Keith Browning Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 I heard a rumor that flatratetech.com is now charging a subscription fee for access to their forums. I went there and attempted to read a post and maybe help someone out and sure enough, I don't have permission to access! I don't think I will be paying them to lend advice to those seeking assistance. Assistance that is available in many places on the Internet. Is Ford getting a cut of "rates" they are charging for running OASIS reports for people? This could be interesting. I am going to miss visiting that site as it was fairly nonsense free and helpful, unlike the rest of the dozens of web sites out there. I wish them luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Kaylor Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 THAT is some messed up !@*!#?!. i got the same message. oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmlew Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Yep, $25.00 a month for ME to GIVE AWAY my experience...not gonna happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted November 17, 2006 Author Share Posted November 17, 2006 Well, WE go onto those web sites and freely give help and advice. We all have our reasons I know I have mine but I am not going to pay to do it and I doubt many owners are going to either but like I said, this will be interesting. I could be wrong! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/popcorn.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Activity on the automotive forums is nearly at a standstill and there is nothing on the diesel forums newer than yesterday.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. Bedford Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 No worse I guess than Ford thinking of charging for technician calls to the Hot-Line. Imagine paying Ford for information they gained by their own technicians in the field. Sound familiar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmlew Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 There is a thread running over there about why they did this...I supect I had something to do with them finally dropping the axe. I got in a pissing contest with one of the "expert moderators" from TDS about his 2003 6.0L that is still on the original flash and he is strictly against having it flashed but wants the truck fixed or free info on how to fix it, I balked at the "free" part...just got a bad attitude I guess! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer2.gif Edit: forgot...if you are a memeber of the tech-to-tech forum you will have some access, still to be determined exactly what that means...I applied along time ago and never heard a peep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torqued_Up Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Had to see for meself and that thread is a doozie! They are actually getting angry with people who think its a bad move or aren't going to pay. Are those dudes pissed off at the world or something? I never joined the tech to tech forum but even if they let me in and I could get back onto the diesel forums why should I post anything and let them collect for it? !@*!#?! them! Oh wait! Thats their job! they know better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmlew Posted November 20, 2006 Share Posted November 20, 2006 They figured-out it was a screw-up and have you sign up to the tech-to-tech forum. Then you are in. Now that I understand why they made the change I agree with it. Why should we GIVE away out diag over the net and then go to work and bitch about not getting paid for it? They are just changing the direction of the site back to "bitch about Ford" and making the "help" forums less time consuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted November 26, 2006 Share Posted November 26, 2006 Signing up for the Tech to Tech forum will get you in for free.... But... activity has dried up. FRT appears to have shot themselves in the foot.... Rare to see a post to the auto forums.... the last 6.0 post sends people to a dead end.... there are no "tech to tech" discussions regarding improving product knowledge or honing skills....... rarely even any union rhetoric..... Lots of cut and pastes about what Ford is doing/has done wrong..... But I don't see anything constructive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 Signing up for the Tech to Tech forum will get you in for free.... I never felt it necessary to do so since I have this site! I don't support their anger driven march to unionize and having stated that, why should I give advice or discuss technical matters while THEY pocket cash from people they apparently don't want around anyway? There is credit to the point they make about their knowledge and time being valuable but making money off of the forums is not what the FRT web site is about anyway. Remember, it's not about bettering themselves, becoming better technicians of helping anyone, it's about unionizing and getting revenge on Ford for SLTS and expecting Ford to listen while they take shots at them. At least that is what I have extracted from what I have seen. I respect them for taking a stand and I agree that a lot of the labor times are screwed up, but they can do what they are doing without the anger. It's just not for me. Even though I was not very active there I will miss their Forums. Like I said, I wish them luck. If any techs there feel alienated or there is nothing useful going on there, they are always welcome here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 I've made my experience and point of view well known in their forums.... and, too many times, been severely chastised by some of their members.... Still, I make regular trips back there (I was "grandfathered" in from 6literpowerstroke.com) and stick my nose in on occasion... I get the impression that there are some very good techs there that deserved better bosses.... but there are even more mediocre-to-bad techs that are hoping that unionizing will bring them great rewards..... Some days my faith in human nature is.................. lacking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Kaylor Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Keith- there are a few guys on IATN that have tried to join in the last week or so, and got a message like the one i got when i first tried joining. may want to check them, i know a few of them will be very helpful in this community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-mathus Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 i find it funny.....when i was staff there there was a pissing match between the owners of the site over who owned what. it was obvious to me that they were trying to be profitable. they were not as concerned about unionization as they wanted you to believe. i tried to get them to see thier arrogance was keeping them from reaching thier goals but they wouldn't listen. it has always been staff and maybe a handfull of techs participating.......and the handfull keeps changing. i guess they finnaly realized that the class action suit will never be heard by a judge and now they are just trying to make money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickster42 Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 so true.I was there in the beginning and got along well with Joe(the creator of the site).Then there was a change and a couple of others took the lead.. and the charge into unionization.When I questioned the change in direction with another member in a so called "private" chat on that site, the transcript was sent to the top brass and i along with the other member was immediately banned from their site.They talked about an open forum without censorship from Ford, but when their motives were called into question they acted quickly... not hard to find the hippocrasy in those events.I was only one,I`m sure there were more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordTechCA Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 i still read there, dont post much anymore. was starting to get tired of the same old rants and noticed there is alot of members but very few posting anything usefull. i also avoid IATN, tried to be helpful there but quickly saw they beat to their own tune there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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