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There has been a lot of talk about whether the FabNet is participating with the Solid Surface Association. I have talked about helping in the past to see where the discussion was going and to find out the point to it all.
I have dicussed this idea with many people involved and also with some sitting on the sideline. At this time the FabNet will not be endorsing this association.
Not because I want to hamper others ideas, but because I have an obligation to the FabNet members, sponsors and advertisers to provide exactly what was promised when it started. This is not to say that an association wouldn’t work, it just means that the FabNet is not the place.
I have created a “Member” Projects area to explore industry ideas and will continue to test it. This section is not designed to start another association for the solid surface industry.
This desision to keep the FabNet on track in the original direction was not taken lightly. The idea of an assocation was discussed and all involved decided against it.
Reason for this post is to make it clear that FabNet has not “Changed its Mind”. FabNet will continue to offer “FREE” infomation to the countertop fabricator. We will continue to support any and all means to promote the materials that make your business grow.
I believe that bringing everyone together to discusss the issues and work together is the right approach. Thanks to the internet, it is now possible to make this happen.
Thanks for participating on the FabNet.
Well, last I counted by using votes on name the association or favorable comments posted, there were more for SSA than against it, like 12 to 13 for and four or five on record against it. Seems that in private, things must be diffent.
In the end, this is Andy’s site to manage as he wishes. What remains to be seen is whether or not Fabnet can stay within the narrow confines of overlapping interests and still make a difference. Those who have been here for nine months or so will know that many of the projects completed started out by posters whining about things, over and over with nothing being done about it.
I am no fan of that behavoir, people were complaining about Consumer Reports bashing solid surface, well I started the open letter to them. It got passed around and some people pitched in ideas and Andy contacted them. Was their latest article perfect, no, but it was better than it was before and the next one will be better.
The warranty standard got started the same way, Shane and I did the first few brands, then the project stalled out from lack of support. Andy finished it and got it approved by the brands.
Bacterial testing, same thing. A lot of talk and no action till I got the ball rolling, then people started helping out. Many heads were better than one and things got done. There is $1600.00 pledged so far for the finial test, and no matter what the opposition here or anywhere else, it will get done professionally and made available to fabricators. There is a team of guys putting their money where their mouth is on this, spending time as well.
Same on the bacteial testing article, it is ready to start shopping around for a publisher. Lenny Elbon is working on an article about radiation and granite as well. For the first time in a long time, solid surface has supporters standing up.
Who are these guys spending their cash and time doing this, those who want the SSA to exist. Those who do not want the SSA to exist will also not want the articles or the testing to be done. Others will want one or the other, depending on their views.
Others are use the claim that forming the SSA will dilute the forums, despite being told repeatably that SSA wanted to meet here on Fabnet. Others are spreading the rumor that Andy has hired me to split up issfa. What utter crap.
Andy and I disagree on many things, we just work on what we agree on. The liars that are spreading that rumor are just doing their best ot make sure issfa doesn’t have to change. They don’t want you to have a choice, issfa or nothing.
CMS is working on the same projects that the SSA was interested in, and almost to a man, the only ones that have joined the effort are those who support starting the SSA. What ever you call the group, we have been told that we can do the bacteria testing, the articles and some consumer forum work supporting solid surface, which involves education of consumers on the weakness and strengths of all competing products, like the stone and quartz guys do on a daily basis.
In the end, these things will be done somewhere.
Three things…
One, Andy asked that I point out that Fabnet and SSA are completly separate, as they are.
Two, some of you had in the past been asked if I could quote your statements. If you want to change your mind, or if you have been quoted on the new site with out permission, let me know and your comments will be taken down. If you posted somewhere else or sent me an email, well kiss my a**. ext time, don’t say things in that you don’t want repeated. If you sent me something in an email, it was credited to you. If you posted on a public website, it is public and it was credited to you..
Three, if you don’t support the testing, the aritcles or CMS, be a man, stand up and speak your mind. I will respect that, but not those who complain behind the scenes. You don’t have to support the new section or even go there. Just stay out of the way or form your own group to do what you think needs done.
In the end, if the idea is to get some positive things done, you will have to take the good with the bad. Clamp down on the one percent that get things done and they will stop doing anything.
Al,
What is CMS?
And don’t get too frustrated at Andy’s decision. It’s kind of a lose/lose for him. If the SSA doesn’t end up anywhere, it will have been a useless amount of bandwidth on FabNet. If it manages to take off, Andy has himself a whole host of threads that will be unwieldly and take up a huge amount of front page real estate, drawing focus away from the day to day on FabNet.
I know I said that on FabNet before, but this one is for the record.
And who has said that you are a FabNet hit man? I never heard that one before. Smokin’ ISSFAs.
I’m not quite sure how to word this properly, in a hurry out the door. One major diif between the 2 web groups I see right off is the SSA and it’s site will catering to fabbers ,and consumers or potential consumers, educating them if you will. Fabnet is more geared directly to us fabbers or others related to the buiss. It has been unbelievably helpful to me and very entertaining! After visiting the HGTV site it became clear the diff. Lets let the SSA site deal with the home owners concerns and questions and Fabnet deal with our own. We can still have solidarity with both. The knock down drag out discussions between the stone and SS have a specific place at SSA. Here it could divide us . So far I’ve not seen one customer weigh in here or any granite guys defending the industry. I for one will continue to support both entities. I will be glad to be part of SSA and call it my own, and the same with fabnet. As I have said before I happen to be on the for front of an ever changing world here in AK, this is another facet of my situation and I’m consumed by this whirlwind i;m in. It my be hard to understand what I’m saying but it’s true Lets keep these endeavors healthy. gtta go David G.
Okay Now I am even more confussed as to the projects. Will they be accreditied to the Fab Net or to the SSA?
Reuben
Here is what I think. I think Al needs to go do his own thing, start his own forum, and do his own projects, and quit riding on the shirt tails of the Fab Net. Do your own advertising and locate fabricators on your own. I know when the fab Net was started it was not promoted on other sites. As far as bashing granite, We do all three products and I know alot of granite guys and they know that the bulk of our work is solid surface. They don’t care, they still help me. Quit trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. You guys go do your own thing. Just my thoughts. No offense.
Mory
Reuben wrote
Okay Now I am even more confussed as to the projects. Will they be accreditied to the Fab Net or to the SSA?
Reuben
The projects was set up to help Al work on his project and have a dedicated spot to focus a select few members that wanted to participate. The projects have nothing to do with an association. FabNet does not own the Study. It may adopt the study and promote it if consent is given to do so. Remember that it is a “Member” project, not a FabNet project.
In the future there will be FabNet sponsored projects, I have not finished setting them up as of yet.
Mory, as I recall everyone that had anything to do with the Fabricator Network at the beginning was from ISSFA. I would call that a bit of coat tail riding, considering the fact that you wouldn’t have known Andy or anyone else on here for that matter.
Just my opinion, no offense
Norm,
All the emails were sent out one at a time after searching the internet for phone list. If you recall, nobody associated with the FabNet ever promoted the FabNet on ISSFA BB…ever.
Surface Fabrication and Cygnus has played the biggest role in driving new customer along with Mory and me emailing hundreds of people. Not to mention $1000 of dollars spent to promote and advertise the FabNet.
Sure we know people that used to work with ISSFA but we at no point rode the coat tail of ISSFA to create FabNet. EVER. In fact, I had a link to both the ISSFA site until I was told that was not OK. Who was promoting who.
That was the number one thing an the beginning, don’t bash ISSFA and don’t use them to promote the FabNet.
Len at the Geeks site offered to promote FabNet which was also a huge help.
Just wanted to be clear so we don’t get a bunch of misinformation.
Andy
Speaking of promotion, the click through on my web site to” “visit our friends at FabNet” has an unbelievable rate. Not a day goes by, and I mean: NOT A DAY, that we don’t receive calls from the: I saw you on the FabNet crowd. “We click through from your site to FabNet.” “FabNet answered my questions.”
Of course, this has nothing to do with the politics of it all, which I choose to stay out of but, I sure as he** know whos been buttering my bread!
By the way, I for one am CLEAR on FabNets position.
Now, I shall jump in the pool.
Mory wrote
Here is what I think. I think Al needs to go do his own thing, start his own forum, and do his own projects, and quit riding on the shirt tails of the Fab Net. Do your own advertising and locate fabricators on your own. I know when the fab Net was started it was not promoted on other sites. As far as bashing granite, We do all three products and I know alot of granite guys and they know that the bulk of our work is solid surface. They don’t care, they still help me. Quit trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. You guys go do your own thing. Just my thoughts. No offense.
Mory
Mory, since you brought it up, all the projects were started here on Fabnet in response to threads. Many members supported the projects. I seem to remember one that you were gung ho for, said you would join in after the March show. I also remember that you didn’t do anything after the show
Go somewhere else yourself.
No offense.
AL
Andy wrote
The projects was set up to help Al work on his project and have a dedicated spot to focus a select few members that wanted to participate. The projects have nothing to do with an association. FabNet does not own the Study. It may adopt the study and promote it if consent is given to do so. Remember that it is a “Member” project, not a FabNet project.
In the future there will be FabNet sponsored projects, I have not finished setting them up as of yet.
Andy,
Fair enough. Call it what you will, any thing we produce will be given freely.
Al
FEDSAWDAVE wrote
Speaking of promotion, the click through on my web site to” “visit our friends at FabNet” has an unbelievable rate. Not a day goes by, and I mean: NOT A DAY, that we don’t receive calls from the: I saw you on the FabNet crowd. “We click through from your site to FabNet.” “FabNet answered my questions.”
Of course, this has nothing to do with the politics of it all, which I choose to stay out of but, I sure as he** know whos been buttering my bread!
By the way, I for one am CLEAR on FabNets position.
Now, I shall jump in the pool.
Yea I did forget to mention the links from many of the vendor sites, including your Dave. Thanks for the hits and promotion of the FabNet.
James at Domain Industries also has been a big help, placing the FabNet logo on his ads.
There are more but I don’t want to derail this thread.
Ok, I’m out of the pool.
Al, I think Rodney King said it best: “Can’t we all just get along.” I really like all the personalities here. Some I’ve met, many I hope to. Someone posted on here a while back that we’re a bunch of business owning type A personalities. That, is a fact. Let’s all work together for the common good. There can be no other way.
But keep in mind: “The common good” is differant as it relates to one’s wallet.
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