GhostNet 1.5, page 19

19 GhostNet Best Practices Any decentralized, uncensorable platform is a double-edged sword. Offering on the one hand truly free speech, but on the other providing a network for malign actors to influence. On the radio waves, there is no “block” button, and users may hear opinions that they do not agree with. This is even more true of a network like the GhostNet, which has no Net Control, no single point of failure. To us, this is a an acceptable com- promise toward the goal of attaining real free speech. However, as the overall goal is information exchange that is helpful for the average person, below are some best practices that can help us all make the most of the platform. Users will get out of GhostNet what they put into it; garbage in, garbage out. Let’s work toward providing quality content for all: Check in Early for Testing A major part of GhostNet is the ability to test gear, and check in with friends. However, with such a small comm window (and hundreds of users), the waterfall can get pretty busy. As such, if you are just beginning or testing out gear, feel free to hop on 30 minutes to an hour before the actual comm window starts. There is enough persistent traffic 24/7 to check your gear before the meeting time, so that we can save a bit of bandwidth for communication. Try to Limit CQs/MSG checks/SNR Reports During Comm Window All of these features are excellent, and should certainly be used. However, with so many users active during the comm windows, it would be a good idea to do these checks before or after the window. Turning off Au- toreplies during the comm window is encouraged. One user requesting an SNR report from the @GhostNet tag causes dozens of rigs to transmit simultaneously...and if a different person does this ever minute or two, most people’s inboxes are filled with SNR reports instead of news reports, intel updates, etc. Likewise, if you want, feel free to share a brief news report or two during the comm window. Sharing information is what this is all about! Be Mindful of QRP Stations Always remember that one often transmits farther than their antenna can hear. It is quite common for more high powered stations to accidentally transmit over smaller stations. Remember the golden rule of radio: Only use enough power to complete the communication. Remember, we’re trying to give the smaller stations a shot, as QRP rigs are extremely common transceivers for beginners. We don’t want to alienate newer oper- ators because they don’t have a really powerful rig, or a super efficient antenna. Use Common Sense Though perhaps a dying virtue throughout the general public these days, simply observing what’s going on and making rational decisions is really helpful in the field of radio. Again, with radio there’s very little content moderation. If it weren’t for the FCC’s regulations there would be no rules at all, and even so most radio etiquette is all but impossible to enforce. Radio is the last bastion of the technical ability to remain free to speak. With that comes great responsibility and the duty to ensure that the goodness we wish to see in the world is reflected in our actions. If someone is sharing a valuable information report, or is providing updates on a world even in real time, it might not be a super great idea to rag-chew right next to them. If the band is a bit busy, and you have a smaller group of friends you’d like to contact, feel free to move to a clear freq. The main freq is just a common gathering place; a tool for all of you to use. And remember, these Best Practices are just helpful tips. Not hardline rules. It would be foolish for anyone to expect any type of enforcement of these recommendations, though many will certainly try. There’s no need to shout someone down for the tiniest transgression of these helpful tips; we’re all learning together and people sometimes make mistakes. The self-policing nature of radio is what turns off many new users, so lets encourage and guide each other, rather than cracking down on the smallest error. We’re all in this together, for better or worse. We may all be strangers separated by distance, but we all want to make the world a better place. So let’s build a team and work together toward the common goal of helping each other in these tough times. Understand the Cultural Barriers Ham radio has a unique culture. Sometimes this culture is not great, and really discouraging towards new users. As much as we might not like to talk about it, it’s the truth. Some operators don’t like new things, and don’t respect the effort we have undertaken to simply provide another communication option. Some other networks think that the GhostNet is hostile towards their own work (which it most certainly is not!). Hams have been observed trying to intentionally jam the network, and generally cause trouble. No plan is perfect, but we are at least trying to improve communications in a time when humanity’s freedoms are at risk. It is with this in mind that we move forward, helping people where we can, and learning a lot along the way. The unspoken cultural issues within amateur radio are obvious to any newcomer, but let’s remind ourselves that the culture is changing for the better...even if we have a long way to go.