Comments & Criticisms

Tony Caught caute@optusnet.com.au
Thu, 19 Sep 2002 17:42:58 +0930


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>From time to time we all must accept that this list is for piano =
technicians and people who wish to become piano technicians and as such =
the wishes of the entire list should be listened to not as you put it =
"the majority of participants" as the majority of participants is at =
this time turning this list into a junk platform so if you want to make =
inane comments to other "majority of participants" do it privately and =
save the other 600 people on this list from having to browse through =
your drivel.=20

You wrote

If I find the conversation gets too technical and serious-minded, I will =
simply unsubscribe and use the archives as needed. Then I will find =
other outlets for my need to communicate with humor, curiosity, and real =
interest in the lives of fellow tuners.

Please do so as I believe if you do this banter will stop. You started =
it and others with leak minds followed.


Tony Caught
caute@optusnet.com.au

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Alan R. Barnard=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 4:08 PM
  Subject: Comments & Criticisms


  From time to time we see people criticize participants in this chat =
for their quips, quotes, howdies, and jokes.

  My two cents:

  This being a democracy, the chat will be what the majority of =
participants mold it to be, over time.

  There are some who wish it all to be serious and technical. That's =
okay. That's fair.

  Others enjoy the banter and the camaraderie of comrades in arms (arms =
and hammers, actually). That's okay, too. (Yes it is! Now don't argue. =
Read on ...)

  I am, unashamedly, of the latter disposition. I really enjoy the =
contact with people who fight the same battles I fight. Sometimes, ours =
is a pretty lonely trade.

  Others are more serious-minded and/or introverted. At PTG meetings, a =
common topic is "How do I get the customer to stop talking to me and, in =
fact, leave the room." To this, I say: "Why would you want to?" People =
have temperaments, too.

  I think neither side is "wrong" unless felt and expressed in a =
judgmental way; which is sometimes the tone of said critical posts.

  If the current flavor of the chat--it will change over time--is not to =
the liking of any participant, he or she may reasonably choose to leave. =
They can still benefit from the helpful information and advice of the =
chat by searching the archives.

  But please don't threaten to leave, as if you were scolding children. =
Just bow out quietly.

  Better still (we WOULD miss you), participate in the serious stuff. =
Ask and answer good questions. In time, the character of the crowd may =
sway more to your liking. This thought occurs because I have noticed =
that people with such "complaints" are usually not the ones who are =
actively chatting--even about technical or business issues.

  So, for now, I plan to stick around and I refuse to feel any guilt or =
shame for my big electronic mouth. I yam what I yam. The only thing that =
bugs me about the site are the occasional whiffs of hatefulness and =
intolerance of alternate viewpoints. But that's part of life, too.

  Since I am one heaping coals on foreheads of the serious-minded and, =
since I have always had an overactive guilty conscience, I felt a twinge =
of "O, dear" when I read the most recent critical comments.

  When I am corrected or chastened, I hope I have demonstrated that =
humility is the way to learn. I've seen others employ it here, too. =
Hence, my comments. I don't feel guilty of anything and I won't be =
changing.

  If I find the conversation gets too technical and serious-minded, I =
will simply unsubscribe and use the archives as needed. Then I will find =
other outlets for my need to communicate with humor, curiosity, and real =
interest in the lives of fellow tuners.

  Am I right, or am I wrong? Ah, that's the point. There IS no right or =
wrong about this. But there is something every bit as important as my =
obligation to not intentionally offend others: Others have an obligation =
to take no offense when none was intended, or when sincere apologies are =
given.

  In a note of delicious irony, this post and all the threaten-to-leave =
posts are definitely OT (that's "Off Topic" for you folks in Rio Linda) =
and should be banned.

  Keep smiling, folks. Life is far too important to take seriously.



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