Rocky Jones wrote:
Noone is questioning whether the volunteers worked their butts off. What we're talking about is that the AMSAT community (at least some, anyway) have an expectation of performance equivalent to what would be provided by full-time paid staff. Well, as long as it's volunteers only, that expectation is not reasonable (IMHO).
Mark.
"level of performance".
No one at least in their right mind would expect a "volunteer" to equal the work through put of a paid employee...
For example..in The Church of Christ (where I worship) any fool can get into the pulpit and preach...and the other hand the preacher is expected to have three sermons a week ready to go...
But the volunteers need to have similar levels of competency in the tools being used as the Preacher or they should not be allowed into the pulpit in the first place.
It is like tower climbing...I dont do it as fastl as the folks who professionally climb the 1000 footer that our clubs machine is on...but for the team that does it to get on the tower...we had to meet a minimium level of competency and demonstrate that.
No matter how it is spun suitsat 1 was a failure.
Good engineering standards would dictate figuring out the weak links and then correcting them trying something that perhaps was a bit more "sophisticated" but not all that much more...if for no other reason to make sure that the methods that defeat the failure are well understood.
Instead what happened is that the "team" put together a project so complicated that they missed their free launch.
I dont care how good the engineering is to miss a free launch is bad management.
That reality seems to bite some folks
Robert WB5MZO
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I really want to reply in good faith. It is very difficult in light of the nature the tone of the way this thread is going. I am a member of AMSAT and proud of it. The organization is made up of volunteers.....Read Volunteers! Things will go wrong.. When we have problems we look for the weak points and focus on the corrections that can be made.
What I do not understand is the persistent bashing of the BOD or managers of this non profit volunteer corporation. We are not the Boeing, Lockheed or the USAF.
If something is not going your way contact a board member and deal directly with them. The way this thread is going it is accomplishing nothing more then degrading or demeaning the volunteer and contributing members of AMSAT. We have a lot of folks on this bb that have a lot of very good information to contribute to all. I just am really disappointed to see some very talented folks carry this thread to the point where it turns others off.
I do not expect a reply to this. I just wanted to express my opinion
Dale - KL7XJ