Layne;30090 wrote:Brent--Indeed you are a very tolerant person to let this go on. What are we learning from continuing this thread?
Unfortunately I'm not sure anyone is learning anything from this thread. However my hope is that by reading this thread new members will understand that just as with any forum on the web, there are members here on the windshield repair forum who are here to help as much as they can, and there are members who just don't seem to get it. One has to learn to ignore those that are filled with negativity and focus on those with a positive message.
Sometimes it is not so much what you say, but how you say it that counts. I try to surround myself with people who have positive attitudes and a genuine concern for the welfare of others, and when I run across someone who I feel I can help, I do so. If I don't think I can help them I will let them know, but I have never found cruelty to be of any benefit to anyone, and if we drive people away we cannot help them.
Windshield repair is a very unique business in that it does not cost much to get into, it is very easy to learn, and many people find they can make a very good living at it. That doesn't mean everyone will succeed, but most successful entrepreneurs will fail multiple times before they find something they can succeed at, and we all face plenty of people negativity from others along the way. I failed at many business opportunities before I found windshield repair, and I have made my share of stupid mistakes in this business as well, but I don't need anyone to rub my nose in it. I may never make as much money as some forum members claim to make, but I made a decent living as a windshield repair technician, and continue to do so by helping others get started in this industry.
Most of us buy things at least partially because of creative advertising. We don't know who to trust, so we want to believe what the seller tells us, and sometimes don't have time to do the in depth research that we should. If someone tells me their product will perform as advertised or I will get a full refund, I should be able to believe that. Maybe that makes me stupid, or maybe it makes the seller a crook. I guess it depends on how you look at it. While I believe that research is a good thing, most people that who at windshield repair do so because they never get started, and there are plenty of people who do a lot of research and still end up purchasing a product that simply does not perform to their expectations.
What really baffles me is that the same people who think I should allow anything and everything to be discussed here regardless of how offensive I find it, will stay here and complain about how I run things rather than go out and start their own forum where "they" can control the content, or allow it to be a free-for-all if that is what they want to see.
Offering an opinion is one thing, but it's just not in my nature to be unkind to others, so the overall tone will remain positive here, one way or another. However, that does not mean that every post will be positive, or every member will conform to my way of thinking. On this point I agree with GD, HB and others that have said it is important that members are allowed to voice their opinions. Still, at the end of the day someone has to decide on the direction this windshield repair forum will go and take the necessary action to keep it on track. Like it or not, that someone is me.