Who is Kim Bunker?

[Richard Brekne]

Hi Gregor.

That refers government laws that specify what education a given 
tradesman must have successfully completed in order to use a tradesmen 
title and / or do work for pay or otherwise in that trade.  In some 
countries of the world folks are required by law to have completed some 
form of approved education in order to work as pianotechs much like a 
doctor or lawyer in the US are.

While this does not guarantee the consumer that the tradesman can and 
will always do professional grade work... it DOES give the technician no 
excuse for not doing so... and hence therein lies a protection potential 
for the consumer. I'd say on the whole.... its a better solution then 
the free for all one finds many places.

Cheers
RicB


    Ric,

    what do you mean by: industry is quite regulated?

    Gregor


         >From: Richard Brekne

         >Hi Paul,
         >
         >Thanks for the greeting. Its nice to be back ! Summer was
        fantastic... 8400
         >kilometers of driving all over Europe... French Britany
        coast... Zermat and
         >the Matterhorn in Switzerland, Berlin, Amsterdam... Koblenz on
        the Rhine...
         >all with camping trailer pulled behind. Mixed in to all this
        was a week at
         >the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with a bunch of very
        accomplished CAUT
         >techs for the yearly Steinway & Sons seminar there.  Very
        interesting
         >approach to learning and quite enlightening to see up close
        and personal
         >how an all Steinway School actually functions... what they
        think of
         >themselves and all the implications back and forth about being
        <<all
         >Steinway>>.
         >
         >As far as the guy is concerned.... tongue in cheek from my
        part as much as
         >anything else. I have to crack up a bit as the collective
        <<we>> on
         >pianotech and what we let ourselves get all riled up about. 
        If there is an
         >interesting bit to the episode (interesting to me anyways...)
        its that this
         >kind of thing is a natural expectant... a result if you will
        of the US
         ><<freedom>> concept.  One is actually very free to do exactly
        what that
         >fellow does over there.  And in fact the PTG as an
        organization endorsed
         >this freedom when asked some years back about regulating the
        industry if I
         >am not mistaken. The same condition exists here in Norway...
        but not every
         >place in Europe.  In Switzerland the industry is quite
        regulated... or was
         >last time I checked.  In Germany it is also... but that is
        weakening.  In
         >my experience the <<free for all>> approach is at best a
        double sided
         >sword.... with the sharpest edge on the buyer beware side. 
        But thats just
         >my thinking.  Regardless how  one approaches the subject
        tho.... ignorance
         >is a self-breeding beast that even the best of the best find
        hard if not
         >impossible to avoid being smitten by from time to time.
         >
         >Cheers
         >RicB
         >