Maybe people here can give me some guidance. It is regarding new users on Hobbybroadcasters.net... about 3 weeks ago I signed up fresh for the site (first time) and this put me into some sort of "probational" user, with feedback that if I participate then I will become a stadard "user". This is fine, I realize that there are a lot of dead-weight users and spam that can lurk forums and there needs to be a vetting period before someone is proven to not be a spambot.
The issue is that when you are a probationaly user, most of the topics are off-limits to you, including PM messaging other members. What they want is for the user to participate with posts and feedback - again fine with me, forums need interaction. However the presented topics are not of use to me (I am technical) so it is hard to be part of discussions not related to my interests. I have tried to come up with comments, feedback, etc. and have managed to make 11 posts in 3 weeks which I though was pretty good considering what was provided to me.
But - I just received an email from Hobbybroadcasters.net telling me that they are going to cancel my membership because I am not participating enough. What the hell???... I am really trying to be useful with participation however the site is making it extremely difficult. To add to the frustration, I tried to PM Bill DeFelice to try to get a rough idea on what level of participation is desired but I am not allowed to contact anyone thru the forums because of my level. Arrgh!
My question: am I just being sensitive and I need to try much harder and post many times a day there, or is this site just impossible? I am not trying to be difficult, I just am trying to determine what is needed in terms of participation in order to be "deemed" good enough to be a member - I cannot find this information anywhere.
- B
I think the rules change periodically over at Hobbybroadcaster, based on the moods of the webmaster.
I thought about joining that Forum 10 years ago, when I first entered into Part 15 broadcasting, and decided against it due to the similar (but not identical) rules that existed then (they were actually more lax than today, but I decided not to play ball).
Luckily, there are other Forums in which both technical and non technical individuals can participate. This is one. Here, membership is open, and equal to all (except for the Moderators), and while participation is encouraged, it is certainly not mandatory.
Forced participation may appear to be a good idea at first for some of the reasons you listed, but you have to wonder how valuable the resulting posts are going to be. Generally, when first joining anything, it's a good idea to wait and watch before wading in (how's that for alliteration?).
Welcome to Part15.us!
Thank you for your feedback here. And it turns out that because I just posted my frustration here on this forum I was sent a private email tellimg me that because of this posted here that "Judging by your actions I dare say that perhaps HobbyBroadcaster.net may not be a good fit for you and perhaps you may want to avail yourself of other online venues. Perhaps they will better fit your interests."
So I guess these are my marching orders to stay away from Hobbybroadcaster.net. I can take a clue. It really bothers me because I was really trying to be a member there and participate the best I could to unwritten rules, but it turns out I was the one who received the cancellation email from lack of participation.
The real issue is that I had absolutely no avenue to contact the admins at all - I go to their contact page, there is no email link that I can see for contact, and like I said before probationary members have NO access to PM, even back to the Admin. Had I had a means to contact them I would have used this avenue first. Even the emails sent to me have the "do_not_reply" addresses.
Thank you for the welcome! I hope that I can participate here and join in the fun without having to prove that I am worthy...
- Bruce
HB.net is Bill's way of stroking his own ego. and he has a big one at that.
i'm no longer a member there simply because i was registered here and would share info betwen the websites.
HB.net is jonestown without the kool aid!!!
I managed to be a member over there for two years, until I posted something over here he didn't like. Then he accused my once a year postings telling people that I had a free program avaiable (The Oompah Hour) of being spam, and since I was spamming (once a year, something that was free) he was kicking me out. Turned out he was actually torqued about something I posted here, but he didn't want to admit it. We exchanged a few emails. He contradicted himself numerous times in them.
He told me he didn't read the forum over here, and didn't care what anyone posted over here. LOL. But I see he managed to read your post here and cancel you within the hour! Not only that but he'll have your IP address blocked too. He's been known to block an entire STATE to keep people out.
But you learned quick, unless you're anointed there's really nothing to read over there.
Welcome to the friendly, helpful side of Part 15.
TIB
This thread here will now be a topic of discussion over there!
TIB
This thread here will now be a topic of discussion over there!
Guess I will never get to read about it..I will be the focus of hate, just for trying to sign up for their forums.. somehow I dont think I will be losing sleep over it!
People over here are *much* nicer...
Tim, you're right!
But let's not make this a Bill DeFelice/Hobbybroadcaster bashing thread. To each their own.
Let them be the ones worried about what's said elsewhere (regardless of the public stance). I'd rather that this Forum concentrate on helping the hobby itself.
There already is a post up over at Hobbybroadcaster regarding this situation, poster 'Jerrett'.
Thing is, I've always believed that 'Jerrett' is a plant, a nom de plume if you will. Over the past 10 years, his posts have popped up on that Forum at convenient times to ask basic questions, while fawning adoringly over Bill DeFelice and attacking others.
The thing is, he always asks the same questions over and over. You'd have thought that he'd have learned SOMETHING in 10 years. I just don't believe that there can be a real person somewhere who is THAT dense.
You can take it to the bank that you're really listening to Bill DeFelice when 'Jerrett' speaks.
Sounds like I caused some drama over there, not my intent.... just wanted to participate and not be kicked off over not meeting unwritten rules by some impossible-to-contact admin. Interesting that the site is just a single person and several followers ...
Thanks for filling me in on the real deal, it helps me not to feel bad over the situation...
You are welcome to stay here as a member. We have "experts" on many aspects of Part15 activities including technical. We also have members who sign up and don't post much, but when they do it is welcomed.
So, feel free to post here as you wish and enjoy the forum.
Neil
Do you currently have a Part 15 station, BowlingSuperior? What are your interests?
My interests are in hardware, helping in development of part-15 DIY transmitters. i have built several different types to feed my antique radio collection, would like to share feedback with others here!
Bowling Superior, I got nearly the same email you did. In fact the wording is almost identical, apparently I said a few things that Billy boy didn't like here on Part15.us and was immediately judged as a bad bad person with a secret agenda.
Why, I bet they have conspiracies theories about some of our members that would make YouTube look like a cheap tabloid at the supermarket look like the gospel.
My opinion is, you're better off here. We are friendly, we don't look down our noses at anyone , we are helpful and like planet Earth, we are mostly harmless. (Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy)
Come on in, set a spell and I'll get you a cup of coffee.
Barry
1200 AM BBR
Now you know that he wants some exclusive club and every one interested in the hobby isn't welcome to join.
How can you meet a quota in post numbers if subjects come up that you don't know enough about to comment? I can't have something to say on this forum to all posts for this reason. I contribute when something has my interest or I have some knowledge about the subject. And I start a thread if I think of a topic that may be of interest or to just communicate with others in the same hobby.
To join Hobbybroadcaster you also can't have an email address with Google or Yahoo which eliminates the vast majority from joining the forum. 3/4 of the US and Canada have email with Google or Yahoo. And get this, my I-net provider doesn't even give me an email with them so I don't have an email address from an internet provider so I and many good people are banned for that reason alone. I can't even contact admin. just because of that!
That's like I can't join a gym because the owner doesn't like the street I live on and I should move.
He's a nut!, based on the experience you had and all the other things people have experienced.
I hope he reads this too.
You have this forum and the ALPB and the Facebook forum so you don't need him. Let him have his little club.
Even if I qualified to be a member I wouldn't last long. I'm in Canada and here we have different rules especially with FM and I don't think that other countries are welcome there and if I spoke of anything not jiving with FCC part 15 it probably wouldn't go with Bill.
This forum is more open to members other then in the USA and so is the ALPB.
You don't need him.