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This forum's great........


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I didn't want to join in on a negative posting session, so I might as well start my own thread.

I learn something daily while reading through the posts, so I would like to throw out a big THANK YOU to everyone (well, almost) on here.

I've become a much better inspector thanks to TIJ...........

Keep up the good work.

Me too!

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Well, it is a great forum. Unfortunately, it has become and remains so great because whenever someone starts posting like an arse, they get a talking-to. If they still don't behave, they get heavily moderated (it has happened to me). Once someone makes it clear that they cannot behave in a gentlemanly way in our civilized, online HI society, they get bounced. It only happens once every 2-3 years, but it's the ugly part of what keeps TIJ nice. Believe me, a lot of agonizing deliberation goes into making the decision to bounce someone. A fella'd have to work hard at it to make himself that obnoxious, and few do.

Even so, excommunicants are always welcomed back if they can behave.

Kudos to Mike, Mike, and Rose, the other folks who run TIJ, and also to the legions of positive contributors. Oh...and to Chad who is (metaphorically) too large a man to fit into any category.

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Hi,

We're gratified that folks like TIJ and Jimmy is right; there is a lot of soul searching that's done before we show someone the door. This is a place to come to learn, not to swagger, proclaim and bully. Folks want to do that, there's plenty of other places on the net to do it.

It's funny that Jimmy should mention Chad, because Chad is a perfect example of someone in another profession that came to TIJ to learn and who is a perfect example of a TIJ success story. It wasn't so many years ago that Chad was posting to this board from a beat up, practically antique computer from the back room of his auto repair business. Back then, we were able to recognize immediately that he had some very strong mechanical savvyness and also had a pretty good understanding of the building science that's such an integral part of what we do. However, Chad never seemed too full of himself and he didn't try and make it his mission to win every single debate - he asked reasonable questions, he researched the archives here and on other sites and he used the links that we provided to expand his knowledge of the profession. It was a long time before he made the jump to inspections but when he did he was pretty well armed to deal with just about anything he needed to deal with.

We didn't tell him then, but at the time the old timers were talking among themselves about how promising he looked as a new inspector. Folks were impressed with the depth of the knowledge that he already had and with the fact that he was willing to study carefully those who'd gone before. I think the key to how fast he picked this business up and soon became himself one of the most expert and respected folks here is that he listens really well and he doesn't stake out positions and then try and browbeat folks into agreeing with him. If I were buying in the Rochester area, or a relative or good friend of mine was buying in that area, he'd be the first guy that I'd call.

Now, his relationship with the sheep? That's another thing altogether...........

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

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I'm not sure what I've done to deserve the kind words, but thanks very much.

The truth is, and this is directed at all the new guys, if you work very, very hard, in 5 or 6 years you can be working a part time job and making about 200 bucks a week inspecting houses just like me. Les has been at it since the French were a super power and he makes almost enough to pay some income taxes.

That's what you should shoot for: earn enough to pay income taxes.

Btw Jim, ain't nuthin metaphorical about it

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Jeez,

I just learned that this thread was started after I'd pruned a thread to remove a bunch of non-relavent posts and restore it to it's original topic. The fellow in question, who it was clear to every experienced inspector here knows a little bit about HVAC but practically nothing about construction or this business, had been swaggering around here for the past month like a drunk with bath breath sidling up to tables in a fine restaurant and loudly berating the guests. He'd apparently objected to his posts being deleted and came on and made an obscenity-laced post dissing the folks here. I guess that his post was up for about 45 minutes before we saw it and took it down.

I guess he wasn't exactly the caliber of person anyone wants to see here, or anywhere else in the profession for that matter and his profile has been locked. Guy's like that are what my ex mother-in-law used to refer to as a horse's ass with teeth; we're better off without him, though I'm sure he'll be able to find somewhere else on the net where he'll be equally as obnoxious. What a sad little guy.

I sincerely apologize to anyone that had to read his pissant torrent.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

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Jeez,

I just learned that this thread was started after I'd pruned a thread to remove a bunch of non-relavent posts and restore it to it's original topic. The fellow in question, who it was clear to every experienced inspector here knows a little bit about HVAC but practically nothing about construction or this business, had been swaggering around here for the past month like a drunk with bath breath sidling up to tables in a fine restaurant and loudly berating the guests. He'd apparently objected to his posts being deleted and came on and made an obscenity-laced post dissing the folks here. I guess that his post was up for about 45 minutes before we saw it and took it down.

I guess he wasn't exactly the caliber of person anyone wants to see here, or anywhere else in the profession for that matter and his profile has been locked. Guy's like that are what my ex mother-in-law used to refer to as a horse's ass with teeth; we're better off without him, though I'm sure he'll be able to find somewhere else on the net where he'll be equally as obnoxious. What a sad little guy.

I sincerely apologize to anyone that had to read his pissant torrent.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

I read it. It was actuallly a little sad, 'cause it revealed how small, empty, and unself-aware he was. I think Kurt said it best when he referred to this person as Energy Black Hole.

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I've been on lots of HI forums, but this is the best one. Thugs and trolls aren't tolerated here. The managment is around to see to that, for which I am grateful. Free speech is not a license to screw up something good for other people, just because you can and you feel like it. [:-censore

I'm eternally thankful for the other HI's here who have helped make me much better than I would have been on my own. Helping and being helped are both good for the soul. [:-angel]

Brian G.

TIJ U Student [:-graduat

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Other than a few minor interruptions, TIJ has always been professionals acting like professionals. Considering all the crap that call themselves home inspectors, it was nice to find this group. I've taken much more than I can ever give back.

Not to interrupt the Chadfest, but I think we should be paying Jim K. a salary.

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As soon as the Mikes tell me that this site is generating a healthy revenue, I'll be happy to accept a salary.

Jim Katen, Oregon

LOL!

Mike Brown and Rose Balden probably fell off their chairs laughing when they read that. They've told me time and again that my mouth is TIJ's Achilles heel and what stops it from making a profit. Maybe we should put Jim in charge?

Seriously though, I wish that I could pay all of the moderators (and myself for that matter); instead, what's in the kitty has to be used for other stuff to try and ensure this site's survival. Heck, if Devwave ever goes under we're history 'cuz it's they who do all of the programming here and pay for the broadband under a barter arrangement.

Tell you what, though; we've got about 5,000 forum members now and if each of us wanted to say Thanks to Jim for keeping our collective asses out hell with his help on the electrical forum we could simply each send him a few bucks to say thanks for the help we've received over the past 7 years.

If every forum member sent him $1 he could reward himself by taking a cruise or by buying himself a new IR camera. If each sent him $2 he could go on a cruise plus get himself a camera. $3 and he could do a nice project around the house that he's been putting off - $10 and he could restock the cushion that he had to deplete last year after his spinal surgery when he couldn't work for months.

I'm game, it's the least I can do.

Jim Katen

Benchmark Inspection Services

40401 SW Dixon Mill Road

Gaston, OR 97119

By the way, in case you don't know what the Katenizer looks like, here he is:

Click to Enlarge
200926224023_Jim_Katen.jpg

5.96 KB

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

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As soon as the Mikes tell me that this site is generating a healthy revenue, I'll be happy to accept a salary.

Jim Katen, Oregon

LOL!

Mike Brown and Rose Balden probably fell off their chairs laughing when they read that. They've told me time and again that my mouth is TIJ's Achilles heel and what stops it from making a profit. Maybe we should put Jim in charge?

Seriously though, I wish that I could pay all of the moderators (and myself for that matter); instead, what's in the kitty has to be used for other stuff to try and ensure this site's survival. Heck, if Devwave ever goes under we're history 'cuz it's they who do all of the programming here and pay for the broadband under a barter arrangement.

Tell you what, though; we've got about 5,000 forum members now and if each of us wanted to say Thanks to Jim for keeping our collective asses out hell with his help on the electrical forum we could simply each send him a few bucks to say thanks for the help we've received over the past 7 years.

If every forum member sent him $1 he could reward himself by taking a cruise or by buying himself a new IR camera. If each sent him $2 he could go on a cruise plus get himself a camera. $3 and he could do a nice project around the house that he's been putting off - $10 and he could restock the cushion that he had to deplete last year after his spinal surgery when he couldn't work for months.

I'm game, it's the least I can do.

Jim Katen

Benchmark Inspection Services

40401 SW Dixon Mill Road

Gaston, OR 97119

By the way, in case you don't know what the Katenizer looks like, here he is:

Click to Enlarge
200926224023_Jim_Katen.jpg

5.96 KB

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

If we each sent him an oz to the truffles he wants he could retire. I checked!

When he found his joints were not as tough as his mind his pride got in the way of a little kitty.

Still willin in MS

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. . . Tell you what, though; we've got about 5,000 forum members now and if each of us wanted to say Thanks to Jim for keeping our collective asses out hell with his help on the electrical forum we could simply each send him a few bucks to say thanks for the help we've received over the past 7 years. . . .

That's very kind, Mike. But here's the deal. I already feel more than adequately compensated for the little bit of work that I do at TIJ. I learn stuff here every day, just like everyone else and the library that you've built has been invaluable to me.

That said, if some of you still want to do something nice for me, I'd appreciate it if you made a commitment to go out of your way to do something nice for someone else each day for the next week. It doesn't matter if it's a friend, a family member or a stranger. Just take some time every day to help someone else. If it becomes a habit that lasts longer than a week, so much the better.

I'd like that even better than a basket of truffles.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

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