[pianotech] Question of Protocol; was: but will it split

[David Andersen]

Agreed, D.Love. Because this is a craft and a profession that  
encourages passion, obsession, and eccentricity, with deep strains of  
stubbornness and entrepreneurial spirit, you WILL have some standoffs,  
and some tart language occasionally, but by and large this is a  
wondrously civil, fun, educational, loyal community. In my 5-or-6-year  
experience here the only real problems have emerged when listers go  
into what I term "personal venge mode" and cannot, or will not, let it  
go. The Pianotech community lets those posters know very quickly that  
this place IS a community; it has honor; it has ethics; it has  
compassion; it has a purpose, and fills  it spectacularly.

As a father, husband, employer, outsourcer, supplier, friend, and  
business colleague and partner, I've learned through hard lessons and  
bitter failure that an excellent leader in all those realms defines  
terms and a vision, and then keeps a light hand on the rein. The  
leadership of this community has done an impeccable job, in my view.  
This list is a global phenomenon, and more valuable, literally, than  
gold or jewels.

I never, ever take this List for granted. Thank you so much Andy,  
Garrett, and all the folks  in PTG who make this work. MY GRATITUDE IS  
ENDLESS.
David Andersen


On Dec 26, 2008, at 9:41 AM, David Love wrote:

> Civility should always be the goal.  We are, however, a group with  
> personalities and email does a poor job of communicating tone.   
> Generally, the best thing is not to be thin skinned and assume the  
> contributions are, for the most part, well intentioned.
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]  
> On Behalf Of David Skolnik
> Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 7:44 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: [pianotech] Question of Protocol; was: but will it split
>
> Dear list -
> Actually, its likely only a few of you, but we can pretend.  I've  
> taken the trouble to separate what has quickly become a personal  
> issue from any technical discussion about the installation of  
> underlever capstans, since I've always found it disturbing when a  
> worthwhile discussion gets derailed.  I would also like to continue  
> exercising my right to speculate, without feeling vulnerable to  
> personal attack, as opposed to being attacked for my ideas, or lack  
> thereof.  Apart from any explanation of it's underlying source, I  
> would like a representative response as to my question about what  
> constitutes acceptable language and decorum on this list.  Where do  
> "crap" and "stupid" reside in the spectrum?  I'm not looking for an  
> apology.  I'm looking for guidelines...something like the Pirate Code.
>
> David Skolnik
> Hastings on Hudson, NY
>
>
> At 07:52 PM 12/25/2008, you wrote:
>
>
>
>   David
>   Hear hear. Well said
>   Dale
>
> I think the reaction comes from frustratio n with new ideas being  
> rejected for dubious reasons:  that we have always done it this way  
> or we should be capable of doing it the old fashioned way.  Thatâ 
> €™s not really the point.  Of course, we should be able to  
> regulate the damper system with tray felt, paper shims, ironing,  
> etc.  We should also be able to cut a bridge with a chisel but if we  
> can build a power notcher that will cut the bridge in ¼ or the  
> time and with, perhaps, greater accuracy, why resist the idea.   
> Similarly, we should be able to set bearing on a new bridge by  
> pounding in a couple of wedges until it “feels” right,  
> stretching a string and cutting little slots all over the place, but  
> if we can precalculate deflections and the accompanying required  
> bridge height and/or use plate float systems or vertical hitches to  
> tweak the bearing more precisely why such resistance?  There are  
> numerous other examples, many of which are frequently presented on  
> this list.
>
> No one would argue the need for a variety of skills in all areas but  
> neither should the possession of those skills argue for standing  
> still.
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [ mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]  
> On Behalf Of David Skolnik
> Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2008 9:41 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] but will it split
>
> Well, OK baby,
> And I thought I might escape 2008 without one of these.
>
> (DS)
>
> If you were called upon to do a fine regulation of existing dampers,  
> would you first pull the tray and install capstans?
> (RN)
> Stupid question. If you had to regulate a system with capstans,  
> would you pull the tray and remove them? That's two stupid  
> questions. Now what, are we done with that crap?
>

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