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G4EBT > ACTION 10.07.06 14:45l 141 Lines 5938 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 7A2282G4EBT
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re VK/UK Regs 6/6
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0IDN<DB0MW<DB0ZDF<DB0LJ<DB0RES<ON0BEL<GB7FCR
Sent: 060710/1213Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:49861 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:7A2282G4
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : ACTION@WW
So why all the fuss - obsessive compulsive disorder?
No - the catalyst which finally prompted me was when one of the VK
amateurs told lies in a packet bull, claiming I'd been "banned" from
several VK BBSs for writing bulletins about religion and politics -
perfectly permissible topics under the regs.
Everyone has their limits, I reached mine.
Quote:
>After you had been banned from certain BBSs because of your trouble
>making you were let back in but you are still at it.
Pack of lies. He was asked to either supply proof of that outlandish
libellous statement, or retract it and apologise. He did neither.
He continued:
>Why? Have you a mental problem? I wonder.
Quite disgraceful. No I don't.
That said, I readily accept that I'm a self-opinionated, insufferable,
know-all windbag, who could bore for Europe. I'm in good company on here.
Telling lies to blacken someone's character and suggesting they might have
a mental health problem is reprehensible. It carries criminal sanctions
under section 108(2)(d) of the Australian Communications Act 1992, and
risks a civil action for libel and an injunction.
It was a reckless and hypocritical way to behave by someone who likes to
"take the moral high ground" and claims to be concerned about "standards",
"not causing offence to others", and the "ham spirit". Humbug.
But there you go - that's packet for you. We all have our odd ways
and can "spit the dummy" sometimes, albeit few of us tell lies.
I wrote:
>I'm not "dobbing" anyone, I'm not interested in the personalities,
>just to resolve the issues and to establish the principles.
Those principles have now been established at the highest level in the
Australian Government - the Attorney General, and confirmed to me by him
in writing.
Why did I write to the Attorney General rather than the Australian
Communications and Media Authority - the enforcement body for amateur
radio?
Firstly, the track record of the ACA (as it was) doesn't inspire
confidence, any more than did the RA till Ofcom swallowed it up and
started doing the job properly.
The ACA incompetently went against its own regs when it wrongly closed
down the Morrabin Amateur Radio Society News net, and took three months
to rectify its error.
Secondly, the ACMA's enforcement duties with regard to amateur radio are
primarily concerned with ensuring that Australian amateurs don't exceed
the maximum transmitting power levels or cause radio interference to other
radio spectrum users, particularly the emergency services and air traffic
control, or operate outside permitted bands.
In that regard, problems are rare - radio amateurs as a whole are
responsible members of the community, who readily provide valuable
radio communications support in times of emergency.
The matter in question doesn't involve those issues - it concerns the
compatibility of the terms of the Australian amateur radio licence with
the Australian Human Rights Framework.
That's more in keeping with the Attorney General's role than the ACMA.
Many amateurs understandably believe that controversial topics are best
avoided, (as opposed to forbidden by the terms of the licence), and they
steer clear of them. Fine, that's their choice.
However, those who attempt to stifle legitimate discussion between others
who do choose to discuss such topics may not simply contravene the terms
of the licence, but human rights too.
It isn't those who write about religion and politics who are sailing close
to the wind, but those who try to stop them. That's not just my opinion,
it's a fact of law, which needs to be taken note of.
Some packet users seem not to have adapted well to it, having spent
decades on other modes. They don't appear to have even an elementary grasp
of the significant differences between a data mode and other modes, such
as SSB & CW.
Just as the mere possession of a Morse key doesn't make one a proficient
operator on CW, it's abundantly clear that the possession of a keyboard,
monitor, PC and some software doesn't make the owner competent on packet,
which requires rather more than simply an ability to read and write.
On other modes, people either make or respond to a CQ call to engage in
one-to-one QSOs with individual amateurs, often fleetingly. They generally
exchange remarks on their station, antenna, location, signal reports, QSOL
info etc.
However, a bulletin on packet is no more than an invitation to others to
either read or ignore a text message. It is not a QSO, and many aspects
relevant to other modes have no relevance on packet. (Signal reports, DX,
contests, station details, etc).
Few amateurs, myself included, would initiate a discussion out of the blue
about religion or politics with a stranger on air, albeit that would be
perfectly permissible under the regs both here, in VK, or elsewhere.
In contrast to on-air QSOs, packet isn't in real time - no one can spring
unpleasant or unwelcome surprises; the subject matter is clear from
bulletin headings; messages are not force fed to individuals - they're
placed on BBSs and are written with the intention of either seeking or
imparting information and ideas and sharing views.
Just as people have the opportunity to download and read/respond to
bulletins, they have an inalienable right to ignore them.
If people do exercise their free choice to read messages, they can either
bin them, reply personally to the sender, or by bulletin, either agreeing
or disagreeing with the views expressed.
It shouldn't have needed saying, but maybe people will now properly
understand and respect the regs as they actually are. It's 2006 and
we're citizens in democracies, not subjects in dictatorships who have
to bend our knees to tyrants.
73 - David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
QTH: Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
Message timed: 12:09 on 2006-Jul-10
Message sent using WinPack-Telnet V6.70
(Registered).
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