QRZ forums

I have been asked in several emails why I have apparently ceased contributing to the QRZ forums.

I have chosen to not contribute because it has become clear to me that QRZ protects and gives harbor to those who would seek to damage others' reputaions by repeated lies.

The final straw was a posting from Cecil Moore (W5DXP) "Speaking of old wives tales being propagated by inexperienced hams, are you still supporting that 3ns delay through a 100uH air-core coil?".

It is a loaded question, I have never supported the proposition he alleges, but he had repeatedly suggested something to that effect both online and in direct emails. It would seem that he draws inspriation from Lenin who is reported to have said "A lie told often enough becomes the truth".

I attempted to set the record straight by posting "Cecil, you cannot produce any evidence that I ever said or did that. In view of your persistence, I must call you out plainly as a liar."

So, he took that as an opportunity to ask the question again in the guise of reconciling the truth: "Owen, since you appeared to defend w8ji's coil delay measurements, I assumed that you support them. If I was mistaken about that, it was an honest mistake. If you will answer "no" to the following question, I will apologize for being wrong about what I thought you were trying to say. Do you support w8ji's 3ns delay measurements through the specified 100uH air-core coil?"

Another false statement embedded in this quote as if it was true, I have never defended W8JI's coil delay measurements.

I do not need to refute his assertion further, it is not true because I have never said it, I have refuted it in the past and to no avail, he continues to repeat the assertion in one form or another, perhaps having Lenin's stragety in mind.

What kind of misguided fool thinks he can blackmail me into opposing something someone else (W8JI in this case) has said, just so he will stop repeating lies about me? I will choose whether or not to publicly support or oppose W8JI's assertions. Again, a manifestly dishonest act and one that questions the credibility of a person who resorts to such techniques to gather support.

Then Cecil posts "Owen, please calm down and take another look at my posting. I did NOT make a statement - I asked you a question.To the best of my knowledge, it is impossible to lie while asking a question, at least in American English."

It is not an honest question, it is a loaded question, a question that implies something that is false, and the practice is often used disonestly to damage reputations. The law recognises the technique, and acknowledges a loaded question can be cause of damage to a persons reputaion and grounds for seeking redress.

A bigger issue here is not Cecil Moore's behaviour, dishonest as it is, but that of the QRZ moderators, one of whom claims to be trained in the law, who reprimanded me for calling Moore a liar for his repeated uttering of this lie in the face of my previous denials. In so doing, QRZ has notified its own values.

VK1OD on the 'net. I appreciate feedback, click on the ... in webm...@vk1od.net for my email address.