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

[Laura Olsen]

Hi David,

It was good to see you.  Sorry I couldn't make the meeting.  I'm glad you're feeling better about the "state of the union".  I tried to listen to the recording, but found if very difficult.  I'm going to try again with a pair of headphones.

Communication is a good thing!

Laura Olsen
Barrington, IL

On Jul 21, 2011, at 4:58 AM, Encore Pianos wrote:

> 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 
> 
>