... and even if you are not paranoid,
that still doesn't mean that they aren't out to get 'ya.
-
You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
-
The Retevis Holidays giveaway winner has been selected! Check Here to see who won!
FCC ULS Database Privacy?
- Thread starter boomerbill
- Start date
... and even if you are not paranoid,
that still doesn't mean that they aren't out to get 'ya.
err, .... the "case" is far from closed. once the info is on the internet it is IMPOSSIBLE to completly remove it.
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=255933&highlight=uls+address
you can MODIFY you FCC license address all you want , but , the ORIGIONAL info will still be available.
I had a young ham on QRZ.com a few years ago that was bragging that since he asked Industry Canada to remove his address listing from the online database he could not be found nor could his real name be found. Apparently he was being harassed on the air by a well known VE7.
(Let's NOT go there) It took me all of a minute and a half to find out his name and his street name and number and send it to him via PM. He was astounded that I could do it. All you have to do is remember that Google NEVER deletes anything. 
Just last week, a man came to my door. He was asking me my name. I asked him why, as I had never seen him before. He said he was a fellow ham, and after hearing my callsign on the local club net, decided to use QRZ, to get my name, and address. He then Google mapped my address, and in his words, "Viola! Here I am". He then explained that he had spent a few days, going to all of the gas stations in my town, looking for me, as he had heard me talking to a ham buddy, about working my part time job at a gas station. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed, and I was slightly agitated. I politely stated, that he had crossed a line of privacy in my opinion, that left a bad taste in my mouth, and suggested he leave. Get this...He said he was offended. After basically stalking me. 
First time in the 10 years I have been licensed, that anything like that has happened. Even though the information is out there, doesn't mean you have to use it. Think or sink...
First time in the 10 years I have been licensed, that anything like that has happened. Even though the information is out there, doesn't mean you have to use it. Think or sink...
Just last week, a man came to my door. He was asking me my name. I asked him why, as I had never seen him before. He said he was a fellow ham, and after hearing my callsign on the local club net, decided to use QRZ, to get my name, and address. He then Google mapped my address, and in his words, "Viola! Here I am". He then explained that he had spent a few days, going to all of the gas stations in my town, looking for me, as he had heard me talking to a ham buddy, about working my part time job at a gas station. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed, and I was slightly agitated. I politely stated, that he had crossed a line of privacy in my opinion, that left a bad taste in my mouth, and suggested he leave. Get this...He said he was offended. After basically stalking me.
First time in the 10 years I have been licensed, that anything like that has happened. Even though the information is out there, doesn't mean you have to use it. Think or sink...
Gee, maybe he liked the way you sounded on the air.
: 
Just last week, a man came to my door. He was asking me my name. I asked him why, as I had never seen him before. He said he was a fellow ham, and after hearing my callsign on the local club net, decided to use QRZ, to get my name, and address. He then Google mapped my address, and in his words, "Viola! Here I am". He then explained that he had spent a few days, going to all of the gas stations in my town, looking for me, as he had heard me talking to a ham buddy, about working my part time job at a gas station. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed, and I was slightly agitated. I politely stated, that he had crossed a line of privacy in my opinion, that left a bad taste in my mouth, and suggested he leave. Get this...He said he was offended. After basically stalking me.
First time in the 10 years I have been licensed, that anything like that has happened. Even though the information is out there, doesn't mean you have to use it. Think or sink...
I'm sorry this happened to you, but thank you for posting it all the same. This is the type of thing that concerns me. I'm glad it was you that answered the door and not your wife, gf or significant other.
Regarding this thread - I was telling my wife how in response to my original post, several forum members responded as though I was some sort of weirdo for even being concerned about privacy and security. She said "Honey, when a bunch of ham radio operators think your weird, then you must be really weird"!
Nuff said.
Just last week, a man came to my door. He was asking me my name. I asked him why, as I had never seen him before. He said he was a fellow ham, and after hearing my callsign on the local club net, decided to use QRZ, to get my name, and address. He then Google mapped my address, and in his words, "Viola! Here I am". He then explained that he had spent a few days, going to all of the gas stations in my town, looking for me, as he had heard me talking to a ham buddy, about working my part time job at a gas station. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed, and I was slightly agitated. I politely stated, that he had crossed a line of privacy in my opinion, that left a bad taste in my mouth, and suggested he leave. Get this...He said he was offended. After basically stalking me.
First time in the 10 years I have been licensed, that anything like that has happened. Even though the information is out there, doesn't mean you have to use it. Think or sink...
This kind of thing could just as easily have happened if the guy was driving down the street and saw ham radio antennas and decided to stop. Maybe that's why some hams live in HOA restricted places, so they can't be enticed into putting up visable antennas.
When the mood strikes me, I post the following notice on both my front and back doors. Works for me.
[FONT="]GREETINGS.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If you are blessing it, I have already blessed it more than once.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If you are here to save it, it has already been saved.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If you are selling it, I either already have it or don’t want it.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If you are collecting for it, I do all of my donations privately.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If you are just stopping by to say Hi and did not call ahead to let me[/FONT]
[FONT="]know you were coming, I hope you did not drive far to get here.[/FONT]
[FONT="]I work hard during the day and my time at home after work is just that.[/FONT]
[FONT="]My time.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Please do not waste your time by knocking on the door as I will[/FONT]
[FONT="]not answer your knock.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Do not believe that if you knock long enough and hard enough you will[/FONT]
[FONT="]succeed in your mission.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If you do knock long enough and hard enough to get me to the door,[/FONT]
[FONT="]neither one of us will be happy after I open the door.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Please accept my most humble and sincere apology if this has caused[/FONT]
[FONT="]you any inconvenience.[/FONT]
Just last week, a man came to my door. He was asking me my name. I asked him why, as I had never seen him before. He said he was a fellow ham, and after hearing my callsign on the local club net, decided to use QRZ, to get my name, and address. He then Google mapped my address, and in his words, "Viola! Here I am". He then explained that he had spent a few days, going to all of the gas stations in my town, looking for me, as he had heard me talking to a ham buddy, about working my part time job at a gas station. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed, and I was slightly agitated. I politely stated, that he had crossed a line of privacy in my opinion, that left a bad taste in my mouth, and suggested he leave. Get this...He said he was offended. After basically stalking me.
The proper thing for him to have done after using QRZ and Google Maps (in fact, there is no need to even go to GM separately as QRZ includes the map on the Details tab of each lookup) would have been to drop you an email to introduce himself. Cold calling at one's door without some sort of electronic means of communication first just isn't advisable in today's world. I suppose that not all people have thought of that.
On a related note, back when I hired on with the present company about two decades ago, I was at a two week training seminar. As part of the deal we had "tent" signs on our desks so the instructor would know our name and location. As we were leaving one afternoon a guy I'd never seen before asked me if I was the guy from Enid, OK. Well, I was going to be relocating there in the future as I was in my third week on the job and I'd only been in Enid for about two hours in my life up to that time, so no, not really! Anyway, he said he grew up there and wanted to have supper or some such which I politely declined. He seemed a bit hurt and I never saw him again, I suspect he was the contract janitor for the training center. Still, I felt as though information I had provided for the use of a selected few fellow employees was used by a stranger for his own ends. I guess it's just one of those circumstances of living in today's world.
Jeez ,that was a little creepy. I have met lots of hams after talking to them on the radio. Usually I would offer to meet for lunch or antenna party. I would never just show up at someones house unannounced.
address issues
I am one who has waited for years to get a ticket based solely on the address issue. The imbeciles at the FCC are clueless and I have had numerous telephone contacts with them. A couple things came to mind. The UPS store has boxes which you use their street address, and there are many mail drops like the UPS store which are smaller and cheaper. The only thing the FCC wants is a place to mail you PERIOD! In my case my screen name tells all, I have people who don't like me. Being a retired investigator my job has made enemies of very nefarious types. Now living in the middle of no where literally this poses a problem, as there are no mail drops like a UPS store within a reasonable distance. I have toyed with getting a PO BOX in another city/town not too awful far away just for the license issue. When searching online I do not exist and would love to keep it that way.
For those who are unaware you can vanish all utility companies have the ability to obscure your data yes and even the telephone companies will allow alternate listings so caller ID and directory information is not showing you and instead john and sally Doe or whatever name you use as a pseudo. Now the first few layers of call center will often be clueless and you may have to ask for the security dept, and that's no promise they are not clueless, but I have done this for myself and others. As long as the records show you, they don't give a rats rear what shows on the caller ID, directory listing or mailing address so long as the bills are paid.
yet the FCC is the only entity that has made this near impossible. Go figure, they can't stop 50 years on insanity on CB channels 6 and 11 where people run Henry amplifiers at over 3000 to several thousand watts daily, but they raid a man based on a "rumor" he was making amplifiers, and get egg all over their face. Talk about keystone cops...
I am one who has waited for years to get a ticket based solely on the address issue. The imbeciles at the FCC are clueless and I have had numerous telephone contacts with them. A couple things came to mind. The UPS store has boxes which you use their street address, and there are many mail drops like the UPS store which are smaller and cheaper. The only thing the FCC wants is a place to mail you PERIOD! In my case my screen name tells all, I have people who don't like me. Being a retired investigator my job has made enemies of very nefarious types. Now living in the middle of no where literally this poses a problem, as there are no mail drops like a UPS store within a reasonable distance. I have toyed with getting a PO BOX in another city/town not too awful far away just for the license issue. When searching online I do not exist and would love to keep it that way.
For those who are unaware you can vanish all utility companies have the ability to obscure your data yes and even the telephone companies will allow alternate listings so caller ID and directory information is not showing you and instead john and sally Doe or whatever name you use as a pseudo. Now the first few layers of call center will often be clueless and you may have to ask for the security dept, and that's no promise they are not clueless, but I have done this for myself and others. As long as the records show you, they don't give a rats rear what shows on the caller ID, directory listing or mailing address so long as the bills are paid.
yet the FCC is the only entity that has made this near impossible. Go figure, they can't stop 50 years on insanity on CB channels 6 and 11 where people run Henry amplifiers at over 3000 to several thousand watts daily, but they raid a man based on a "rumor" he was making amplifiers, and get egg all over their face. Talk about keystone cops...
