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but the struggles that I witness other people having while they're just trying to get into a wonderful hobby, & contribute to its growth & survival, has really gotten under my skin today.

So I'm poking some right in the eye.

If that means you're now gonna block me, good. Good bye, good riddance, and good luck ya dillweed.

@tsherrygeo @kelvin0mql I was at a coffee shop when I saw this, but as soon as I got home in it went.

Kelvin n0mql EN35ld

@kc2ihx @tsherrygeo
We could start a campaign of sorts to put POLITE pressure on QRZ, your favorite logging software, etc. to add a pronouns field to their database(s).

@kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo

I'd happily sign a petition, but I sadly have zero expectations of QRZ responding given what I've heard about them.

@kc2ihx @tsherrygeo
Same.

But you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

I know this because I generally take zero shots.

@kc2ihx @kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo Great idea guys. I've added my pronouns to my QRZ page too... I wish my employer would add a field for preferred pronouns on their employee lookup app. My former employer had it built in, but I think a lot of companies (like QRZ?) probably just view is as additional development work they don't want or feel the need to do...

@tsherrygeo @croyle @kc2ihx
Yeah, it’s an uphill battle if someone needs to lift a finger.

@kelvin0mql @kc2ihx @tsherrygeo

I just edited my page. Thanks for the idea, Kelvin!

#hamradio
#pronouns

@kelvin0mql @kc2ihx @tsherrygeo Added to mine, too. If no one has already logged the suggestion on QRZ, I'll do it.

@wt8p @kelvin0mql @kc2ihx @tsherrygeo I added my pronouns to my QRZ profile page maybe a year ago. No one has ever commented, but despite how many people use QRZ to look up every contact while on the radio, I don't think many people actually read them.

@wt8p Please do pass the suggestion on to the QRZ folks!

Yes, I did a year ago when this thread started, and have not had any comments one way or the other. As @croyle suggests, I don't think anyone really reads QRZ profiles, at least not unless there's some really out-there photos of antennas or shacks.

@kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo

qrz profiles, side remark about a typo on one

@wt8p @croyle @kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo

I did run across a QRZ profile for a guy with a whole forest of towers, and somewhere near the bottom in the text, he had "proud to be a live member of ARRL"

(Given the demographic, I'm sure there's a fraction of ARRL members who have expired before their membership expires, but I imagine in this case it was a typo.)

@kc2ihx @wt8p @kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo I suspect that most people who look up users are doing it via a logging tool (like I see when I enter a callsign for a log into MacLoggerDX) which doesn't display the QRZ profile page Biography (except maybe the photo?), which is the only place where you can currently add your pronouns...

@croyle
Given that some folks use it that way and then complain when someone's call isn't valid, despite ULS being the authoritative source, yes, I'd suspect few people look at anything more than "does it exist".

(lots of valid reasons to not be on QRZ: non-US call signs that are not automatically updated, QRZ has a pending update from ULS to pull, person was banned from QRZ, or person lives in a country with real privacy laws)

@wt8p @kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo

@kc2ihx @croyle @tsherrygeo @wt8p
I did intentionally choose an “out there” photo.

@kc2ihx @wt8p @croyle @kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo Nobody reads them? In that case, I'm going to load my profile images full of steganographic data! Nobody will find it!

@ve3qbz @kc2ihx @wt8p @kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo I do often read them - if I bother to look at them at all for some reason... But I suspect that most lookups are people logging contacts in real time (like POTA activators or whatever) and they're not taking the time to do anything more than a quick attempt to confirm they have the right call in their log, if that.

@kc2ihx @wt8p @croyle @kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo This could be my new hobby. I could add fortune cookie style fortunes to every image I post or send. Alt text? Check! Steg text? Check!

@ve3qbz @wt8p @croyle @kelvin0mql @tsherrygeo

Them: oh yeah, I upload my logs to QRZ.

Their QRZ logs: screenshot after screenshot of a custom logging application built in FileMaker running on Mac OS 8.

@croyle @kelvin0mql @kc2ihx @tsherrygeo

[I need to retake remedial training in Mastodon 101 so I see responses/tags 🙄 ]

I do glance through profiles (via the website) when I'm making a DX or POTA contact primarily because it's been a good learning experience. Now there will be extra incentive with @ve3qbz's steganographic data!