Qualifications to Use this List ich.edu>

[waco@ari.net]

Ron Torrella wrote to Johathan aka Scarecrow:

"....as you seem eager to participate in the College and
University Technician's online technical information exchange, it's great
to have you around.  Perhaps some of your readers (including me) would
like to know who you are -- specifically -- since the agreed-upon protocol
(which hasn't been outlined recently) here at pianotech is to include your
*full* name and affiliation to the PTG and elsewhere (do you own a
business?) at the end of your post. "

This brings up a few questions:

1. Is this forum exclusively for College and University Technicians?

2. What is the agreed-upon protocol, and who agreed to it?

3. Is there a requirement to be affiliated with the PTG in order to use this
forum?

4.  Is there a requirement to be affiliated with and/or own a business to use
this forum?

Johathan's questions were good ones.  Seems to me, the attitude that unless you
are a University employed technician who owns his own company and is a member of
the PTG, you can have nothing worthy to contribute is fatally shortsighted.
Where you work and what clubs you join are no guarantee of competence or
knowledge.  Each person should be judged by the quality of his contribution to
this list.  Don't make me dig up old posts from "qualified" list-members to make
the point that misinformation and inane rambling are not the sole provinces of
"non-qualified" list-members.

I am not a guild member, I am not employed by a university, and I am not a
professional technician.  However I do have a background in composite aerospace
structures and manufacturing, I am a fairly accomplished musician, I have
absorbed a good deal of piano technology over a lifetime of study, and, I am
sure that from time to time I can contribute something worthwhile to the
readers.  Sorry to be so testy.  Those of you who only want to read what PTG
members/University employees write may set your kill file to:

Frank Weston