<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Ron Koval said:</SPAN></div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"></SPAN> </div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">"Perhaps this could be a reason for the push to the new software?  I'm troubled by this shift, perhaps as<BR>much as I am troubled by my (and your) dues money now being used for radio ads in our local community<BR>that are at best a conflict of interest, and at worst a departure from the truth."</SPAN></div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"></SPAN> </div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"></SPAN> </div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Ron,</SPAN></div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"></SPAN> </div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Now you know where the $80,000<VAR id=yui-ie-cursor></VAR> raise the PTG is getting from the dues increase is going,</SPAN></div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"></SPAN> </div> <div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Matthew</SPAN><BR style="RIGHT: auto"></div> <DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=2 face=Arial> <DIV style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 0; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-TOP: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 0px" class=hr contentEditable=false readonly="true"></DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Ron Koval <drwoodwind@hotmail.com><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Wednesday, October 26, 2011 1:07 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [pianotech] new/old list...<BR></FONT><BR> <DIV style="RIGHT: auto" id=yiv1381196373> <STYLE></STYLE> <DIV style="RIGHT: auto"> <DIV style="RIGHT: auto" dir=ltr>Yup, it's me.<BR><BR>I pulled myself out of lurking mode to respond to what I felt was an example of the reality of <BR>what lies just beneath the veneer of civility - that attitude of entitlement and elitism that kept<BR>me away from the PTG for years.  I finally joined because of this list - back when it was hosted<BR>by BYU - even before Andy Rudoff hosted.  The lure of an "open source" discussion; where learning<BR>and teaching was valued by many of the technicians I'd get a chance to meet.<BR><BR>Associate and non-member bashing really doesn't reflect well on the brand of RPT.  <BR><BR>I read almost everything on this list, but don't respond too much anymore.  It was instructive<BR>to go back into the archives to find out that this list began to be hosted by the PTG in the fall<BR>of 2002.  Even after the move the list claimed: (from the "more info on this list")<BR><BR>The "pianotech" list, provided as a community service by the Piano Technicians Guild, is a forum for piano technicians. The list resides on the PTG server and is maintained by the PTG, but the PTG does not control the content in any way. <BR>The "pianotech" list is an open list, allowing anyone to subscribe or submit posts. <BR><BR>Contrast that with the new list: (which runs too slow for me to use in a meaningful way)<BR><BR>"This site is provided as a service for the members of The Piano Technicians Guild."<BR><BR>Perhaps this could be a reason for the push to the new software?  I'm troubled by this shift, perhaps as<BR>much as I am troubled by my (and your) dues money now being used for radio ads in our local community<BR>that are at best a conflict of interest, and at worst a departure from the truth.  <BR><BR>From what I understand, membership in the PTG accounts for about a third of the working technicians in the states.<BR>Of those members, about a half are RPTs.  I've got to wonder about my commitment of time and money<BR>to an organization that advertises against half of the membership...<BR><BR>Ron Koval<BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></div></body></html>