Social Media Groups and Hams

Don't be a jerk

Over the course of the past couple of years, I’ve joined perhaps a dozen Amateur Radio groups on various Social Media platforms, usually in an effort to assist others, answer questions, or ask my own questions.

Invariably, I’ve come across, in every, single group, a subset of individuals who appear to join simply to be jerks. They troll, make rude comments, the cajole others, they denigrate some person(s) or aspect of the hobby.

Sure, I get that there are some curmudgeons out there who believe that life was simpler with CW only, or that AM ruled the waves or that they think no one should be allowed to hold a ham license without being able to do 45 words per minute with a straight key.

Honestly, this is a very small number of people.

We ALL have our reasons for getting a ham license, and to be fair, there are a few out there who think they don’t require one and believe they shouldn’t. Even so, it doesn’t explain the number of plain, old jerks that join the various media groups and do all the rude down-talkin’ they do to others.

I believe that the majority of humanity is probably good; that most people would help another in need; that most would rather simply be left alone than to start a fight. And yet, here we are in the age of computers, with the ability to write, and communicate much fast, further, and perhaps “better” than simple CW could, or even Single-Side Band is capable, by using our words, our images, our thoughts to entice others to think, to learn, to grow and to join the ranks of the Amateur Radio Operators of the world.

Teaching is important, for when you refuse to teach but instead put others down for having knowledge, or taking the time to simple troll them or make fun of them, it lowers the over all impression of a hobby.

I would ask that all Amateurs, young and old, big and small to take a moment out of your day and instead of posting a rude, obnoxious remark, a joke or being a plain-old-jerk, to stop and think before you post in a Ham group.

Answer the question without rudeness. Answer with the intelligence we all know you have.

To the rest of you out there, who ask the questions, or who give good answers… simply ignore the rude people who make fun of your question. Remove them from your groups. Remove their rude comments. Block them if you must. But, let’s stop giving them a voice.

Let’s take back our Amateur Radio Service, and bring back the camaraderie, the helpfulness and the kindness that Amateurs were once known for being.

Teach. Don’t Troll.