<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> RIGHT ON ! !   Agree completely !!  I'm sure the people who started this list, didn't see the list as an inbred place, which didn't tolerate outside ideas, or opinions. I think that almost any subject connected to the music business is not off topic, and can be found to have related interests. We as tuners see other tuners as people who share so many similar problems, piano or customer , which maybe makes us unique in that respect.  There are many other reasons for sure, but that's plenty, because you pointed most of them out, very well.  I still can't wait to get home, so I can get to my PC, and check the list. I'm always looking forward to hearing other opinions, which don't agree with mine, because I'm interested why they are different.  If every body agreed with me, this list would sure be dull. Carl / Winnipeg   Rob Goodale wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE><style></style> Hello everyone. I have been thinking about this OT, Moderated, Unmoderated, Touchy-Feely, shame on you, you hurt my feelings", BS that has evolved on this list and I am reaching a boiling point here.  Something is terribly wrong. I have been on pianotech continuously since close to the beginning nearly 8 years ago.  I don't believe there are more than two or three others still here that go back that far.  Over the years I have seen people come and go.  Some have left and returned and then went away again.  Some haven't come back.  We have also had a few who have passed away. I bring this up because I have to wonder what happened.  We had SO MUCH FUN in the past.  We had arguments that were GOOD arguments, we went off topic, on topic, nobody cared.  It was just a great group of piano techs who had found a place to chit chat.  Most of the time we talked about pianos.  If someone wanted to talk about something else for awhile nobody cared, we were just a great group of piano technicians who had a lot of fun chatting on pianotech and bouncing ideas off each other.  We always had the infamous "flame suits" to put on if need be and we all loved it.  We joked, made fun of each other, got serious, and then laughed again.  If the arguments got nasty we loved the list anyway and wouldn't miss being here for the world.  Ah the good ol' days. Over the past several years many of the Johnny-come-latelys that joined the list seem to have had an assumption that pianotech is something that it isn't.  Disappointed in this expectation they then took it upon themselves to mold pianotech into something else.  A few have self-appointed themselves to reprimand others. Others assumed themselves to be the authorities on what topics were acceptable and which were not.  And some have taken the list to a new level of finger pointing. It would be golden to turn back the clock to when "pianotech" was really "pianotech".  My question is what happened?  Those of you who have only joined within the last couple years will never know what you are missing.  We had a great time and looked forward to exchanging messages piano related or not.  It was just a fun place to meet.  Chaos was always in order and that was the way everyone liked it. It is interesting to note that having talked with others over the last few years as to why they left their number one complaint is that the list evolved into what it is now.  In that spirit might I suggest that we all drop the agenda on trying to make pianotech a nice and neat orderly place with hospital corners?  What pianotech doesn't need is a moderator, officially or otherwise.  Who gives a crap, we're all big boys and girls, we don't need a scout master.  For those of you who can't handle this may I suggest that you start another list elsewhere and leave well enough alone?  Hey, the internet is an  absolutely HUGE place.  There is plenty of room to create that sort of list.  Please just relax for a change and enjoying the flying feathers.  Stupid CAN be fun.  Think of something really off-topic to talk about such as, oh I don't know say... 70's disco fads.  Then have fun trying to relate pianos to it.  Be careful, you might actually find yourself having fun.  Smiling could be fatal for those of you who have a brittle face. Rob Goodale, RPTLas Vegas, NV    </blockquote> </body> </html>