[RTC List] RTC meeting Thurs 9/14

[AllianceIT Tech Services]

I am just back in from another long day running my business and volunteering
time tonight coaching two youth soccer teams....with that said this has been
quite the e-mail thread.
Gregg- Spot on brother with your thoughtful feedback.....Thank You to Rene,
Jim ChrisC, TinaN, and many others who have GIVEN of THEIR time volunteering
to make things happen(rather than sit around the water cooler complaining
about how awful things are). 
One could only imagine had you all had that mindset, RTC wouldn't even exist
for folks to spend time telling those who are volunteering- how THEY need to
do things better.
As I referenced soccer, I too, also server on two volunteer boards- with an
average of six to eight people- like the RTC board, we are doing the best
they can too make a positive difference in the community. Are things
perfect, no. Can things be done to improve, yes, and we are working TOGETHER
to make things better. Taking it to an extreme, If these volunteer youth
athletic board members were each waiting to have the perfect club or the
perfect organization to give of their time before joining then there would
be no boards, no clubs, no teams, no kids playing.
For anyone to arm-chair quarterback without offering to get involved, is
just wrong. 
So what if you talked with IT manager this, IT owner that,,blah, blah
blah....if you have the expertise, GET INVOLVED. 

Dave Breyer
AllianceIT Tech Services
RTC Member

-----Original Message-----
From: list-bounces at redwoodtech.org [mailto:list-bounces at redwoodtech.org] On
Behalf Of Gregg Foster
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 5:39 PM
To: list at redwoodtech.org
Subject: Re: [RTC List] RTC meeting Thurs 9/14

Well, it's great to see such passion.  Some quick thoughts:

	1.	I'm on the board, but not a tech related business.  RTC has
been very helpful for me in efforts over the years to improve the
telecommunications infrastructure here.  When everyone was dragging their
feet on the fiber optic install, it was RTC leadership that helped push that
forward.  When everyone was patting themselves on the back when it was
complete, it was RTC leadership that pushed the fact that one fiber was not
enough.  We have both infrastructure risk and no price competition and we
all suffer.  The redundant fiber project continues with work being done
every day.  RTC is a vital part of that and when (and I mean when) the deal
is struck that brings us redundancy, you'll be able to thank RTC for pushing
it.  I won't go into efforts, again mostly voluntary, to bring wireless
coverage to public facilities and unserved areas, but we're helping with
that too.  Thank us when you are on your browsing on your laptop at the
airport.  That will be coming too, again thanks to the VOLUNTEER efforts of
RTC leadership.
	2.	You seem to think that there's some sort of magic and/or big
infrastructure to RTC.  Its five volunteers, giving freely of their time,
not being paid to do so (in fact, I'm the only one whose job sort of
intersects my involvement).   My challenge to the members is that if you
don't feel that that programs are relevant, then devote the hours to finding
a relevant speaker or developing a program that people want to hear.  
	3.	The same goes for other efforts outside of the monthly
meetings.  If you want something, help create it.  Commit the hours.  Commit
the effort.  Opinions are not unique, but commitment too often is.

Thanks.

Gregg

Gregg Foster
Executive Director
Redwood Region Economic Development Commission 520 E Street Eureka, CA
95501
707-445-9651
707-445-9652 (fax)
rredc at northcoast.com
www.rredc.com

-----Original Message-----
From: list-bounces at redwoodtech.org [mailto:list-bounces at redwoodtech.org] On
Behalf Of John Abela
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 5:13 PM
To: list at redwoodtech.org
Subject: Re: [RTC List] RTC meeting Thurs 9/14

Ah, the joys of feedback when some people want to hear what they want to
hear, and some people don't want to hear what others want them to hear.

You know, week after week I read on local websites, hear at local IT
meetings, and have meetings with fellow business owners, that the RTC is
just miserably failing to continue walking in their quest to be "the primary
information resource on issues related to the technology industry on
California's North Coast" -- and for a long time I did not agree with the,
yet recently month after month I am beginning to agree with them.

Yes, we here on the North Coast have a number of things of which to say
"Thank you" to the RTC - but what my previous email was about was not the
ancient past, but rather the distant past, the present, and the future, in
which month after month after month we are told about topics at the RTC
monthly meetings that makes one really stop and ask themselves, "what in the
world does this have to do with IT in Humboldt County?"

(you'll notice nobody has yet to actually addressed that issue yet, instead
either agreeing with me, or flaming at me, such as the case may be)


Do anybody remember that meeting where we all got to learn how to stack
boxes and organize our offices? Oh-boy!!  (sorry if the person who presented
that is reading this... I think it's a great topic to talk about, but in the
context of the RTC being "the primary resource on issues related to the
technology industry on California's North Coast", well I just don't see that
being a worthy topic for a monthly meeting, considering what the RTC claims
to be)

Let me address some of these comments that have been posted since I did:

-----------------------------------------
-- Timmons, Julie A. <JTimmons at dor.ca.gov> Disagree and please don't burden
everyone on the list with your personal thoughts. Take it up with the Board.
-----------------------------------------


Hey Julie, I am taking it up with them - and everybody else!  A good many of
whom seem to agree with me both on-list and off-list  ;-)


-----------------------------------------
-- Rene Agredano <bikerat69 at aim.com>
Regarding your comments about the RTC's agenda this week... It's very easy
to criticize and flame from afar. But if you feel so strongly that RTC is
not contributing to the North Coast in the way that it should be, then
perhaps you might become actively involved and participate. I've been
closely involved with RTC since 1998, and I can honestly say that I have
never seen your name listed on any volunteer rosters. If you don't like what
we are doing, then please, get involved. If you don't want to get involved,
then keep your flames to yourself.
-----------------------------------------

I believe you've hit the nail on the head!

Why *should* I become involved with the group that claims to be the leaders
of the IT world in Humboldt County when their primary monthly topics are of
very little relevance to the IT of Humboldt County?

You are correct, you've never seen my name on any paper work - that is
because so-far the RTC has done very little to justify the valuable time and
resources I have to offer, nor that of my business. Do I really want to
invest my time into the RTC when they are talking about stacking boxes in my
office, or learning about rockets and JPL? Ummm, No!

I would tend to ask you, "How many companies in Humboldt County that are
primarily focused on the IT sector and are involved in the RTC on a
volunteer basis?" You being the long-standing member of the RTC that you
are, you should be able to answer that one. I happen to know that a good
deal of them are not, so along with this question, let me ask you, "Why
aren't they?"

When the leading companies of Technology in Humboldt County are not involved
in your organization, how in the world can you sit here and expect myself
and those not involved to "become involved"? -- Perhaps the answer to this
is that the RTC has simply lost it's drive, it's focus, it's outreach to
those people who ARE leading the way in technology in Humboldt County. I
might be right, I might be wrong -- but when I ask my fellow business owners
and their staff if they are involved in the RTC, most of them either chuckle
or shrug their shoulders.

My questions to the RTC would than be:  (a) why is that, and (b) could your
monthly topics have anything to do with this?


-----------------------------------------
-- Jonathan Speaker <jspeaker at streamguys.com> Well stated.


-- Jason Woods <jason at biztechinfo.biz>
My thoughts exactly!

-----------------------------------------

Why thanks guys! It's nice to know that two folks from some well-known IT
companies in Humboldt Country are in agreement with me!


(** insert over a dozen other off-list emails I've gotten that are identical
to the above two **)


-----------------------------------------
-- Jim Nelson <jcnjr at agreda.com>
Why don't YOU do something about it then!?!?!? Or, take your personal peeves
up directly with the RTC Board (board at redwoodtech.org)? Instead you rant to
the entire list-serv, disrespecting the group and perpetuating the myth that
the RTC does no good for our community. You obviously have no idea what
we've actually accomplished. Daria's presentation sounds like another
perfect example of how technology can help salvage our dwindling
resource-based economy -- she works for JPL from Humboldt County. Get off
your ass and participate or quit your bitching.
-----------------------------------------

Hello Jim,

Read my statement above.

I mean no disrespect toward anybody - but I do mean to seek an answer to why
the RTC which claims to be the leader of technology in Humboldt County is
using their precious monthly meetings (the very meetings they want to charge
me a fair amount of money for, and expect me to devote my time to) to talk
about things that in the opinion of 95% of the people I encounter in
Humboldt County could pretty much care less about, and they simply see as
further cause to distance themselves from the RTC because of it.

Jim, everyone... this is about trying to wake up some people - both those at
the RTC and those I encounter (who are probably lurkers, like I am, on this
mailing list).

As I stated above:

I am a business owner. (I have a fair sized business which I operate out of
Humboldt County.) My business is 100% technology based.
I read about the RTC and their monthly meeting topics and simply shake my
head.
I talk to people in the community to see if I'm the only one who thinks
this, and the majority agree with me.
I talk to other IT Business owners, and they agree with me.
I talk with local IT Mangers, and they agree with me.
I talk with IT Tech Support employees and they agree with me.
(hey, the two guys I posted above agree with me, plus many more who've
emailed me off-list!)


My points here RTC'ers, are:

It seems like you are claiming a lot ("the leaders of the IT in Humboldt
County") yet your monthly meetings are not focused on present IT issues in
Humboldt County.

I read you are increasing your prices for membership, yet what is coming
with it? -- More monthly meetings about topics that have very little in
relationship to those people you NEED to be members of the RTC.



-----------------------------------------
-- Daria Topousis <dariat at cox.net>

I understand your concern about my talk not relating specifically to RTC
functions.  I do, however, think the talk is useful to the RTC in that what
I'm focusing on is not so much the technical makeup of rockets but what made
that period of innovation possible, something that I think those of us
trying to make technological changes on the North Coast could learn from or
be inspired by.  That's my intention, anyway.
-----------------------------------------

Daria,

I do sincerely hope you do not take this topic personal -- I really, really,
really do mean that!

This was in no way related to your presentation, but rather a continued
digression away from
present-day-pushing-forward-with-technology-in-humbolt-county, which is what
the RTC claims they are all about, yet appears to be doing very poorly
recently. I operate a fairly moderate size operation and have thought often
about joining the RTC, yet they continual seem to be focused on topics other
than what *I* see is within their mission statement, and it is that very
issue that has lead me to post this message. By no means are you are apart
of this issue!! Please know and understand this... pretty please :)


-----------------------------------------
-- Jason Woods <jason at biztechinfo.biz>

Isn't it my right as a paying member to express my views on the list-serv?
We'll discuss results later
-----------------------------------------

One would hope so ;)


-----------------------------------------
-- Andy Alm <andy at almlet.net>

My assumption was that the factors that fostered heightened creativity and
innovation in the past in one high-tech sector in California might be of
relevance to us here. I hope others don't make a judgement based on what
they haven't heard yet, and preserve us from flame-wars on this list.
-----------------------------------------

I agree Andy. I'm simply after answers to my previous answers. I didn't
start the flame-war. All I did was present a perceived problem with the RTC
and sought for clarification -- they say if you throw a rock into a pack of
wolves, the one that whelped is the one that got hit. Well, I've obviously
hit upon an issue that needed further addressing and possibly clarification
by people other than just myself.



I'm going to close this message now. To you RTC Board Members... I both
request you to answer my questions, and ask yourself these questions I've
asked -- as there are a great deal of IT Business owners, managers, and
employees who are really wondering what the RTC is doing to fulfill your
mission statement, what you are presenting to your members on a monthly
basis, and what you are (or are not) doing to continue to push forward the
technology of Humboldt County. I am not against the RTC by any means - yet,
if you want my support and money, and the support and money of other local
business, and that of the large group of IT'ers I meet with on a weekly
basis, I truly do feel you need to take to heart what is being said here.


John B. Abela

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