[pianotech] Same ol', same ol'....

[Encore Pianos]

Hi David:

Thank you very much, David, for taking the time and making the effort to
share this information to us.  

Until now, no one had sufficiently explained to us  what the volunteer
effort has meant.  It's sobering to learn of the depth of Andy's
involvement, and Ron's as well.  There is no way that we can adequately
thank either of them for their enormous contribution.  Our very best wishes
to Andy in his future endeavors, he certainly deserves any future success
that comes his way.  And Ron has my respect and a deep bow.  

The point that others have made that continuing this way is unworkable is
finally fully contextualized and understandable.  I get it.  Whew!!!

What David is showing us here is that good, effective communication is hard
work.  It takes initiative to begin it, genuine listening followed by
reflection, and ongoing engagement after that.  But when all parties are
committed to making that effort, that's when you really get somewhere and
you move forward.  Kudos to you, David for taking that bull by the horns.
You have served us all.

And thanks to the committee and board for being at the list meeting and
offering their contributions and insights.  I tried to listen to the
recording, but about half of it was inaudible to me.  

I would like to end my message on a positive note.  I see this as a positive
step.  The best way  we can honor that is by continuing it.  Since we are
all in this together, it is my earnest hope that the home office or the
electronics committee will designate someone to periodically update us
through the list on progress being made with HL (or lack thereof when that
is the case).  For example, it is my understanding from Phil Bondi's message
to the forum before the National that a speed upgrade is coming at the end
of this month.  At the appropriate time, I hope that Phil or a designated
spokesman will give us the head's up.  And continue to do so with bug fixes
etc.  

Respectfully yours,

Will Truitt

  

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Andersen
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 9:45 PM
To: Pianotech Pianotech
Subject: [pianotech] Same ol', same ol'....

Ladies and gentlemen---

What I got from attending the Pianotech Live class at KC: (BTW, where were
y'all? Me, Pat Draine, and Jimi Aleggio were the only regular email list
users to appear)

---this whole listserv, the entire Pianotech Forum, has existed SOLELY
through the unpaid, unreimbursed, herculean efforts of Andy Rudoff---to the
tune of at least 20 hours a week---constantly, 24/7/365, for the last 12 or
14 years. Add in Ron Berry's 10-12 hours per week---again COMPLETELY
volunteer---and that's the bed upon which we've lain like pashas, and what
has allowed our little list at its zenith to attract hundreds and hundreds
of interested, passionate lurkers, intelligent consumers, and possible
future piano artisans. They have allowed us to fulfill part of our
organization's mission statement: to continually provide education to the
membership and to the public at large. Without Andy and Ron, no email
Pianotech list, no digital community meeting house, no massive archive of
thousands of pianistic wisdom nuggets, no structure, no spam
control----nothin'.

And it was all for free. And now, thank God for him, Andy has moved on. Zeus
has abandoned Olympus. Elvis has left the building. The engine dropped out
of the car. Hiring a replacement, suffering through the learning curve, then
paying current rates for a computer expert to do what apparently nobody in
our membership has the chops OR the time to do, would be untenable and
unworkable. and way, way too expensive.

Andy Rudoff was the goose that kept on laying golden eggs; now he's vanished
in a puff of smoke, and if anything goes seriously sideways with the list,
we're in serious trouble, technically and financially.

---this change was worked on, thought about, agonized over, and given
massive amounts of energy by the past two presidents and their Boards.
They, however, apparently thought the listserv members were telepathic, and
failed to adequately communicate or contextualize ANYTHING that was going on
regarding pianotech and the entire migration/integration of our membership
onto a database that's not a nightmare.  I heard two or three direct
apologies to me as the representative, so to speak, of consistent list
users---from Dale Probst, Phil Bondi, and Trevor Martin. BTW, all the PTG
execs in the world were there: Chris Solliday, Alan Gilreath, Jim Coleman
Jr., Norman Cantrell, members of the Electronic Communications
Committee---about a dozen execs. They were listening, and listening hard,
friends. They were open; they listened carefully to anything the listserv
members had to say.

---Kent Swofford is one of the coolest guys in the world. As a consistent
user AND and an executive, he was the moderator, and deeply understands the
concerns of both the execs and the members. He did a great job facilitating
authentic, honest communication, and clear, authentic communication,
face-to-face, is like healing ointment, as several present were heard to say
and affirm.

---That the execs are watching HL closely to see if they will actually do
what they promised, which was provide us a seamless interface for the
listserv and the web-based forum, and that they are ready to pull the plug
and go a different way if HL doesn't produce what they committed to in short
order---weeks, I believe was said.

---that at the end of the day, this IS a volunteer deal---and that we're all
on the same team. I would like everybody involved in this dialog to remember
that. There are no enemies, no adversaries here. I am on a men's team that
meets every week, for support, fun, relationship, and  to help each other
honor our commitments and raise our game in all areas. Here is one of our
team standards: "bring what you're missing."

It's so easy to bitch and moan from the sideline. I was missing clear
communication from the executive side, so I took action. I went to the
meeting. I began a personal dialogue with thre execs, Probst, Bondi, and
Coleman, so that this failure to communicate won't happen again.
Yesterday I made my first halting attempts to hook up thru myptg.org; I had
some issues; instead of swearing and asking enraged rhetorical questions as
if I had a rapt audience---I'm really good at both, very entertaining---I
reached out and asked for help, and got four replies with suggestions within
hours. I got one reply in minutes. They heard us. They're acting.

---bitching just pisses people off and moves nothing forward.

---a LOT of messages that are accepted on our list would ever be said in
person. They don't pass what I call the eyeball test: if you can say what
you say on the List while looking at the other person's eyes, have at it. If
you can't, or wouldn't, don't type it. Israel Stein, I'm thinking of you.
Way to shoot PTG in the foot. And I WOULD say that to you, gladly, looking
in your eyes.

---sarcasm doesn't play well via email; there are no mitigating
circumstances, no comforting body language, to soften the sour blow.
Again, the eyeball test.

---the PTG has committed to preserve the email listserv, as it is now, for
the foreseeable future---my take, until we can most of us be enrolled in a
tweaked listserv/forum hybrid that comes from our demands and the execs'
response.

Whew.

I don't know of the audio recording is listenable; our pal Duaine H. thought
not; if it is, you can hear what went down.

Just my little bit to enable clarity and teamwork, kids-----

DA