Any guesses on who might have a better grasp on the concept of "leadership"?
Mr. Wollenberg,
http://forums.vatsim.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=42948&start=60
Unfortunately I forgot to turn off notifications of new posts when I posted
my final post on that cesspool of a thread. Rather than reply there and
publically show how much more of an idiot you've made yourself look, I'll do
it privately. Read, don't read, couldn't care less. At least I get to part
with a clear conscience.
Let's get the obvious out of the way. I don't know you, don't care to, and
couldn't care less about you or what happens to you. My passion resides (or
rather resided) in the VATSIM network, and its progressive trip down the
sewer pipes over the years.
======================================
All I can say Dan is that it definitely sounds like it's time for a break.
Take some time off, come back with a new perspective, and hopefully things
will be more to your liking. I've been close to that point a couple times
myself. Nothing a nice vacation doesn't fix. I wish I could get you to
understand why the changes being made are positive changes, but I somehow
don't think that's going to happen. Ah well, I tried.
======================================
You are absolutely right, and I am taking a break. A permanent break. The
only thing that would ever entice me to consider coming back would be proof
of the elimination of the good ole boys network, utter corruption within the
network at all levels and clear demonstrations of leadership. The changes
you call "positive" are only positive in your mind, and don't even BEGIN to
address the root cause. I could write page upon page of what's wrong with
this network and its leadership as well as how to fix it, but I would just
be reiterating items already staring you in the face, which you see fit to
ignore.
These next two quotes of yours I'm lumping together, because they address
the same thing and royally piss me off. Not to mention they clearly show how
much of an idiot you are and have no business being in that position:
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Trust me, this is done as well. The training programs are constantly being
looked at, both at the Divisional and Regional levels. No hiding behind a
policy here. So, to see if I understand you correctly...let's say that ZXX
in VATUSA is found by the VATUSA staff to be too restrictive. They don't
allow controllers to work at any of the smaller airports without going
through a rigorous training program, let's say. VATUSA tells ZXX that they
need to lessen the restrictions at the smaller, lower-traffic, less-complex
airports. Well...isn't that the same thing the major/minor airports
accomplish, automatically, and without the need for all this "policing" of
the individual facilities? Sounds awfully similar to me.
AND
Hate to break it to you, but if I were to go tell a facility that it is
being too restrictive, and they need to do xxx to fix it, that's a policy.
It may not be a formal written policy, but it's policy nonetheless. Wouldn't
it be nice to actually have some standards in writing so that we don't HAVE
to keep dealing with this over and over again?
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First, you do not know me, never have known me, and don't know my background
and experiences. Let me just sum it up with this statement: Don't ever
fucking patronize me with this bullshit explanation of "policy" whether
written or verbal.
EVERYTHING in the above two quotes, CLEARLY illustrates that you do not know
the difference between being a leader and being a bureaucrat. Working with a
facility and its staff to fix problems (such as overly restrictive training)
and having an open dialog back and forth, not dictating (except as a very
last resort) how a facility is run, and getting EVERYONE on the SAME TEAM,
because they WANT to be there, and WANT to contribute to the collective
good, is called leadership. Telling a facility how they are to wipe their
ass, and what ply paper to use, only after EC approval and a 30 page
document, is called bureaucracy. If you honestly don't understand the
difference, and significant short/long term effects of using one over the
other, you're more useless in that job than your predecessor, and that's
saying quite a lot. The above quotes, especially the second one (which is my
favorite to be honest), can be translated to: "I'm too much of a pussy to
actually deal with people and talk to them. Rather, I'll just point to a
complex set of policies and say 'you have to do it, it's written here'.
Phew, I no longer have to make a decision and be held accountable for it.
Also, I don't really have to communicate with the person, other than point
them to a link and cite a paragraph in the policy".
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I'm glad you brought this up actually. I can count on slightly over one hand
the number of people who have gotten a hold of me to offer assistance, or
even discuss the current state of the network or any problems. Most of those
were from VATCAN and VATCAR. My inbox is certainly always open (I know you
have heard that one before) but I actually do answer every email I receive.
Haven't gotten one from you to offer assistance, discuss policies, nothing.
Maybe it was lost?
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Nope, nothing was lost. As a matter of fact, it's spot on. The same fucking
bullshit response by everyone in the organization. You've only been in that
job for a short period, and I've had no reason to contact you, because I
wanted to see how you would take the job and change things. Obviously you're
on course and speed to run the network further into the cesspool it has
become. I can count more than 2 dozen e-mails and pm's I've sent to various
"leadership" members over the years trying to engage in dialog with no
response (not your problem though, because they weren't TO you, right?).
Question. when you become a VAT
on standard responses to all topics? Because your reply above is almost
cut&paste from the rest of the assclown responses by members in "leadership"
positions on this network. It's always a "nothing wrong in my shop. oh,
there is?? I never received an e-mail from you, and my inbox is always
open". Want to know my concerns with this network???? Go read the past 3+
years of posts on the VATUSA and VATSIM forum as a whole. Maybe if you learn
how to read and comprehend, you'll discover several trends and give yourself
a little history lesson there.
It's sad that I've gotten so fed up with the "leadership" of this network
that my coming on 7 years and well over 10k hours devoted to it seems an
utter waste. Especially when I look back at the fond memories over the
years, and what I've taken away. There used to be a time where I would
schedule real life around what's going on in VATSIM. I would look forward to
coming home on a Friday night, plugging in and controlling/flying where
there was loads of traffic and ATC. If it wasn't for VATSIM, I never would
have pursued my FAA ratings and started teaching people to fly. I've met a
lot of great people who I would go out of the way for to help. Even if some
of them were to call me at 2am, looking to get bailed out of some southeast
Asian jail, I'd be wiring money to them. Don't worry, you're not one of
them.. They know who they are.
However, when I was taking a significant break from the crap, then came back
(honestly thinking I would volunteer again to be a full-time instructor) and
saw the utter bullshit about the GRP2 (especially after the HUNDREDS of
hours I put into aligning ZBW's program with GRP1), I said this wasn't for
me anymore. After reading Paul's post, then seeing the replies to his and
mine, the decision was made then that I'm gone. I'm not going to be part of
an organization where some group of no-talent assclowns who couldn't control
their way out of a fucking wet paper bag are going to sit there and have to
pass judgment on whether KBOS is a major airport or not. This network has
hemorrhaged so many quality pilots/controllers because of the utter bullshit
that goes on, that's it's not even laughable.
You TRULY care about this network (which seems quite unlikely at this
point)? DECREASE the levels of bureaucracy, INCREASE the levels of TRUST
amongst the members, and RETURN this organization to the precepts on which
it was founded (a love for aviation and learning). Not all facilities are
equal, not all training programs are equal. Each facility has its own
personality, and you will NEVER be able to normalize them across the board.
Provide general (and when I mean general, you want a GRP? Half page or less)
guidance, and deal with people on a one-on-one basis. Some will take it to
either extreme, and you deal with those. Not by pointing to a piece of
paper/policy, but by working with them. Making decisions that you're willing
to stand by and can justify (to your superiors, and since this is a
volunteer organization, to the public as well). Not everyone is going to get
along, and people are going to have to work together. Until you (and
everyone else in a position of "leadership" around here) wrap your head
about that concept, you're useless and impotent as so-called "leaders" on
this network.
This is my only e-mail on the subject, and there is nothing to discuss. If
you don't get it by now, you never will. Don't like what I said, think my
language was bad? I'm a sailor. sue me.. Send me to DCRM, I could care less.
My membership in this organization means absolutely nothing to me anymore.
At least I'm able to part from the organization (though not on good terms),
at least with a crystal clear conscience on venting how I feel that you, the
EC, and BoG are running this network into the ground.
I was contemplating lying (by omission), but I'll just tell you the truth.
Don't expect a reply from me. My inbox is always open, even to you! (open to
everyone as a matter of fact) It's just your name and e-mail address have
been added to my spam blacklist. If it gets past the spam filter, I'll still
ignore it.. See, that wasn't so difficult! You should try the truth
sometime, people will begin to trust you.
Good day, sir.
