One of the problems with the internet and the World Wide Web is that anyone can say anything about anything.
Anonymously.
Courtesy disappears completely when people can hide behind “squirrelbrain321.” It makes the cable news talk shows seem downright civil by comparison.
American Radio Relay League – 100 years of Service http://www.arrl.org
My son asked me the other day why I liked talking with people via ham radio when it’s possible to connect to people all over the world via the internet.
I originally said because hams tend to have more in common – a technical and science orientation. Some degree of intelligence – at least enough to pass the license examination. Oh, and at least a common interest in radio communications.
Later I realized that another reason is that most hams try to interact in a friendly and collegial way. There are always a few jerks in any group, but they are in the minority.
Why do hams interact this way? Because each of us has a unique identifier – a call sign, that we’re required to transmit every ten minutes and at the end of every radio conversation. If you don’t have a call sign, no one will talk to you. If you make up a call sign, you get discovered pretty quickly. Break the rules and you can lose your license (and end up with a hefty fine.)
Oh, and the Federal Communications Commission can isolate where a signal is coming from quickly and accurately if you decide not to play by the rules.
Since hams have to identify themselves and have something to lose, it’s in their best interest to play well with others. Best of all, nobody seems to mind. It’s not a burden to be polite.
I understand that there are many good reasons to protect anonymity on the internet, however, enabling people to be abusive jerks isn’t one of them.
sfnowak 