At 10:28 AM 7/23/99 +1000, Woodrow, John (Parramatta) wrote: >> >>The primary reason that I hold IC membership of the PTG is so that I can >>use this and other valuable PTG resources and not feel that I am some >>sort of foreign freeloader. IMO, only PTG members (being those who are >>prepared to put their money foreword) should have access to this list >>and the archives. >> >>John Woodrow >>Sydney, Australia >>ICMPTG > At Wed, 22 Jul 2099 22:35:27 Jay/Deb Mercier wrote: >I would probably feel the same about this as you do if I were a member. >But >I'm not a member and I don't feel that way at all. The list and archives >are there to anyone online and there are no current membership stipulations >preventing anyone from using them. > >I don't feel like a free loader but a technician learning more every day >with this wonderful medium. If I'm labeled as a freeloader then that's >fine. Whatever. > >The information is simply there to view. Making the list and archives >"property of the PTG and for members only," would accomplish nothing. > You can feel any way you wish, but it is people like you who make those of us who put in the time and the effort to put resources on the Internet ask ourselves the question "why are we doing this?". No, buddy, the information isn't "simply there to view". Somebody creates the computer files and maintains them, and somebody pays for and maintains the server on which they "live" and somebody maintains the e-mail lists which generate the information, and somebody takes care of the bugs, and somebody deals with all the questions that all the Internert ignoramuses are too lazy to find out for themselves, and somebody pays for the bandswidth that it all uses up. So let us not even talk about the PTG being part of the equation. Let's just say that people like you who think that the information is "simply there to view" and therefore feel that they are "entitled" to read it without contributing to the upkeep are a real negative incentive to continuing all this work and expense. The information will be "simply there to view" as long as the people who put it there feel like giving it away. And when they no longer feel like giving all that time and resources away, then it will either disappear, or a mechanism will have to be found to pay for the resources and the labor that is needed to keep the information there "simply to view" . So far PTG member volunteers have contributed all the time and resources needed for this information to be "simply there to view". And, frankly, it isn't their job to educate every piano technician wannabe, just out of the goodness of their hearts. With this perspective, there are many things that can be accomplished by limiting access to the information only to people who are willing to contribute to the upkeep in some way. For example, paying for keeping it there when the current volunteer crew burns out (and, I assure you, this WILL happen, sooner or later. As an Internet resource grows and becomes more successful, the upkeep workload increases). So enjoy your free lunch while it lasts. And don't be too proud of yourself - your idiotic post may just be what convices the people who bring you this free resource that they have better things to do with their time than provide free infomation to ingrates... _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
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