I highly advise making topics/forums hidden to general public.
I highly advise making topics/forums hidden to general public.
Radio-Talk.net already does this HobbyBroadcast is going to be getting on board with this soon and few other part 15 forums are sure to follow the trend soon.
the topics are giving our favorite ant- part 15 crusader plenty of fuel to run over to radio-info and spew his views in the only forum left that tolerates his crap.
he has also been known to email users here after reading a post on these forums and harass them via email.
maybe leave the blogs in the clear but lock down the two forums. this one and classifieds section.
this will also help keep certain 3 letter agencies and organizations from easily keeping tabs on part 15 stations.
B*I, R**A, A***P, F*C, S***C, Etc.
and of course good ol' R**h F*y
This is an interesting topic, kc8gpd, and I may be back again with more to offer, but at the start, I checked out radio-talk.net, which you mentioned, and which I have never looked at until now, and wow....
One commenter, talking about serious shake-ups within the Clear Channel organization, mentioned that WSM in Nashville almost got sold, and that hit home because we've been talking about that station in recent threads...
And the commentator made the plea that the large stations should devote some effort to informing the community in case of emergencies, which we've also talked about.....
And here's where it got personal... the writer said, "...even if a Part 15 station has to fire up more power in a major emergency, they should be allowed to do it, PERIOD, IN MY OPINION, as long as they sending out information vital to the community in a serious emergency!"
Wow. That's us being talked about in a positive way over on a professional forum/blog site! Thumbs up!
Requiring a login to view content would seem not to prevent activities as you suggest since it would only require a sign up to gain access to the content.
I believe having this site open to view promotes part 15 activities and the exchange of information.
Neil
I would like to know more about the core problem as stated by kc8gpd, who speaks about people who are against part 15 radio.
I have no doubt there are some people like that, since there will always be someone against any given thing, but what is their reason for being against part 15?
Is it a vendetta over some past disagreement?
Or, do they have some reason that exists on a reasonable level, although I cannot imagine what that would be?
Neil is right, the trolling poking blabbers will simply sign up using some freebie email thing and fake screen name and sneak through the back door way and continue the endeavor. The only ones who will be left out are the visitors and if they cannot see content without having to sign up, they most likely will turn away.
The forum here is an information source for all. It should remain that way..members or not. It gives the visitor a chance to "kick the tires" and see what the place is like before signing up. Keeping the forum as is now is like having a nice welcome sign lit up. And if the new customers can at least look through the storefront window and displays, they are more apt to go through the front door (sign up) and make a buy (start posting and sharing).
There will always be the net nanny panny annie social outcasts no matter what. Let's not take the same route the country did back in 2002 by enclosing ourselves around false senses of security while taking away our ability to be free and independent. In other words, why change our ways and lifestyles which will have little to no effect in preventing the problem but it sure will have a large effect in our way of doing things here?
In such a case, they win..we loose. Sound familiar with the nation and policies and such? You bet it does!
The simpler solution is to simply ignore them.
RFB
I hope no-one minds if I pipe up here with my two cents worth....I am more inline with keeping the forums open rather than closed - I am a big believer that what exists here, that you all have created, is a huge benefit to the world at large and is good for it to be free and open. It says a lot about everyone who contributes here and it would be a shame to wall it in.
The other reason is the one already stated, it wouldn't actually 'prevent' anyone from reading, commenting etc so we would only be taking something great away from those who need it.
As far as being 'harassed' by someone - I encourage you to let me know if you are harassed by anyone as a result of what they say here, I will do what I can to see it stop.
Cheers~!
Jon Paul
I agree to keeping the forums open. The whole aim and idea here is the promotion of legal unlicensed broadcasting. Discussions on the best directions of experimentation and implication involved with the hobby or venture of part15 broadcasting.
By the way...
http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rma/lowres/rman6525l.jp g" target="_blank">
Both those sites have had a history of opening and closing their forums to the public. They've done it time and time again, only to find it fails miserably.
I like open threads, we have nothing to hide, so don't worry about Mr. FCC. Plus, open forums invites people in, lets them see the site to see if its worthwhile.