[arrl-odv:31874] Advice please
Dear ODV, As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that. I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW. I have authored a private response to him - which I have not sent - but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest. So here's my question: how do YOU take Dave's soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)? Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback? I'd really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view. This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed. David
Hi David, I was witness to some discussion of how he torched FlexRadio for what I saw was a difference of opinion and practice. Flex ended up working with him and he largely went away. But not before he did short term damage to their brand with his army of loyal followers behind him. (I don't use his software, I don't see why so many even like it). However that issue has mostly gone away. I can't disclose further as the rest is under NDA. Dave makes mountains out of molehills and he even threatened to short the stock of my employer (???) when he had a disagreement with me. A very unstable individual. Are we cultivating a relationship with him long term? He's going to be an absolute nightmare. Are there any alternatives? I would really suggest we look elsewhere. Ria N2RJ On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 1:04 PM Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> wrote:
Dear ODV,
As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that.
I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW.
I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest.
So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)?
Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback?
I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view.
This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed.
David
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
I agree with Bud. YQ seems to be the kind that will never let up, and IMHO the less ammunition you provide in a reply, the better. Also, YQ did not cc all the Vice directors in his letter, so some may be curious what the hub bub is about. I received it second hand so do not feel it appropriate to share myself. Mark, HDX On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 10:04 AM Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) < dminster@arrl.org> wrote:
Dear ODV,
As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that.
I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW.
I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest.
So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)?
Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback?
I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view.
This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed.
David _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
He didn’t copy all the directors either, I had to receive second hand also. My opinion is your time is spent better elsewhere. Whatever you send him he will use for ammunition in another message. Someone else noticed some of his references are a little dated. While he takes shots at you, his references are to statements made by previous CEO’s. Bill AC0W From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> On Behalf Of Mark J Tharp Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 2:31 PM To: Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> Cc: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> Subject: [arrl-odv:31878] Re: Advice please I agree with Bud. YQ seems to be the kind that will never let up, and IMHO the less ammunition you provide in a reply, the better. Also, YQ did not cc all the Vice directors in his letter, so some may be curious what the hub bub is about. I received it second hand so do not feel it appropriate to share myself. Mark, HDX On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 10:04 AM Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org <mailto:dminster@arrl.org> > wrote: Dear ODV, As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that. I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW. I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest. So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)? Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback? I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view. This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed. David _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
He didn’t copy me either. Maybe we ought to see what he said. 73 Ria N2RJ On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 3:59 PM AC0W Bill <ac0wmoo11@gmail.com> wrote:
He didn’t copy all the directors either, I had to receive second hand also.
My opinion is your time is spent better elsewhere. Whatever you send him he will use for ammunition in another message.
Someone else noticed some of his references are a little dated. While he takes shots at you, his references are to statements made by previous CEO’s.
Bill AC0W
*From:* arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> *On Behalf Of *Mark J Tharp *Sent:* Monday, February 1, 2021 2:31 PM *To:* Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> *Cc:* arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> *Subject:* [arrl-odv:31878] Re: Advice please
I agree with Bud.
YQ seems to be the kind that will never let up, and IMHO the less ammunition you provide in a reply, the better.
Also, YQ did not cc all the Vice directors in his letter, so some may be curious what the hub bub is about.
I received it second hand so do not feel it appropriate to share myself.
Mark, HDX
On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 10:04 AM Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) < dminster@arrl.org> wrote:
Dear ODV,
As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that.
I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW.
I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest.
So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)?
Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback?
I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view.
This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed.
David
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
Ria et al., Just to be sure, are we referring to the "RE: [ARRL-LoTW] LoTW 2.0" diatribe that YQ sent? If so, Ria, you should have gotten it - he sent it to n2rj@arrl.org. Bill - it does appear that he missed you. If it was a different email, I'd like a copy ;-) 73,MikeK1TWF -----Original Message----- From: rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> To: ac0wmoo11@gmail.com Cc: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> Sent: Mon, Feb 1, 2021 4:29 pm Subject: [arrl-odv:31882] Re: Advice please He didn’t copy me either. Maybe we ought to see what he said. 73RiaN2RJ On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 3:59 PM AC0W Bill <ac0wmoo11@gmail.com> wrote: He didn’t copy all the directors either, I had to receive second hand also. My opinion is your time is spent better elsewhere. Whatever you send him he will use for ammunition in another message. Someone else noticed some of his references are a little dated. While he takes shots at you, his references are to statements made by previous CEO’s. Bill AC0W From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> On Behalf Of Mark J Tharp Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 2:31 PM To: Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> Cc: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> Subject: [arrl-odv:31878] Re: Advice please I agree with Bud. YQ seems to be the kind that will never let up, and IMHO the less ammunition you provide in a reply, the better. Also, YQ did not cc all the Vice directors in his letter, so some may be curious what the hub bub is about. I received it second hand so do not feel it appropriate to share myself. Mark, HDX On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 10:04 AM Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> wrote: Dear ODV, As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that. I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW. I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest. So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)? Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback? I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view. This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed. David_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
Mike, I think you are correct. I missed that it was also sent to the LoTW list. For everyone to read,,, here it is again. :) Mark, HDX *From: *Dave AA6YQ <aa6yq@ambersoft.com> *Date: *Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 10:37 PM *To: *"ARRL-LoTW@groups.arrl.org" <ARRL-LoTW@groups.arrl.org> *Cc: *"Hippisley, George (Bud), W2RU, (Dir, RK)" <w2ru@arrl.org>, "Williams, Dale, WA8EFK (Dir, GL)" <wa8efk@arrl.org>, "Norris, David, K5UZ (Dir, DL)" <dnorris@arrl.org>, "Norton, Richard N6AA (Dir, SW)" < richardjnorton@yahoo.com>, "Hopengarten, Fred, K1VR, (Dir, NE)" < fred@antennazoning.com>, "Ryan, Jeff, K0RM (Dir, RM)" <k0rm@arrl.org>, "Stratton, John, N5AUS (Dir, WG)" <n5aus@n5aus.com>, "Carlson, Kermit, W9XA (Dir, CD)" <kcarlson@arrl.org>, "Holden, Matt, K0BBC (Dir, DD)" < mtholde@gmail.com>, 'Mickey N4MB' <n4mb@arrl.net>, "Ritz, Mike, W7VO, (Dir, NW)" <w7vo@comcast.net>, "Jairam, Ria, N2RJ (Dir, HD)" <n2rj@arrl.org>, "Blocksome, Rod, K0DAS (Dir, MW)" <rblocksome@arrl.org>, "Abernethy, Tom, W3TOM (Dir, AT)" <w3tom@arrl.org>, "Shelley, Barry, N1VXY" < bshelley@arrl.org>, "Vallio, Bob, W6RGG (2nd VP)" <w6rgg@arrl.org>, "Middleton, Diane, W2DLM (CFO)" <dmiddleton@arrl.org>, "Raisbeck, Mike, K1TWF (1st VP)" <K1TWF@arrl.org>, "Roderick, Rick, K5UR (President)" < K5UR@arrl.org>, "Niswander, Rick, K7GM (Treasurer)" <rniswander@arrl.org>, "Stafford, Rod, W6ROD (Intl Affairs VP)" <W6ROD@arrl.org>, Greg K0GW < gpwidin@comcast.net>, "Bernstein, Dave, AA6YQ" <aa6yq@ambersoft.com> *Subject: *RE: [ARRL-LoTW] LoTW 2.0 + AA6YQ comments below The January 2021 ARRL LoTW committee minutes make interesting reading: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ODV/Board%20Meeting%20Jan%202021/Document%202... 21.pdf In an online interview with K3LR < https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1138&v=5bKv6InXAkg&feature=youtu.be> in December, David Minster AA2AA (ARRL’s new CEO) talks excitedly about “Project X”, a complete re-engineering/re-imagining of LoTW plus the awards admin as a cloud-based system … with usability and functionality improvements. Great to see overt support from the top, including things mentioned recently on here e.g. ‘a dashboard’. I’d love to see some mock-ups to find out what that might be. + I spent ~35 years in the computer hardware and software engineering business at Data General (minicomputers, microprocessors, operating systems, compilers) and Rational Software. Rational developed the software process and tools successfully employed in large-scale projects like the Space Station avionics, the Canadian Air Traffic Control System, several commercial aircraft, several military command-and-control systems, stock exchanges, and embedded medical equipment like pacemakers and defibrillators; as the founding VP Development, I spent a quarter of my time engaged with our customers to listen to their critique and suggestions. + Over that span and since I retired after IBM bought Rational, I can count the number of instances on one hand in which a significant existing system was successfully maintained in parallel with the development of a new replacement system from scratch. Microsoft, for example, accomplished it with Windows NT: they hired Dave Cutler (architect of DEC's VAX VMS operating system), gave him an unlimited budget, and protected him politically. Mostly, the result of this approach is disaster - with both the existing project and its intended replacement starved for resources and management attention; in more than one case, the competition escalated to sabotage. In this day and age, spending years designing and implementing a significant online system without continuous feedback from users is just stupid. The "we'll pull a beautiful LoTW 2.0 rabbit out of our hat two years from now" approach is a classic anti-pattern. + The approach far more likely to succeed is to design the desired future architecture, and then define an evolutionary roadmap that achieves that future architecture through a sequence of incremental steps starting with the current system. Each step produces an iteration that can be tested and deployed to the user community. After each such iteration, user feedback and lessons learned drive updates to the architecture and roadmap, and the next iteration proceeds. Not only is the end result more likely satisfy user needs, users see a continuous stream of incremental improvements. In software engineering, we call this "iterative development"; it's been in successful use for decades. + We evolved just such a going-forward plan in the ARRL LoTW Committee, of which I was a member from its founding in 2013 until the ARRL removed all development resources from LotW in late 2017, eliminating any possibility of implementing it. + Several weeks ago, after viewing the "Project X" segment of the video cited above, I conveyed this perspective to CEO Minster via email; evidently his "I will respond to every email" policy does not apply to all ARRL members. + The ARRL removed all development resources from LoTW in late 2017 to salvage its failed attempt to out-source the much-needed replacement of its DXCC system; that replacement DXCC system has yet to see the light of day. Around the same time, the ARRL spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a commercial Association Management software package: http://www.arrl.org/news/reshaping-arrl-objectives-refocusing-arrl-hq-struct... + When last I checked, this software package had still not been deployed. + LoTW's two decades of tribulations are the result of a well-meaning but software-naïve management that accepted a ludicrously under-scoped project plan, and then insisted on adding functionality rather than addressing all of the corners cut during its initial implementation - like functional testing, performance testing, stress testing, usability testing, and documentation for users; it's no wonder the thing ground to a halt in late 2012. + When you can barely keep a rickety Cessna airborne, putting a colony on Mars should not be your next objective. + I wish the ARRL team luck, but luck won't help. In software engineering, hope is not a strategy. 73, Dave, AA6YQ - licensed as Novice: 1990 - ARRL Technical Innovation Award: 2008 - #1 DXCC Honor Roll: 2008 - DXCC Challenge 3000: 2008 - ARRL Presidents Award: 2020 On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 2:20 PM Mike Raisbeck via arrl-odv < arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> wrote:
Ria et al.,
Just to be sure, are we referring to the "RE: [ARRL-LoTW] LoTW 2.0" diatribe that YQ sent? If so, Ria, you should have gotten it - he sent it to n2rj@arrl.org. Bill - it does appear that he missed you.
If it was a different email, I'd like a copy ;-)
73, Mike K1TWF
-----Original Message----- From: rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> To: ac0wmoo11@gmail.com Cc: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> Sent: Mon, Feb 1, 2021 4:29 pm Subject: [arrl-odv:31882] Re: Advice please
He didn’t copy me either.
Maybe we ought to see what he said.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 3:59 PM AC0W Bill <ac0wmoo11@gmail.com> wrote:
He didn’t copy all the directors either, I had to receive second hand also.
My opinion is your time is spent better elsewhere. Whatever you send him he will use for ammunition in another message.
Someone else noticed some of his references are a little dated. While he takes shots at you, his references are to statements made by previous CEO’s.
Bill AC0W
*From:* arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> *On Behalf Of *Mark J Tharp *Sent:* Monday, February 1, 2021 2:31 PM *To:* Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> *Cc:* arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> *Subject:* [arrl-odv:31878] Re: Advice please
I agree with Bud. YQ seems to be the kind that will never let up, and IMHO the less ammunition you provide in a reply, the better.
Also, YQ did not cc all the Vice directors in his letter, so some may be curious what the hub bub is about. I received it second hand so do not feel it appropriate to share myself.
Mark, HDX
On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 10:04 AM Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) < dminster@arrl.org> wrote:
Dear ODV,
As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that.
I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW.
I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest.
So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)?
Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback?
I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view.
This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed.
David _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
So that makes more sense now. I have discussed that in the past with him, casually. He doesn't think that putting it in the cloud will help, which is very strange. He has thrown cold water on other ideas which are industry best practice for ARRL's I.T. infrastructure including better use of HTTPS for trust of the website (which is an industry best practice), cloud based systems with auto scaling, changing the database to something more robust, and a revamp of the front-end to something more modern and responsive. His whole solution seems to be "throw more programmers at the problem, that's what we need." Ria N2RJ On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 5:34 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
Mike, I think you are correct. I missed that it was also sent to the LoTW list. For everyone to read,,, here it is again.
:) Mark, HDX
From: Dave AA6YQ <aa6yq@ambersoft.com> Date: Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 10:37 PM To: "ARRL-LoTW@groups.arrl.org" <ARRL-LoTW@groups.arrl.org> Cc: "Hippisley, George (Bud), W2RU, (Dir, RK)" <w2ru@arrl.org>, "Williams, Dale, WA8EFK (Dir, GL)" <wa8efk@arrl.org>, "Norris, David, K5UZ (Dir, DL)" <dnorris@arrl.org>, "Norton, Richard N6AA (Dir, SW)" <richardjnorton@yahoo.com>, "Hopengarten, Fred, K1VR, (Dir, NE)" <fred@antennazoning.com>, "Ryan, Jeff, K0RM (Dir, RM)" <k0rm@arrl.org>, "Stratton, John, N5AUS (Dir, WG)" <n5aus@n5aus.com>, "Carlson, Kermit, W9XA (Dir, CD)" <kcarlson@arrl.org>, "Holden, Matt, K0BBC (Dir, DD)" <mtholde@gmail.com>, 'Mickey N4MB' <n4mb@arrl.net>, "Ritz, Mike, W7VO, (Dir, NW)" <w7vo@comcast.net>, "Jairam, Ria, N2RJ (Dir, HD)" <n2rj@arrl.org>, "Blocksome, Rod, K0DAS (Dir, MW)" <rblocksome@arrl.org>, "Abernethy, Tom, W3TOM (Dir, AT)" <w3tom@arrl.org>, "Shelley, Barry, N1VXY" <bshelley@arrl.org>, "Vallio, Bob, W6RGG (2nd VP)" <w6rgg@arrl.org>, "Middleton, Diane, W2DLM (CFO)" <dmiddleton@arrl.org>, "Raisbeck, Mike, K1TWF (1st VP)" <K1TWF@arrl.org>, "Roderick, Rick, K5UR (President)" <K5UR@arrl.org>, "Niswander, Rick, K7GM (Treasurer)" <rniswander@arrl.org>, "Stafford, Rod, W6ROD (Intl Affairs VP)" <W6ROD@arrl.org>, Greg K0GW <gpwidin@comcast.net>, "Bernstein, Dave, AA6YQ" <aa6yq@ambersoft.com> Subject: RE: [ARRL-LoTW] LoTW 2.0
+ AA6YQ comments below
The January 2021 ARRL LoTW committee minutes make interesting reading:
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ODV/Board%20Meeting%20Jan%202021/Document%202...
21.pdf
In an online interview with K3LR <https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1138&v=5bKv6InXAkg&feature=youtu.be> in December, David Minster
AA2AA (ARRL’s new CEO) talks excitedly about “Project X”, a complete re-engineering/re-imagining of LoTW plus the awards admin as a
cloud-based system … with usability and functionality improvements. Great to see overt support from the top, including things
mentioned recently on here e.g. ‘a dashboard’. I’d love to see some mock-ups to find out what that might be.
+ I spent ~35 years in the computer hardware and software engineering business at Data General (minicomputers, microprocessors,
operating systems, compilers) and Rational Software. Rational developed the software process and tools successfully employed in
large-scale projects like the Space Station avionics, the Canadian Air Traffic Control System, several commercial aircraft, several
military command-and-control systems, stock exchanges, and embedded medical equipment like pacemakers and defibrillators; as the
founding VP Development, I spent a quarter of my time engaged with our customers to listen to their critique and suggestions.
+ Over that span and since I retired after IBM bought Rational, I can count the number of instances on one hand in which a
significant existing system was successfully maintained in parallel with the development of a new replacement system from scratch.
Microsoft, for example, accomplished it with Windows NT: they hired Dave Cutler (architect of DEC's VAX VMS operating system), gave
him an unlimited budget, and protected him politically. Mostly, the result of this approach is disaster - with both the existing
project and its intended replacement starved for resources and management attention; in more than one case, the competition
escalated to sabotage. In this day and age, spending years designing and implementing a significant online system without continuous
feedback from users is just stupid. The "we'll pull a beautiful LoTW 2.0 rabbit out of our hat two years from now" approach is a
classic anti-pattern.
+ The approach far more likely to succeed is to design the desired future architecture, and then define an evolutionary roadmap that
achieves that future architecture through a sequence of incremental steps starting with the current system. Each step produces an
iteration that can be tested and deployed to the user community. After each such iteration, user feedback and lessons learned drive
updates to the architecture and roadmap, and the next iteration proceeds. Not only is the end result more likely satisfy user needs,
users see a continuous stream of incremental improvements. In software engineering, we call this "iterative development"; it's been
in successful use for decades.
+ We evolved just such a going-forward plan in the ARRL LoTW Committee, of which I was a member from its founding in 2013 until the
ARRL removed all development resources from LotW in late 2017, eliminating any possibility of implementing it.
+ Several weeks ago, after viewing the "Project X" segment of the video cited above, I conveyed this perspective to CEO Minster via
email; evidently his "I will respond to every email" policy does not apply to all ARRL members.
+ The ARRL removed all development resources from LoTW in late 2017 to salvage its failed attempt to out-source the much-needed
replacement of its DXCC system; that replacement DXCC system has yet to see the light of day. Around the same time, the ARRL spent
hundreds of thousands of dollars on a commercial Association Management software package:
http://www.arrl.org/news/reshaping-arrl-objectives-refocusing-arrl-hq-struct...
+ When last I checked, this software package had still not been deployed.
+ LoTW's two decades of tribulations are the result of a well-meaning but software-naïve management that accepted a ludicrously
under-scoped project plan, and then insisted on adding functionality rather than addressing all of the corners cut during its
initial implementation - like functional testing, performance testing, stress testing, usability testing, and documentation for
users; it's no wonder the thing ground to a halt in late 2012.
+ When you can barely keep a rickety Cessna airborne, putting a colony on Mars should not be your next objective.
+ I wish the ARRL team luck, but luck won't help. In software engineering, hope is not a strategy.
73,
Dave, AA6YQ
- licensed as Novice: 1990
- ARRL Technical Innovation Award: 2008
- #1 DXCC Honor Roll: 2008
- DXCC Challenge 3000: 2008
- ARRL Presidents Award: 2020
On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 2:20 PM Mike Raisbeck via arrl-odv <arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> wrote:
Ria et al.,
Just to be sure, are we referring to the "RE: [ARRL-LoTW] LoTW 2.0" diatribe that YQ sent? If so, Ria, you should have gotten it - he sent it to n2rj@arrl.org. Bill - it does appear that he missed you.
If it was a different email, I'd like a copy ;-)
73, Mike K1TWF
-----Original Message----- From: rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> To: ac0wmoo11@gmail.com Cc: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> Sent: Mon, Feb 1, 2021 4:29 pm Subject: [arrl-odv:31882] Re: Advice please
He didn’t copy me either.
Maybe we ought to see what he said.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 3:59 PM AC0W Bill <ac0wmoo11@gmail.com> wrote:
He didn’t copy all the directors either, I had to receive second hand also.
My opinion is your time is spent better elsewhere. Whatever you send him he will use for ammunition in another message.
Someone else noticed some of his references are a little dated. While he takes shots at you, his references are to statements made by previous CEO’s.
Bill AC0W
From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> On Behalf Of Mark J Tharp Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 2:31 PM To: Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> Cc: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> Subject: [arrl-odv:31878] Re: Advice please
I agree with Bud. YQ seems to be the kind that will never let up, and IMHO the less ammunition you provide in a reply, the better.
Also, YQ did not cc all the Vice directors in his letter, so some may be curious what the hub bub is about. I received it second hand so do not feel it appropriate to share myself.
Mark, HDX
On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 10:04 AM Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> wrote:
Dear ODV,
As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that.
I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW.
I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest.
So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)?
Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback?
I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view.
This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed.
David _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
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David, One detail always missing from YQ’s rants is a scintilla of any suitable alternative or a scrap of a positive suggestion. This latest diatribe is no different from the last. Please consider giving his missive all the attention it deserves. 73, Kermit W9XA Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone On Monday, February 1, 2021, 12:04, Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> wrote: <!--#yiv0562371560 _filtered {} _filtered {}#yiv0562371560 #yiv0562371560 p.yiv0562371560MsoNormal, #yiv0562371560 li.yiv0562371560MsoNormal, #yiv0562371560 div.yiv0562371560MsoNormal {margin:0in;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;}#yiv0562371560 span.yiv0562371560EmailStyle17 {font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;color:windowtext;}#yiv0562371560 .yiv0562371560MsoChpDefault {font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;} _filtered {}#yiv0562371560 div.yiv0562371560WordSection1 {}--> Dear ODV, As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that. I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW. I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest. So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)? Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback? I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view. This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed. David _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
I've found that ignoring these kinds of people only adds fuel to the fire. I would send YQ a nice note thanking him for his comments, then silently move on .... 73; Mike W7VO
On 02/01/2021 12:44 PM Kermit Carlson via arrl-odv <arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> wrote:
David,
One detail always missing from YQ’s rants is a scintilla of any suitable alternative or a scrap of a positive suggestion. This latest diatribe is no different from the last.
Please consider giving his missive all the attention it deserves.
73, Kermit W9XA
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS
On Monday, February 1, 2021, 12:04, Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> wrote:
> >
Dear ODV,
As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that.
I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW.
I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest.
So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)?
Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback?
I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view.
This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed.
David
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
> > >
> >
> _______________________________________________
arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
I know Dave. I know a bit of Dave’s history and respect his accomplishments. In a nutshell, with respect to my colleagues who have already replied, it would be a mistake to dismiss his diatribe as a "rant." He makes good points, and I hope, in this missive that grows longer the more I think about it, that the ARRL would do well to listen to his points and to react to them by communication that deflates the rhetoric but addresses the concerns that he raises... that he has been raising frequently since 2012, to his frustration. Dave is a legitimate political leader of thousands of ARRL members. I’ve heard his argument regarding proposed ground-up rewrites of LoTW many times - in fact, I believe his opposition and the lack of an actual detailed definition of a project has been the reason that the LoTW product hasn’t moved in years. He is correct, factually. His criticism is based on his personal history as a contributor to major projects and as an engineer. Dave writes and maintains the DXLab suite of products that are more feature-rich than anything on the market - and they're free. Say what you will about Dave's personality, but he knows about all facets of logging, rig interfaces, and the needs and complaints of the DX Community. He has a large and loyal following - his DXLab group on groups.io has over 5,500 members. The ARRL-LOTW group has 4,800 members, to give you an idea as to size. Both groups came over from Yahoo! He has great points. Mr. Minster (multiple Davids on the exchange), you have announced an initiative with very little detail. I was hoping you'd flesh this out a bit more, and I was hoping you'd have a conversation with the Board with some back and forth before you went public with a third party. One of DB's issues is that he believes that we (the ARRL) have not considered the scope of our project to replace LoTW - he has made this public: *"**I would expect that ARRL has list of current or proposed Requirements that they would want the Logbook to perform."* I wrote Kristen with my thoughts on inception of projects in general in December. I recommended the ITSM approach. The last few efforts I've run (that each ran more than $2M) When an organization has billions of dollars in development capital, or millions of dollars in investment capital, is a government agency or publicly traded, there is governance that makes sure that projects are a prudent use of funding. The night I wrote her, I explained the ITSM defined stages of a project, which I believe she understood. 1. Assessment - *What are we going to do and why do we need to do it* 2. Design -* Using Assessment, how are we going to do it?* 3. Planning - Now that we have 1 and 2, Let's set milestone and goals, create tasks, resource requirements and deadlines. 4. Implementation - Execute the plan, test, roll out to the users. 5. Support Help people use the product, fix issues, loop change requests back to Assessment. These are recursive - each stage can be done more than once, and failures in a higher number stage should be referred to more basic steps. *ASSESSMENT* Now, please, where are we in Logbook 2.0? I submit we are early in the Assessment stage. I think that is what we need to clearly communicate ONCE WE DETERMINE how we are going to assess REQUIREMENTS based on USER INPUT. This is what our members know, intuitively, that we are missing. Having worked in product management, sales and marketing over half my career, I’ve learned that announcement of an initiative mustn’t predate solid goals that define an initiative and can be referenced as milestones. Coming up with a name is easy... when I was CTO at a $2B company, there was a contest to name a new $100M ERP project. It was named “Meteor” because a “meteor crashed into the Earth and killed all the dinosaurs.” Within 90 days, the company lost the valuable brain trust that had created the legacy ERP applications, including one that paid 200,000 employees for Dell. They saw THEMSELVES as the dinosaurs and they bailed. The CIO was fired and the project was years late. I have many other stories, some with famous monikers that you may have heard. My ex-wife was on the PC Jr. Project (Peanut) at IBM. So, let's move forward with an ASSESSMENT, develop a method of USER INPUT (Contest? Questionnaire? We need the ability for ANYONE to have input, to COALESCE the Ideas and winnow them. WE SHOULD MOVE QUICKLY and get this done so we can move forward. Let's NOT FORGET in the ASSESSMENT that we keep in mind that SCOPE needs to be defined to avoid "boiling the ocean" and RESOURCES for design and implementation need to be defined. I frankly don't see ARRL IT doing this. DESIGN This is typically where engineers jump first. You've already heard it. "Which cloud? Which Database? What development tools? An project planning tool and a project manager named... PLANNING, etc... More if you want it. 73, Mickey N4MB On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 1:04 PM Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) <dminster@arrl.org> wrote:
Dear ODV,
As you know, I am very open to your guidance and advice. It is key to my success, and ultimately the success of ARRL. I firmly believe that.
I have read the diatribe many of you received from Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, regarding LoTW.
I have authored a private response to him – which I have not sent – but if you were to read it, you would conclude that it is firm and brutally honest.
So here’s my question: how do YOU take Dave’s soapbox rants and self-aggrandizing, especially when it comes to attacking the CEO (who he did not copy on his rant)?
Do you feel it is something worthy of me attempting to manage, or have you (like many) given up on him as a lost cause and feel that I should just ignore his feedback?
I’d really like to have him as a resource, but I am struggling with his complete and sustained inability to collaborate and his non-factual statements used to further his inflexible points of view.
This is an important issue because creating a collaborative environment with members is everything to me. And it is something that must be managed.
David _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
participants (8)
-
AC0W Bill -
Kermit Carlson -
Mark J Tharp -
Michael Ritz -
Mickey Baker -
Mike Raisbeck -
Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) -
rjairam＠gmail.com