Radio Discussions.
I'm not downplaying the positives that have come out of HB. I just don't want some of the now unavailable resources that were here during the Part15.us days to go unappreciated. They will come back at some point.
Speaking of Radio Discussions, I have a question, but will start a new thread.
I'm still getting forbidden also. I will go out tomorrow to Staples or Canada Computers and try there and see what happens on a display computer.