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Dave, I believe the $100.00 I donated speaks for itself.

     I speak ONLY for myself on this one, but I don't think it's any secret that we all are playing our cards a little closer to our chest. Since the inception of this forum, I have been inundated with folks (strangers) calling me at least 2-3 times per week wanting roof cleaning info. Not to sound redundant, but it is painfully obvious that these folks have not searched nor studied this board or any other.

     I am in FULL SUPPORT of a paid, closed membership. Dave, Tucker , I PM'ed you guys last night to discuss the "incentive". It's looking like the majority of pros here all want the same thing: a closed, private,  paid membership.

Roof Cleaning Evansville Indiana 270 860 7894 wrote:

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     I speak ONLY for myself on this one, but I don't think it's any secret that we all are playing our cards a little closer to our chest. Since the inception of this forum, I have been inundated with folks (strangers) calling me at least 2-3 times per week wanting roof cleaning info. Not to sound redundant, but it is painfully obvious that these folks have not searched nor studied this board or any other.

     I am in FULL SUPPORT of a paid, closed membership. Dave, Tucker , I PM'ed you guys last night to discuss the "incentive". It's looking like the majority of pros here all want the same thing: a closed, private,  paid membership.

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I had 5 CALLS today

I dont want to be rude - but I haven't time to spend on the Phone all day with Folks too lazy to read the Forum ?

 

 

     Tucker, i don't think that's rude in any way. It amazes me how many "one-time" callers I have gotten in the past month. Some folks call 5 or 6 times, and I know they are serious. The other ones call once, and when they don't get an answer, they call someone else from this forum.

     ALMOST all the roof cleaning knowledge in the world is available for those who are willing to invest their time to study this board. Most are just too lazy it seems.

  Nice to see everyone donating  

Roof Cleaning Portland Oregon 503-844-6788 wrote:

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Even though I do not currently treat roofs in this manor I do believe that the information for me is still relevant and would be using this method soon. I am all for closing the forum down to those who do not contribute. The information that is shared on the board should be closed down.

I will be donating in the next couple weeks of at least $100.

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 How do you treat them?

I vote for a closed forum and will glady pay a donation and or membership. Please give me some feed back on suggested funds. $100 seems to be the target. Thats seems like a awsome deal to me.  Most of us would be hard pressed to say we have gotton less than $100 worth of information. Simply put it's tough for me to place a min value on information and feed back on how to improve the way I make a living. 

Thx
Scott

Hello all. I am a no one for now. I don’t have a business. I don’t even wash roofs at this point. This is my first post here, as you will all no doubt see.

First and foremost I would like to thank all those of you that have contributed your knowledge and experience on this board. I have gained a lot of knowledge on roof cleaning in the past few days. It would have taken a great deal longer to have compiled what I have gained here on my own. Cudo's!

I currently am a service foreman for a rather large roofing company in the Portland metro area of Oregon. I started on the residential side but for the past five or so years I do 90% of my work on commercial structures. I have been in the roofing field for about ten years. I love the work, take a great deal of pride in the work I do and that I am a go to individual in my company. I can certainly understand the frustration and inconvenience of your efforts and knowledge being harvested for free and worst at the expense of your time.

I found this board because I have been looking into the possibilities of starting my own roofing company. As a service person, my mind set is that of preventative maintenance. One of the services that I intend to offer will be routine inspection and cleaning of existing roof systems to identify existing problems, bring them up to a serviceable level and in the process identify potential future problems. Then address those problems in an effort to extend the service life of the roof. (This is kind of what I do now, although commercial high raises don't suffer from much moss/algae)

I live and work in the Northwest, moss and algae are fairly large problems around here. And a huge problems for roofs in this area in particular because of the amount of rain we get and the fact that moss holds water to the roof and exhilarates the degradation of the system. Referring back to extending the service life of the roof - it was a quick jump in logic that removing moss with out hurting shingles is a high priority. And what customer doesn't want their house to shine in the process? That's what has brought me to this forum.

On the topic of a paid site I would like to point out a few things that as a very new member may give you some insight into the direction you should be considering.

First let me say that I don't intend any disrespect to any of the members of this board. The main contributing members of this board obviously have a great deal of knowledge in this niche and there willingness to share is very admirable. This effort and knowledge as a business minded person, I am not opposed to paying for.

Because of the position that I hold and the fact that I work at a 30 million+ a year company. I have access to resources that a lot of companies can't afford or keep strictly to the owners access. The NRCA and WSRCA are incredible knowledge banks, and well worth the nearly $5000.00 a year that it costs to be a member. This is what you as the RCIA should be striving to reach.

As the very new member to this board that I am and for the purposes that I am here, I would not at this point be willing to pay very much if anything, and would have clicked away the second that I found out that it was a pay site. In my opinion, it is sort of a cost of doing business to give people something to entice them to want more. This forum is just that sort of enticement. Your real offerings should be in the selling of organized information and products to those willing to pay for it. Just like the NRCA publishes books that are the definitive source of "best practices" in the roofing industry, so should the literature that is produced by the RCIA for the roof cleaning industry. There should be tutorials that are complete information sets on a given subject, at minimum before considering charging for admittance. The authors of such articles and tutorials should be paid for there work.

I can tell you that the discussions happening on the NRCA and WSRCA are not hurting either of those organizations in getting there money and often point to information that you have to pay for. The big difference is that those organizations have structured their sites in a way that clearly lays out the information that you are looking for. Don't get me wrong I have been reading this forum with every free second that I have for the past three days and have gained a great deal of information. The information I'm looking for is here. I know it, I just can't always find it with out reading through a lot of things that I don't need. Time is money in most peoples minds and back patting has its place and is deserved it's just not efficient. Not doing your homework is also a recipe for trouble, but convolution of confused individuals mixed in with the information is also not efficient.

Like I said I understand that you want to be compensated for your knowledge. There is nothing wrong with that. So far though I have had to piece together information and I am quite well aware that it is incomplete, which to me devalues it to a point that I would not be willing to pay for it.

From the perspective of a potential business looking to grow and prosper. Finding value in this sort of organization comes from not only the information that I receive from the site and its members, but in the appeal of being a member of an origination that is widely know and trusted as a source to turn to find a contractor to do the work I’m looking to have done. If you are to cut off every person that wants to do there home work before they hire you. You are cutting your own throats. I certainly would not waste my money becoming a member and advertising that fact if the RCIA restricted all non-members from even seeing my contact information.

An Idea to be constructive: Start by gathering information that’s already here or just writing comprehensive tutorials and offer them as “training classes” that are a paid service. X number of dollars for members and X amount for non-members. Of course you will want to only charge a nominal fee at first to gain members that will pay for the classes. Perhaps just a one-time donation of what ever you can afford to pay. In the end you will build more members willing to pay and revenue that will eclipse your roof cleaning endeavors.

That’s my ¢ 0.98 worth. This site and the current-contributing members are on the right track in my opinion and seem to have helped a lot of people gain the knowledge they are looking for and to promote and raise the level of the field. Keep up the good work. I hope that I have offered food for thought at least on this topic. And that you get where you’re going with great success!

WELCOME kriptc1:

Glad you can join us here on the RCIA!

"I mean no disrespect, but truthfully, your post did rub me the wrong way a bit "

Please take the post below with a grain of salt.
Constructive Criticism ONLY

So glad after 1 post you have such a aggregated opinion and think to post in such detail about all the life experience you have gained IN YOUR INDUSTRY only to be propelled to OUR doorstep to learn the details of what you do not yet know.

This is quite a point to ponder? Your ideals to so quickly condemn and tell all of us that our choices may not be worth YOU paying something for and that our information, because it is "spread around" may be inconvenient for you and others?

We of the RCIA have searched 100's of hours, some of us THOUSANDS of hours in the field and in the shop and years of struggle just to find a PORTION of what is explained here, ON ONE BOARD, and in ONE PLACE.

I am amazed that you speak so unabashedly right off the cuff about changing our methods and delivery and choices for the info and the knowledge shared here on the RCIA forum.

We shall see if you are here to learn and grow or to be boisterous of your former positions held with employers in BIG business (we all know who they really care about) and we will see if that doesn't give you some entitlement to instantly EARN respect here on the RCIA?

Even thru OUR back patting and delirium and at times misdirected posts gone astray, we our a worldwide brotherhood of continuously learning roof cleaners an d MOST of the time , we all RESPECT each other and our positions and knowledge level.

Isn't it somewhat surprising that for OUR few inefficiencies, STILL, our roof cleaning methods and practices OUR being sought out by those such as yourself, and YET with all your KNOWLEDGE IN THE ROOFING TRADES, you seem to find yourself here, LEARNING and READING all OUR INFO for FREE.

We clean what your FORMER company and its manufacturers have put on and then left to US to figure out how to best clean and maintain and PRESERVE.

The public needs OUR SERVICES and contractors and property owners alike come here and have found all they seek and we have built a niche' market around it.

We are all PROUD of that and our comradeship shows it by the almost 500 RCIA members. We all are fiercely proud of what we have struggled to know and gain wisdom of in this specialized industry.

Your opinion matters, believe me, but,. also please do keep in mind and respect that even if you "preface" your opinions with a beginning placard of " I mean no disrespect" that is quite often EXACTLY how it might be taken.

Yes, you have knowledge and so do we. Yours is thru experience as is OURS.

Constructive Criticism is helpful. Thank You.

Myself, as I am sure OTHERS also here on the RCIA board will take many of your points into consideration .

You have a lot to say as do I, MOST GOOD, and it seems, BOTH of us are not ashamed or afraid to say it, which is very good.

Note, that respect and tolerance in ANY industry is EARNED not freely given.

Do your due diligence here on the largest roof cleaning knowledge base and certification standard in the WORLD to date.

We are and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in terms of getting out correct best practices and training, teaching tools, methods and continuing to offer a great forum with minimal slander and primarily respect for each other and our industry.

Yes it is true, as we are, as a ROOF CLEANING INSTITUTE, relatively new to the web and we may NOT have it ALL figured out but it is obvious that we are doing something right as we have such highly trained professionals such as yourself coming here hungry for the knowledge we have ALL worked very hard for and to offer to the public and to contractors and those such as yourself, for free.

Please work with us and not against us.

And don't come here with BOTH barrels blasting as it sets a tone that will get the response you have just received.

Having said that, thanks for your initial opinions once again. We appreciate your interest and membership registration here on the RCIA.

Please , do us all a favor, it would be helpful so we know who you are. Take time to correctly fill out your complete signature and avatar along with full name website, phone number and etc.

Thank You Again for all insight.


-- Edited by Roof Clean USA Georgia 229-227-0000 on Saturday 2nd of May 2009 12:10:00 PM

-- Edited by Roof Clean USA Georgia 229-227-0000 on Saturday 2nd of May 2009 12:20:40 PM