I'm sure that many of you have stumbled upon hobbybroadcaster.net. I'm sure they're considered competition for this site, so maybe even mentioning them is verbotten, but I will anyway.
I found the site to have lots of information, and what appeared to be useful, informational forums. Except that they are apparently completely unuseable or accessible to the average guy.
I tried to sign up earlier this month. I received a confirmation, and a welcome email. When I try to log in now, I don't exist. Their systemm goes to great lengths discussing how you will probably be kicked out if you use a free web-based email (which I do, even my station email is web based). They suggest using an employer based email if necessary -- tried that, apparently didn't work. they talk about how they compare your email IP to your computer IP when you tri to send them a message. I tried to use their contact form, was told it wasn't available or my message was stopped because I'm infected with a virus, my provider is identified as a spammer (Darn that Century link anyway) blah blah. Near as I can tell, joining the form is completely impossible.
My already confirmed credentials don't work, I can't contact them through their web contact us form, and they apparently use every type of security they have at their disposal to weed out 97% of the people on the planet. This must be a very exclusive club.
They absolutely, completely and totally do not want to be contacted by anyone. Further they don't want anyone to see their "exclusive content". Phooey.
Tim in Bovey
After trying to submit their contact form with various emails, I finally got one to send. Got a prompt reply. Apparently after registering I didn't log in and/or post for a couple weeks, a common sign of a spammer according to them, so I was deleted. So apparently you must have an ISP provided email from a "reputable provider", no Java in your computer, nothing than can be detected as malware or a virus (even if it's not) and you have to log in regularly, if you want to maintain your membership. Regularly must be more than onece a month as my registration was deleted after 3 weeks of non-use, after using their activation link to verify me, so they knew I was real and my email was valid. We'll see if they can get me fixed up. Although, according to them as I use evil "web based email" all my posts will be moderated before being posted, I won't have access to "exclusive content" (which is why I signed up in the first place) and if you do't post often enough to prove your value, you are deleted. On the surface their "friendliness factor" is not very high.
Tim in Bovey
I bop over there every so often to read the part 15 related posts, in between their bashing people they hate, which makes me wonder what they have to hide on the exclusive side.
I can't join, because my first "Here's what I think post" would get me kicked off.
This site here, part15.us, is the original and longest running part 15 site. Many of our members here have been banned from the other site because things weren't eye to eye.
Perhaps we'll get a few "Year End Memories."
you want the short of it. the webmaster over there is a high strung [EDITED - personal attack] and a information hoarder. that is the whole problem in a nutshell!!!! also from what me and a colleague of mine can discern he is possibly violating several copyright laws by hosting those LPB doc's, hiding them behind the wall and putting his own watermark stamp on them. he is treating that info as if it was his own IP when it belongs to whover bought out the rights to LPB unless it was turned over to PD by the rights holder in which case he still doesn't have the right to hide them behind a secure members only wall and watermark them as if they were his own IP. even if he was granted permission by the rights holder to host them he is not allowed under copyright law to watermark them and secure them as if they belong to him.
he could have a really nice informative website is he was not so intent on it being an exclusive accepted members only club. his website is the inaccessable yaht club of the rich and famous for the part 15 world. in NYC terms he does not want the bridge and tunnel crowd over there and to him people who frequent part 15 us are the bridge and tunnel crowd.
the reason he banned free web based emails was because of me. he banned them when he kicked me off the website for sharing info with non accepted part 15'ers. in other words i was sharing info with part 15 us that he was hiding behind the iron curtain.
sorry to be so blunt but i call it like i see it.
Well, I certainly didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest here!
Quite a reply above, and it does seem like the Fort Knox of information. However, I did receive a timely, polite response this morning, and I'm taking another shot at it. It seems there is a lot of information available there as well, and I'm all for learning and reading everything that's available. I have no beef with anyone, I'm just out to learn and see what others are doing.
Tim in Bovey
I recieved this via email from someone who read this topic and had a comment on it.
i thought it was a good response worthy of forwarding.
the text is as follows.....
Hording information is what led societies in
the past and present to dictatorship and tyrany. The "pick and choose" only
clubs are no representation of anything other than themselves to themselves.
Not any different from corrupt politicians who smile and wave in front of
the public view, then turn around and scam and deal behind closed doors.
Anything within said pick and choose only club is not worth going after in
the first place. Eventually someone on their inside will see the
dictatorship style and do something about it, right under their noses. Let
it be known there is someone already infultrated their little group and they
have no idea who it is. They would have to block every single member just to
try to find out who the spy is. I say good luck to them and let the party
begin!"
Anonymous
I think what is being said here is fair based on what I know about the situation.
In defense of "them" I would say that the same "freedom of the press (keyboard)" exists as it does for us.
As to the "watermarks," they are not watermarks. I have seen the triple-bold slanted ownership stamps defacing the LPB documents, making them virtually unusable. I got copies and have carefully removed the so-called watermarks in a restoration project which cannot be challenged, because all they have is my word on it, and I might be faking.
The way I see it is that the hobby boards for Part 15 radio are complimentary and not competitive. We are not forced to choose one over another.
Neil