Losses of great resources

[Larry Fisher]

Most of you will remember the vicious hammering some highly talented members
of our trade got a few months back over some issues that affected a very
small number of us, more on an emotional level than on a financial level.
One member quit the PTG all together, the other has retracted from the
cyberfold and only emails non-PTG related mail.  Additionally this latter
member hasn't returned any of my email regarding my opinions and suggestions
that this person make light of the issue.  After all it's in the past.

Some feelings were deeply hurt mostly by the written word, this forum, and
the individuals involved were the spoils of war.  Phone calls were made,
insults were traded, more cyberflap, and then face to face combat .........
in Detroit.  Suddenly the PTG-L traffic diminished to almost nothing.  The
sparring ended, and the battle field was silent (to my ears anyway).
Amazing, the war machine came to a grinding halt, at a face to face event.

We, as a list, and as an organization of specialists, have lost some highly
valuable sources of information.  These people that we've lost are being
reminded of the hell they were put through everytime they talk with one of
us.  We've lost their input and insight, experiences and research, most of
which I regarded as viable and highly reliable information.

Some will say to those of whom I speak, "Get over it already!", placing the
blame on everyone else.  Who IS to blame??  We as a group, sat back and let
it happen.  "It's their problem", "It's a political issue", "It doesn't
affect me" are some of the voices I could hear as I read some of the posts.
It's now our problem and it affects us all.

We can do better.  We're professionals.  We may specialize in piano work,
but we need to preserve our finest sources of information.  Information is
what makes us better.  Experience makes us confident. That confidence is
felt by the customer and that makes for better relations all around hence a
better future in the piano market.

Open your hymnals to number 427 ..........

Lar

                                    Larry Fisher RPT
   specialist in players, retrofits, and other complicated stuff
      phone 360-256-2999 or email larryf@pacifier.com
         http://www.pacifier.com/~larryf/ (revised 10/96)