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Messages - Jeff Thomas

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1
General Discussion / What we need to be discussing
« on: February 20, 2010, 08:22:41 AM »
Quote from: Alex Bailey
Pilot training is on its way, but currently there are plenty of organizations providing training until we can get the VATSIM program off the ground.  
If I had a nickel for all the times I've heard that one.  

The PRC was supposed to be Phase I of the project and we were successful in implementing it with little issue.  However, that was what, 5 or 6 years ago?
I know you are new to this area, and hopefully your passion doesn't waver like so many in the past.  Good luck, and I mean that sincerely.

@Wade,
[!--quoteo--][div class=\\\'quotetop\\\']QUOTE [/div][div class=\\\'quotemain\\\'][!--quotec--]If it were possible to make it easy to become an approach / center controller and have them continue to improve, I'd be all for it. But past experience says that's only possible with a few dedicated individuals. The majority are done improving the minute they get their ticket.[/quote]
You continue to fall into the trap that this is some kind of "career" where continuous improvement is needed and that ALL controllers should be the same little robot and be perfect.  This is a GAME.  Let people have fun, and WHO CARES if they screw it up?  

We seem to be so worried about staffing a position with an "unqualified" person that we have constipated ourselves from the enjoyment of the GAME.  Thus, we don't have enough controllers, and thus do not attract pilots.  

Used to be the pilots and controllers worked together.  I could give hints as to where I needed to be to the controller, and the controller could give me guidance on how to fly the plane better.  Now, we seem to sacrifice that bond and enjoyment in the name of "as real as it gets...."

I used to never care about my rating, and still pretty much don't.  However, now there are "position police" who run around looking at your rating and making sure you are "allowed" to staff a position with little care to whether or not you are capable.

2
General Discussion / What we need to be discussing
« on: February 19, 2010, 10:33:35 PM »
Three problems.

1) We make it too hard to become an app or center controller.  Staff it and they will come.  No staff=no pilots.
2) The pilot software is a bit daunting to non-computer types.
3) There is no training available for pilots, and the pat answer is always http://www.vatsim.net/prc

3
General Discussion / Do we even need a VATUSA1?
« on: February 16, 2010, 06:09:24 PM »
Quote from: Gary Millsaps
Case in point, the GRP. It was originally actualized through a request from the BoG to the EC to come up with a policy that provided regulation over the widely variant and in many cases, outlandishly difficult and obtuse controller training, transfer and visiting requirements VATSIM-wide. Up to that time even with constant prodding, no positive results had been attained in answer to the identified problems. Through this "codification", a loss of some autonomy at the operational level has occurred. Many find this disconcerting to say the least. This is further exasperated by the fact that such codification has to be well-crafted, easy to understand, well focused and thorough in applicability.

Now layer on top of all this the factor of VATSIM being a volunteer organization. With the onerous burden of having to operate under more and more policies and regulations and a sense of not being able to determine one's own "destiny" as-it-were, you can quickly see where frustration can erupt and members who have all the best in mind for their efforts become any one of; frustrated, combative, reticent...(fill in the blank).

Gary, this is perhaps the best summary of the cause and effect of the situation I've heard to date.  I hope someone at VATSIM is reading this one.

4
General Discussion / Do we even need a VATUSA1?
« on: February 16, 2010, 10:38:24 AM »
Quote from: J. Jason Vodnansky
Take one RD, who doesn't support his staff.  Add one VP of Regions, who seems to subscribe to "why say it in 10 words, when you can say it in 1000".  Contradicting himself from forum post to forum post.  Throw in a weak EC, add a dose of an over reaching board that tends to everyone's business including attempts to impede a member's "due process".  What do you get from that?

I think the answer is in front of us.

That is why I believe a VATUSA DD is required.  Someone needs to support the ATMs!

As I have never worked with those mentioned here, all of my comments are speculative at best.  Be that as it may, I'd like to chime in...yet again...for what it's worth  

I find this contradicting and a bit odd.  I find it difficult to believe that EVERYONE you mentioned above the DD has this many faults.  From your framing of the situation, the problem does not lie in the arms of the ATM and DD, but rather with the entire senior management of VATSIM.

I have heard NUMEROUS times now that the VATUSA1 does not feel "supported" from above.  This then drives them to quit.  

You state that the whole goal of the DD is to "support" {I read that as fight for, stick up for, defend, etc.} the ATMs from "above".

My question is WHY is it a us vs. them scenario?  Who is driving the wedge and conflict?  Posts like this definitely don't go towards finding a solution, but rather, further drive that wedge in.   It's rheotorical btw.  Poor communication, i.e. not being on the same page, seems to be the key premise of all the threads around this situation.  Expectation setting, accountablity, process flow, etc. etc. all seem to be at issue.

However, you win some, you loose some, and ultimately the Founders and BoG hold the keys to the castle, i.e. if they decided to stop paying for all this stuff, we'd be out a hobby.  If they want something done a certain way, then you make your case, then live with the decision....good or bad.

Just quitting out right does NOT solve the problem, and by doing so you are basically leaving the rest of us out in the wind with no "support" from the so-called terrible upper management.  

I just don't buy that.

From this post, JV, you make it sound like the RD, the VP of Regions, the President of VATSIM, and the entire EC are a bunch of idiots that should be fired out right....???      Again, I don't buy that; not when the rest of the world doesn't seem to have the same problems as we do here in the U.S.

I do know this.  Whomever applies to be VATUSA1 had better KNOW this situation exists, be very careful in their decision making, and go in with the understanding that your decisions may be overturned.  Being a leader is as much about following as it is leading.  Just remember that

Again, I don't have specifics about this situation, so my comments may be off base a bit (they usually are), but I don't think the entire upper management structure of VATSIM is as evil or stupid as your post (and many others) suggest.  Are there issues?  Most definitely.  But beating the dead horse over and over and over and over again isn't going to solve them.  I'm not sure what will, although the mass-resignation-in-protest route doesn't appear to work either.....that's what led me to my original post about do we even need a DD.

(sorry if I used 1000 words).....  

5
General Discussion / Do we even need a VATUSA1?
« on: February 15, 2010, 11:27:21 AM »
Ah, now there's a BETTER question instead of elminating VATUSA1, how about just getting rid of the Staff?  (except a technology person unless the VATUSA1 has those skills).

I like the model of the interface as I don't really see the need for a duplication of everything at the VATUSA level.

6
General Discussion / Do we even need a VATUSA1?
« on: February 13, 2010, 04:53:51 PM »
BTW I am being devil's advocate with this thread.

7
General Discussion / Do we even need a VATUSA1?
« on: February 13, 2010, 12:02:53 PM »
One might make the argument that we don't need a VATUSA division "staff", and it's a pretty good argument as long as there is a policy/member liaison, a training person, and a website/technology dude.  

If the VATUSA1s of the world are so unhappy (for whatever reason) and we cannot keep them, why have em?

What is the value added by a division head at this level of the organization?

And to that end, what is the purpose/value-add of the Regional Director other than to act as a speed bump between the division head and the VATSIM EC?

If the division heads cannot implement their own policies outside the CoR, and now GRP2, what's the point?  I wouldn't want that job for sure, because all you are at that point is a figure head.  Is it just to take care of the day-to-day needs of the VATUSA membership so the EC or RD don't have to deal with it?  Again, I wouldn't want that job either.....

Could we get away without having a VATUSA1 realistically?  Keep a member person, a training/standards/QA person, and a web site person, and that's it.  

Jeff
PS> we obviously have an organizational issue (along with some communication issues it seems), so why not lay out all the cards and options?

"let the flaming commence

8
General Discussion / Check-In Responsibility
« on: February 11, 2010, 10:07:58 PM »
David,
  Thank you for the note.  I too learned at ORD when it was just fun, and not the ATC control freaks that have emerged.  I did not realize that GRP 2.0 was actually intended to tame some of these folks that have gone way overboard in their pursuit of reality in this wonderful HOBBY/GAME, and levelset the entire thing.

  I think this is bane of our existence at this point.  The stress between those who want this to be like real life, and those of us who just want to enjoy the game.

  Like you said, I only have a few hours to invest in this game a week, and I don't want to spend my time studying FAA regs, or getting picked at about how I say stuff as long as I control the traffic and push tin.  I don't need some kid from NDU bitching because I say "You are 10nm from the marker"....  I like learning don't get me wrong, but I don't want it to take over the fun....

  If I wanted to do this for a living, I would have, but hey controlling is STRESSFUL.  Why are we making it SO hard on ourselves.... I just don't get it....  Get out and fly/control.  We have people who could be controlling positions that cannot because of some crazy process that we've put down on ourselves.

Jeff

PS>  I never really thought the controllers were the problem on VATSIM, it was the lack of training for the pilots....but somehow we've spun it around the wrong way.....ATC is a service, not a power.

9
General Discussion / Party at the FAA!
« on: December 23, 2009, 07:16:16 AM »
I find these types of one sided articles annoying, unprofessional, and just plain drivel.  

Anybody who has been to ANY conference ever, knows how these things are.  You spend 8 hours of a day roaming a vast conference hall going from one lecture to another hoping to pull out a few nuggets to take back home with you.  It is long.  It is tiring.  Then you go out at night.  I'd like to know how many of these after school parties were sponsored events by vendors?  

Anyway, these guys work extremely hard, and deserve a break every now and then.  I'd rather blow $5 million on these guys than that stupid trip to Copenhagen.  Notice nobody is saying how much they blew for THAT party...and I guarantee you it was a LOT worse than a few hookers..... AND they accomplished NOTHING except to reinforce everyone's impression that the US Government can't scratch it's own ass.

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