Your series of "light-hearted bantering" posts between you and Bass are of absolutely no interest to anyone...except you and Bass. They are a waste of bandwidth, and do nothing but generate extraneous headers. Since the purpose of a newsgroup is to disseminate useful information to a wider audience, may I suggest that you and Bass take your discussions of parties, motorcycles, and hamburgers to email or IRC, where you can chat to your heart's content in blissful solitude.
AMEN!!
AMEN
RHC: Well isn't that interesting. We ALL are guilty of off topic discussions on all manner of things, but you all object when it involves civil discussions with RLB, off topic or not ! I think you guys should be a little more intellectually honest with yourself and admit the REAL reason it bugs you is that I may be the only one who can have a normal conversation with RLB without it deteriorating into a bashing session. It seems on this newsgroup, you must take sides, " for or agin" RLB !!
Somewhat hypocritical on your part !!
But "you started it". :-)
I don't see anything wrong with the way you conduct yourself generally, either. Banter is one thing, but exchanging personal messages (that should remain in the realm of email or IRC) is quite another. As "Nomen" so succinctly stated... It's a waste of bandwidth (much like Bob's "html" floods of the past).
It's not alarm related and doesn't invite commentary by others. It's strictly a personal discussion and should be kept as such. Not one of us is interested in your personal relationship with Bob (or your vacation plans).
When you consider the source of the more "hurtful" discussions on this newsgroup, openly posting such a personal exchange is nothing short of provocative. You should know better.
I'm not advocating you "bash" Bob (or anyone else). This is "our" group. I enjoy the banter here and am quite willing to share my expertise with anyone who asks (politely). I won't stand idly by and watch someone post lies, innuendo, and hurtful things however (you refer to them as "over the top"). I believe this group can become everything Steve R. envisioned. It seems to me you've already given up on that. That's well and good. You're "moving on" to other things that interest you. At the moment (and for the foreseeable future), this group interests me. It gives me the opportunity to share with others and let off some steam.
Yet you won't post any responses to "RLB" regardless of how horrifically wrong (or "over the top") they are. Perhaps it's a good thing that you've limited your participation here.
We all have "bad" days.
We service quite a few local systems. All of them have been upgraded to include a fire detection component. To deny service to a customer because he doesn't have monitoring is just plain wrong. As long as they're willing to pay the service charge, why not "bother" with them?
Which is the point I made with Billy. Our local ADT office is actually pretty decent when it comes to the service they provide. They *are* expensive compared with the smaller dealers, but they've always paid their bills on time... :-)
AlarmFarce fills a "niche". They've positioned themselves as the "cheap" alternative for people that just want a sign on the door. No one that really knows security (and that includes much of the criminal element) gives their installations the ratings Joel Matlin does.
Which is exactly my point. If you contribute to the "noise" you're not making it any better.
I didn't even suggest that you should. I don't like it any more than you do. I won't stand idly by and let a bullshit artist take over, though.
Which was the entire point of my comments.
I see... So rather than comment on Bob's "over the top" posts, you choose not to get involved and "ignore" them. From past experience I would say that this is the "safe" way to participate in this group. After all, you wouldn't want Bob calling *your* suppliers, etc. asking about you. You once posted that Bob's a different person when you actually meet him. I can't imagine enjoying someone's company that's shown such a twisted mentality in a public forum. An individual that's reviled in several newsgroups, and that often resorts to puerile and vulgar commentary to "flame" someone.
While I can't fault you for your outlook, I'm equally amazed at how you pick the people you hang out with. I, for one would never associate with such an individual. This group will remain polarized for as long as Bob chooses to participate in the way he does. He's been told often enough that his behaviour is unacceptable. His "tactics" have evolved over time but his favourite one involves "baiting" certain individuals to provoke a reaction. If you honestly believe my pointing out the mistakes in his websites is purely out of "animosity", you're wrong. The last thing I would do is try to "help" the man. He does pose a genuine danger to the uninformed DIYer that happens upon his site. What's really "sad" is that his attitude towards me won't allow him to correct those mistakes. As he's so often demonstrated in the past, being told "he's wrong" really bites. I don't respect the man for the lies he frequently tells, his "bad" math, and the way he denigrates certain individuals he "targets" in the group or our profession. I won't stand by and watch him huck eggs at my house either.
RHC: Ok, I'll concede your point. It is a waste of bandwidth since it doesn't concern security matters. I'll hold off on those posts, but I'll also mention it when others don't do so either...fair enough ?
RHC: Provocative !...?. It seems every time RLB says anything at all, he gets jumped on. I'm not defending him or attacking him; just pointing out that it goes two ways. One or both of you should be man enough to bury the hatchet for the sake of peace on the newsgroup. I don't really know what has gone in real life between you guys, but for crying out loud, get over it.
RHC: His political opinions are his to give (even off topic). We all get carried away at times.
RHC: As I said, they are a waste of my time and his money ! I'm not in the business to encourage people to "micky mouse" their "system" and make a few extra bucks for a service call. They are completely free to do what they want; it's their security after all. However, I am just as free to choose not to waste my time on their systems, instead keeping myself free to service professional systems that I am responsible for. It's freedom of choice for both the consumer and me as a business man responsible for my time and actions. It's hardly wrong in any sense ! The customer can call anyone else they want to and that company is just as free to say yay or nay !! No one is obligated to provide service to anyone in those cases where they are not under a contract of any type....
My comment still applies as regards to how some new people coming to this newsgroup are treated.
RHC: And in the process, they give our industry a bad name. There is nothing anyone can do in a free market to prevent this, but it's equally wrong to just accept this level of opportunistic, simplistic security marketing without objecting as professionals to what they do. We both know their whole "system" is sh*t !!
RHC: Noise in my definition is the hateful sniping and comments that some (including RLB at times when he responds to you and others) continue to smear over most every post in the newsgroup. It's hard to find even one thread that doesn't deteriorate to mudslinging of some kind. THAT is my point, regardless of who is at fault. There are times when I plow through this stuff, and my only inclination is to yell out for all of you guys engaging in this stuff to grow the hell up !!!!!
Frank, unless you have further thoughts, lets drop this thread. I know what I see and you are free to disagree with me on those matters. At this point, I think we are both wasting bandwidth. I've said it all before many times.
Feel free to comment if you want the last word...:))....regards
F*ck off, Nancy.
RHC: Another intelligent response from someone with nothing to add......feel better now.....
Now tell us ............ what could be a more appropriate reply to your sublime naivety?
Oh ..... wait ..... that's right. You .... being so sublimely naive, wouldn't be able to make that difficult evaluation.
Ya see ..... it works this way. Because Bass is so ..... ummmm well .... and your so ...... ummmm Never mind. You just wouldn't understand. S'ok. Don't try to figure it out. You can go back to picking flowers now.
Tooodles and Oh ......... don't forget to bring your coloring book so you don't get bored, honey!
Nancy?
Personally, I don't object to a brief, off-topic post. What I object to are the lengthy, back-and-forth off-topic conversations between you and Bass. I wouldn't even mind those if you would add the words "inane bullshit" to the subject line of the message. Then I could simply mark it as read, and ignore it without opening it. That would be preferable to blocking you altogether. I disagree with your views on long-term contracts, for example, but your comments on that subject are right on topic, and a valid point of discussion for this newsgroup. Bass's next party or your future Florida vacation plans are not.
This is not about Bass. I would be just as displeased if you were carrying on lengthy and irrelevant conversations with someone else.
Bass enjoys pushing people's buttons because he knows people will jump him for it. That lets him play the part of the innocent victim, all the while reveling in the attention. I hope you do not suffer from the same affliction.
Check!
Most often with good reason. I hate to tell you this (and please don't take offense), but sometimes I figure your reading specs selectively "blanks" certain key phrases Bob uses regularly.
Consider the hatchet buried. As I've said before, I feel sorry for Bob. I'm not out to "get him". It's sad that he continues to revel in his "victimhood", but we all know the reason. It's part of the DIY "Mantra" he's written...
I could care a "fig" for his political opinions. It's his continued and flagrant attacks on others (and myself) that keep going "over the top".
That's true... But I can't help but think of one member in this group who chastised himself over the fact that he didn't sell or service smoke alarms in the house in which his own son was killed in a fire. I, for one, will never turn down service on a security system (local or otherwise) that will give me the opportunity to offer one simple upgrade (or ensure the existing smokes are "up to snuff").
You have to admit that some of the "new people" that post get what they deserve. If you can't be bothered to read the freekin' manual, then you shouldn't waste the "bandwidth" posting a query on "how to". If you've read the manual and need help understanding what it says, then they should *say so*.
There are many parallels here to what Bob promotes in this very newsgroup, Robert. I don't see you objecting to his selling non-compliant smokes. Alarmfarce isn't "unbeatable". Most people are aware that you "get what you pay for". I've had countless customers call us to ask about their "protective services". And "common sense" says that one door contact and a motion sensor is not going to protect the average home. Bob sells parts. He isn't familiar with the various jurisdictions that he sells in to, and from the various installation fairy tales he's posted I have serious doubts as to his "expertise".
I can't argue with that.
Check... Usually prompted by some "off colour" remark Bob makes. You'll notice he makes frequent references to "Cracker", "Jiminex", and "Olson" in his replies.
I don't think that's going to happen as long as Bob continues to "snipe" at the various individuals he refers to as the "IB".
On the contrary... I think this thread could accomplish something worthwhile. Let's not let it die just yet. :-)
RHC: Check ! Considerate done. The next time someone carries the thread off topic with personal matters, we'll both jump on them....
RHC: In your particular case, I can believe you. In the case of others, not so....
>
Hey, don't read it.
Nancy.
RHC: Good idea ! Another one to filter from view..... Done !
Oh, my. What will I do. B-Bye.
The problem wasn't that the both of you were off topic the problem was that you carried it through message after message after message.
Anyone else would have long ago taken it to email
He knows that. His brain has been slimed by bASS, and he's gone over to the dark side. He has allowed himself to be manipulated, and doesn't even know it.
RHC: Ok Mark, point well made....I'll do that in the future
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