Re: OT: Cancer

[Frank Olson <use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

tourman wrote:
> On Jul 26, 11:33 am, Frank Olson


> RHC: Frank, I took off my filter for Alarminex in order to see your
> response and his in a post awhile ago in regards to a thread about
> attitudes towards Muslims etc. It only confirmed my opinion of him as
> a racist, a bigot and a hatemonger, so I put my filter back on (along
> with my rose coloured glasses). However, if it matters to you, I
> thought you answered his crap with intelligence and thoughtfulness and
> with no recriminations in spite of his idiotic insults towards you.

I respect his opinion and his God given right to express it.  I don't
agree with it, but I respect the man for standing up for what he believes.


> It's not my intent to sit here and compliment you, but I now can
> better understand your Christian approach towards RLB from your posts,
> in spite of all the bad blood between you two (for whatever reason,
> real or imagined). It takes a bigger man to forgive than to continue
> hating, something Jim could take a lesson from you on (not that that
> will ever happen).

It wasn't a sudden epiphany.  There weren't any angelic choirs and I
didn't hear anything resembling a harp.  If you've taken the time to
notice, I actually haven't flamed Robert for several months.  I
over-reacted when I first learned he was the one behind those horrific
posts involving my Mom, but I find it difficult to stay angry with
someone considering my personal beliefs.


>
> You say I have rose coloured glasses towards some of the industry wide
> practices that RLB comments on that have riled up regular installers
> on the group. Believe me I don't !!

No.  I was referring to some of Robert's more "over the top" posts
flaming specific individuals in the newsgroup.  I don't care a fig over
his statement that most installers don't have a high school diploma (or
others involving the industry in general).  He's yet been able to
statistically prove any of his assertions.  All of the installers it's
been my pleasure to work with over the years are high school graduates
and most have some post secondary education.


> But I do agree with him on some of
> his negative comments on what passes for "professionalism" in this
> industry.

I can't fault you for that.  Some of the more blatant code violations
burn my butt too.


> Frankly, I don't have a particularly high regard for our
> industry in general; it seems to me to have far too many incompetent
> companies and installation people in it and far too many self serving,
> anti-customer, opportunistic practices.

I don't consider a contractual obligation to be "self serving" when both
parties actually benefit.  There are some contracts out there that are
rather "one sided".  It's up to the "professionals" to educate the
consumer as to pro's and con's involved.  It's also pretty easy for the
consumer to research all the facts these days.  Most people know how to
"Google".


> I know that generalizations
> are always dangerous and rarely accurate !

That's the single biggest reason why a lot of the professionals Robert
refers to as the "IB" respond to him the way they do.  He knows
*exactly* which phrases will garner the most negative replies.


> I've met some fine people
> in this business who truly care about their customers, but I've met
> far more hardheaded, inflexible people who are in it for the dollars
> alone, with the client's real security a very low priority.

That's funny...  I don't meet a lot of the latter.  Most don't stay in
business long.


> I don't
> suppose this is much different than any other industry, but in this
> industry we owe our clients much more, and we should hold ourselves to
> higher standards!!  We're not simply selling them a new washing
> machine; we're being entrusted with their security.

I couldn't agree with you more.  It actually goes "double" for anyone
selling security "online".  A lot of people don't know that two-wire
smoke detectors have to be approved for operation with a specific panel
(cross-listed).  I've yet to see any online store address this issue.
The bigger the store is and the more products it carries makes this
issue all the more important.  It would be easy for someone to purchase
the wrong equipment and then wonder why it doesn't work when needed.


>
> That may be part of the reason why I dislike the way many large
> security companies do business. Their clients are often nothing more
> than a source of revenue and they don't treat clients as the people
> they are that are calling needing assistance. They've grown so big and
> profitable that they are more concerned about their stockholders than
> their customers.  (BTW, my monitoring AND BILLING are both done by one
> of the largest alarmco's in Canada, so I don't hate big companies per
> se). But when I see scam artists like Alarmforce actually doing well,
> and I hear about ADT customers being told appointments are four weeks
> away while the client is sitting there listening to his keypad driving
> him nuts, I really have to wonder about some of the priorities in this
> industry. I see hundreds of alarm boards owned by customers come in to
> my business, locked, each one with a horror story that shouldn't have
> happened ! I see long term contracts being enforced against clients
> for nothing but malicious reasons, or reasons of economic blackmail
> (even while wondering how they could have been so stupid to allow
> themselves to sign in to such an arrangement). I could go on and on,
> but nothing changes and nothing ever will unless people complain about
> it, and we should be the ones doing it.  If that makes me a pariah in
> this group, so be it ! I'd rather be that than sit back and accept
> some of the stupidity that passes for informed opinion on industry
> practices that goes on here....

I abhor these kinds of practices.  I just posted a message in ASA where
a large national incorrectly certified an installation.


>
> But nothing that is said on this group, however warped, or incorrect,
> or hurtful to someone's feelings, could ever justify being interpreted
> as "justice" when it comes to RLB's situation. So thank you for saying
> so....

My heart goes out to Robert and his family.  I wish him well and I pray
that he beats this horrible disease.