Return of the diy_EGOmeter (YES, it's finally ALIVE!!)

[garfield at pilgrimhouse.com]

On Sat, 18 Apr 1998 14:48:04 -0500, Steven Gorkowski <kb4mxo at mwt.net>
wrote:

>Remember
>not all members want to build one, they want to use one. Build some pc
>boards and sell them to the members and make a profit after all this is
>the American way.

At the risk of adding to this tempest-ina-teapot, I do want to respond
to one part of that last statement, cuz it's got a nasty lil zinger in
it I can't let by. (A zinger that Steve possiblymean to put his John
Hancock to?, I might add). And it's not really personal, per se, but
bears directly on what these internet groups are hopefully all about.

To wit: "sell them to the members and make a profit, after all this is
the American way".

Well, the business opportunities and freedoms are wunnerful in my
country, which I'm very enamored of, BTW. But you just mustn't lump
every social phenomenon under this "business process paradigm", without
horrific effects. That's why I choose to be involved in many social
relationships where I and the others don't CHARGE each other anything
for contributing to each other's fun and enjoyment. You do these kinda
things, share your tools, give of your time and efforts, etc. because
you see the others as friends, pals, chums, mates, comrades, whatever
word you wanna use, INSTEAD of clients, customers, vendors, patrons,
etc. If you wanna be crude and extreme about it, ask yourself what your
mother's done for you lately.

So that's why I was tryna encourage anyone who has friends that want one
of these meters but can't (for whatever reason, time, money, skillset),
to go ahead and build them one, just do it as a friend mutually enjoying
a sport, instead of as a business opportunity. I don't have ANYTHING
whatsoever against business, but if you intend to make one out of me or
my friend's efforts we're freely sharing with you because we think of
YOU as a pal too, well, then you need to deal with us just like you're
thinking, as businessmen; and get some commercial agreement in place
before you go sucking up on our labors we're sharing AMONG FRIENDS and
fellow sportsmen, for free.

Now, why you might ask, am I stirring up this silly pot, and why is this
important enough to jabber about? Well, I'm part of a sport called
eXperimental aViation, a sport born out of the grand adventure of flight
that started this century, that Orville and Wilbur were a part of. What
you see happening in so many sports, and of late especially in XA, is
that just as soon as someone comes up to speed on some aspect, and has
gathered all the gems he can from all those in the sport, he decides
he's "got something" special, and he's no longer gonna share it as a
sportsman, but he's gonna retire from his normal job, and turn his
hobby/sport into a cash cow. So he clams up, doesn't contribute anything
to the sport anymore, and in fact often trys to make his area of
interest seem like it's soooo specialized that nobody but he (and any
others "just tryin to make a buck off the sport") can fathom, and that
all further eXperimentation should cease and folks should just BUY their
stuff from him. Cute huh? Sadly, this has been happening since the dawn
of the sport (Orville & Wilbur even got caught up in the greed thang a
bit), cuz of course, kinda like these mucho-better O2 meters in a
smaller way, people see a "monetary opportunity".

Nuthin wrong with treating sumthin as a commercial vendor, really, but
I'd say you do that and you just excised yerself from the category as a
fellow-sportsman/hobbyist/afficianado. Thas the contrast I was tryna
make; I got no anti-business agenda, not at all. I was just sayin, "this
stuff is for me diy_efi pals that have given me so much enjoyment and
knowledge through the group's beehive of activity, but it's NOT for you
for free if you wanna milk it as a business venture". That's all, dudes.
Nothin more to it. Simple statement, me thinks.

Garfield

P.S. Representing simply using an NTK box and observing how it works, as
the same as reverse-engineering it, and equivalent to opening the box
and copying the circuit,is absolute bullshit, and a gross insult to both
myself and Frank Parker's intelligence and integrity. I designed the
circuit; I didn't need to copy anyone else's work; and certainly not
take credit for it, once I had. I strongly resent the suggestion, so if
you plan on pursuing it, count on being trounced if I see you in person.
That's also "the American way". Heh.

Now let's resume the fun, and forget these nacent sport-parasites.