PTG Politics Apologetic

[RndyPotter@aol.com]

Thanks for everyone who responded to what has been termed my "flag waving"
letter, and, well, other things as well. I invited your responses and I
received many. Some came in public, some to my private address. Some sliced
me up, others sent chocolate cake. But through it all, I learned a few things
I would like to relate publicly - because I think they could be helpful to
all of us readers and users who saw that one, and who will see the responses
and comments to it.

First, an apology. (No, I may be crazy, but I am not stupid. I know that I
used "apologetic" in the title, and that is not the same as "apology". The
apologetic comes later.)

I agree with those that noted I was a little hard on some aspects of what is
going on in PTG, and part of what I said was too caustic. I did not mean it
as strong as it came across to some, and I apologize for that. I should not
write such things late at night, as I did. And I should realize that even the
most carefully worded (some of mine was not as careful as it should have
been) statements are going to be taken at their worst by some - and maybe
properly so. How well Dan Quail knows you only get one chance to spell
"potatoe". So, I live, I make mistakes and, hopefully, I learn. I was new to
this page and, perhaps, too zealous to respond.

I said that >"the vast majority of the *readers* of this Page are members of
PTG.
And, it is my opinion, that the vast majority of the readers *arrived* at
this Page through their association with PTG and PTG contacts.
So, it is my opinion, considering that PTG is a binding force among these
persons, that PTG goings-on are going to come up here.
And, though I know this is not the opinion of all who read this Page, it is
my belief that, regardless of what some want - - - this is still America, the
Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.<

I still agree that my premises are true, but have learned a few things in the
past few weeks since I posted that. For example, while the system which
opened up this opportunity for us (the net) was, and is sponsored by our
taxes, there are other considerations. For example, the cost of the equipment
which runs this service is supplied, at no cost to us, by BYU - who does not
accept federal money for anything, I understand. (Good for them.) And the
time spent by those who administer this service for us is either on BYU time,
or their own time. (Thanks guys!) So if THEY get fed up with us going too far
afield, while they cannot, and will not, abridge our right of free speech,
they CAN, if they want to, simply decide not to provide the service any more.

So I stand corrected on that, too.
And having begun to understand some of this, I appreciate it all the more.

My comments on >"some of the problems PTG is experiencing"<, whether accurate
or not, really should be addressed in another arena - and not here. And I
think I was wrong to do that - except that I received a plethora or responses
which are opening up opportunities to talk, in a meaningful way, that will be
useful.
This forum has served to open up discussion on a variety of technical
subjects that, for a variety of reasons, have not been addressed in other
forums available to piano technicians. It allows, for example, the technician
with a question so rare and off track or minor that it would not be handled
in a chapter newsletter or Journal article. And it allows technicians,
whether members of PTG or not, access to others from around the country, or
around the world. I would hate to see that opportunity lost because other
discussions began to obscure the purpose of this service.
So I stand chastised on that account, too.

Yes, this is still >"the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave . . .<
And thanks to you free, brave souls who took the time to respond, even those
who did not defend my right to say my opinion here. (Maybe you were right.)

I also said
>Some say PTG ought to have its own page . . . God forbid.<
I changed my mind on that account, to some extent. Maybe PTG should have
their own page - which should only be accessible by current PTG members. But
if it were for anything but "PTG talk", if it became a substitute technical
area for this public one, it would serve to segregate us - something many do
not want to do. It would segregate us not only from the non-member
technicians (which is not good PR, to say the least), but also from the
general public who is beginning to access this page. What they see, and
learn, about PTG ought to be positive, and to whatever extent my comments may
have been counterproductive to that I also repent.

One could, if they wanted, approach the list owner, request a list of the
240+ current participants, go through the Directory and determine whom are
PTG members, and set up a list to send those persons, and other PTG members
whose addresses they know, whatever PTGish talk they wanted - without putting
it out on the list to non-members and non-technicians who read here.

Or, there could be a separate part of the page, as Larry Fine so aptly
suggested, that would segregate these type of postings from the others. I
read a motorcycle bulletin board, and there are separate areas to post items
about Harleys as opposed to Gold Wings, and even several different models of
Hondas as well. Subscribers could chose not to have postings made in a
certain file delivered to their box.

There have been many postings on this subject since I posted mine (not all
related to mine, I realize, for which I am thankful). A number of them had to
do with what we should do to put out a good foot toward non-PTG members, and
a lot of that had to do with the "caring professionals encouraging and
educating them" theme.
I agree that we should be caring professionals, whether it is with our
clients or fellow technicians.
And I agree we should be encouraging others. We should invite them to PTG
chapter meetings, conferences and conventions. We should feed the pop and
cookies. We should be nice.  But if we thank we can educate someone we are
not aware of what education is all about. We cannot even educate those who
already are members. Because education begins when the student decides to
WANT to learn. And those who want to learn go where the training is. We can
invite them in, but we cannot make them learn. There comes a time to say
"well, enough of that, time to go tune some pianos".

In closing:
Heard the anecdote about the tuner who was in the hospital with a fatal
condition, and while making his Last Will and Testament told his wife to be
sure that all the pall bearers were RPT members of PTG?
Naturally, she asked why, since he had never joined PTG in his 40 years
servicing pianos?
"Its only fitting", he replied. "They carried me all through life, so it is
proper that they carry me in my death."

I thank you for your enlightening comments, welcome your thoughts (whether
you agree with me, or not), and wish you all a happy and prosperous new year.


Randy Potter, R.P.T.