A Little Privacy Please

[kwatt]

A post made by Martin has been preying on my mind all night. So I’ll answer some of the questions in a private’ish forum where only repairers read it. If it escapes into the wilds and it does harm or tips off people it shouldn’t then we’ve only one of our own to blame.

I respect you all more than think that of anyone here.

UKW’s third birthday has passed with little fanfare, no big rhetoric, no fireworks and no fuss. Does anyone here really believe that, from me, that is without just cause? I’m the first one to sing the praises of UKW and especially you guys that actually do all the grafting.

I could have waxed lyrical about the jobs that the directors do, Dave, Sean and Kevin. I could go on about the success of John with ISE. I could (and do) compliment the moderators for their tireless dedication and effort. But it’s all been said before many times and, after a while, it becomes somewhat staid. All of you do a wonderful job, UKW would be nothing like what it is today without your efforts, you all know that as you’re bright enough to know it, you do not need me to constantly remind you of your value.

There’s loads within the industry to attack, bad or sharp practise, rip-off spares pricing, poor support, I could go on and on. I could also go on for hours on what we’ve done, what we’ve achieved and what we will achieve simply by working as a group, not alienated and split as many would have us be as it suits their ends, not ours. I could rattle on for an evening at least about the little triumphs along the way that we’ve had, victories we’ve scored, many you will probably never know off as they offer only a stepping stone to the true goals.

But no, I chose to (for once) shut my gob… at least in public.

Why?

It’s simple, now is not the time to be rubbing salt in the wounds. The entire industry has been rocked by the demise of EAC much the effects of which I should think have yet to be felt. And that’s only one change.

We have the foundations being laid for our own network, which Kevin is working his bollocks off to make a success of and again that will probably be passed off without too much of a fanfare, again with good reason.

We have ISE, which we’re all working our bollocks off to make a success of for our benefit.

We have ACH, the first time ever that anyone has designed software for us to use that is cross-platform and cross-manufacturer, insure & WP.

That’s only a few of the things going on, the tip of the iceberg you might say and all for the benefit of us all.

UK Whitegoods, I can assure you, is like an iceberg. You only see perhaps a third off it, the rest is hidden from view and all too often with good reason. It’s not malicious and it’s not because we don’t want people to know what we’re about, it’s because others will steal the ideas, steal the march and leave us behind and this is why the whole three year thing has passed with little fanfare.

UKW was started for the benefit of repairers, to fight the good fight for them. None of the directors or any of the employees have any other goal in mind, it is singular in it’s motives. Perhaps it at times it may appear otherwise, but I can personally assure you that protecting the members, the repairs and our ability to survive always has and will remain the primary goal.

Now I’m going to ask a lot of you.

I’m going to ask that, for a few months, you trust us and give a little moral support. Trust us to know what the best thing to do is on several fronts. I’m not asking you for money, I’m not asking you to put your livliehoods on the line for my sake, I’m just asking for a little time to sort some things out.

I’m asking for a little faith.

The future of UKW is extremely bright and I simply cannot convey all that could happen in even an extended post as there’s just so much going on right now. But all things, as ever, rely heavily on others. I can’t tell you about many things as we’re simply not in a position where we’re allowed to tell you everything apart from which, even if we were, until the deals are in the bag, we wouldn’t as we would never want to build false hopes.

What can I tell you on UKW’s third birthday that you don’t know? Ha!

The Training Initiative is far from dead, but may have a different tact.

The network idea lives and breaths as we speak.

The AC, whilst perhaps dormant, is far, far from dead.

repairs@ has only just proved itself and I’m far from done with that concept.

Old battles have not been lost, merely placed on hold temporarily.

Cryptic, I know, but it’s the best I can offer for now. Let’s just settle for I do little without good cause and often the reasons often are not fully appreciated until after the idea bites. And so, a little privacy is required, for us.

The past year, sod that! I’m thinking on the next few years, not the past one. What we’ve done, we’ve done, now let’s get cracking with the future and not dwell in the past.

So, 2006-2007 then, what’s going off? Wait and see, but it won’t be dull, it won’t be what people expect, it will be typical UKW and different, I love it!

K.

[Alex]

Re: A Little Privacy Please

Would I be right in assuming Martin does not subscribe?

I can’t say I’ve seen his post, but I think I got the gist of his thoughts from what you say.

UKW is like any business, the staff knows very little on what really goes on, the meetings, the discussions and negotiation etc that take place. They do their bit, and think all we do is sit on our butts, browse the net and write letters etc. Point is if you tell them everything, they add bits on for themselves, make assumtions then tell us we have got it all wrong. If you don’t tell the troops you are accused of being out of touch, or dipassionate.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The whole world is the same.

Alex

[Martin]

Re: A Little Privacy Please

Just to clarify lest any missunderstandings arise, here is a copy of my post in the Moderators Forum that Ken was referring to: –

Martin wrote:I must say I’m a little dissappointed at lacklustre build-up to UKW entering its 4th year.

What better time (propaganda wise) it would have been to publish (on the home page) all that has been achieved in that time? OK it has been said before, but it needs repeating more so on this occasion. The membership level, Repairs@, ISE, 10 million hit level imminent, lots of other stuff that could have been credited to UKW in those 3 short years?????

Not like you Ken to be stuck for words?

Ken duly answered my querie admirably, don’t you think? 😀

[Alex]

Re: A Little Privacy Please

Alex wrote:Would I be right in assuming Martin does not subscribe?
I can’t say I’ve seen his post, but I think I got the gist of his thoughts from what you say.
Alex

I thought Martin was part of the subcribers.

My not seeing his post was because it was where it rightly belongs, in the moderators forum, then it all makes sense.

I have to say I thought there were cause for celebration. Never mind he will be starting school soon, wait till he becomes a teenager. (Sorry if I’m genderising here).

What I will do, in the course of respect for UKW I will partake in a glass of Shiraz and wish him all the best. His birthday is 2 days before mine, so another glass for me will have to be supped, then looking back I joined UKW on 17th June 2003, that means another glass. Then there are the 2 glasses a day to help prevent cancer, 2 glasses a day to reduce the risk of getting a cold, another 2 to aid the circulation and the heart. That will be 2 bottles, then I shall be riddled with gout.

Hard life if you don’t weaken.

Alex

[Goatboy]

Just thought I’d post to show my support.

I’m crying with pride (on the inside) :tup:

Ps. This will be be my only post for a few weeks, as GB senior is on holiday, and I’m actually having to do some work 🙁 I don’t know how you other guys do it!

[Author]

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