CD ROM Project Rant

[Richard Brekne]

Well,.. lets see.. what do we have here..

Several fingers have been raised about selling out years of experience too
cheaply. Points have been made about enabling any hobby-ist to compete, or do it
himself. And points have been made about newbies not paying their "dues" (and I
am refering to more then just the annual PTG membership dues).

Seems to me that the first point is the most valid. One definately does not want
to give this away to cheaply. If 100 bucks is too cheap well ok make it more.
Its certainly worth more.

As far as the hobby-ist is concerned. I say bring em on. I have cleaned up
through years on these types of guys. There are usually two types. The guy who
tries it once and blows it big time, then gets tired and does it himself on
something else, like his VW or something. The other guy is the one who figures
he can make a few fast bucks by reading a book, buying a machine and calling
himself a pro.

Now I am the first to get angry at some half bit fraud who goes around stealing
peoples money by panning himself off as a piano tech and in the process wrecking
peoples pianos. But this is a problem that cannot ever really solved.
Fortunatly, these guys are eating at the bottom (of the latrine) end of the
market, and even then eventually dissapear often as not. In any case I cant see
them as any threat to me. Good buisness sense, hard work, reasonable marketing
and I am assured of a nice fat living. The only competition I "fear" is the kind
that does me the most good. Another professional, who strives to do the best
he/she can. I gots to keep on my toes to meet that kind of "threat". And
besides, customers who use these guys are most often (tho not always) the kind
of customers I prefer to do without.

As far as newbies paying their dues is concerned. They will in time, they most
certainly will. And hopefully when they reach the age of 40 years or more
experience they will be just as willing to help the new generation learn the
ropes as the present one is. You guys who have created the PTG, helped it grow,
and kept it going have something to be very proud of. And from one who has
stayed on the sidelines all to long (for reasons I will not get into) I tip my
hat off to you. If I could re-do the past 25 years in this regard I would, but
past is past. The point is you all have something to be very proud of. Your
offering of knowledge to your fellow humans may or may not be misused, but that
does not take away from the honour you bestow upon yourselves by shareing what
you know.

There is no form of protectionist policy that in the end is anything more then
self destructive. In the end a positivist attitude will accomplish more, both
for your own income, and the furthering of the art. It always does.

Richard Brekne