[App_rpt-users] Politics

Mon Sep 17 01:51:37 UTC 2018

Tim, 

First off, I would like to thank you for all the work and time that you have donated to the AllstarLink.org ham community in general. 

I know that your heart is in the right place and that you only want to see what is best for the Allstarlink.org ham community while at the same time supporting what Jim Dixons vision was for Allstarlink.

I have been silently watching for more than a year now with regards to the two individuals behind HamVOIP and the mis-information they have been spreading on their arm_allstar moderated email list,  their HamVOIP website and in direct private emails that they send to other hams who have asked technical questions on the app_rpt email list and are new to Allstarlink.   

It saddens me to see HamVOIP trying and break apart and fracture the AllstarLink.org community with mis-information. 

>From my observation I can honestly say that all the folks involved with AllstarLink.org are truly trying to keep Allstarlink going and supporting Jim Dixons vision.   

Tim, I appreciate you speaking up and telling the truth about what is actually happening behind the scenes so that community will know the truth.

I knew Jim Dixon, WB6NIL very well and for many years, one of my node numbers is 2065. 

We were close friends and spoke on the phone or radio once a week.  I would go along with Jim to various repeater sites here is southern California to help him install and maintain his AllstarLink repeaters on various hilltops.  Along with knowing Jim very well, I have also been friends with Steve Rodgers, WA6ZFT. Steve Rodgers was also one of Jim Dixons close friends and a substantial contributor the app_rpt software and AllstarLink projects.  

As seen in the 4th line of text posted in the header of the source code for app_rpt  which reads. 

/*

* Asterisk -- An open source telephony toolkit.

*

* Copyright (C) 2002-2014, Jim Dixon, WB6NIL

*

* Jim Dixon, WB6NIL <jim at lambdatel.com>

* Serious contributions by Steve RoDgers, WA6ZFT <hwstar at rodgers.sdcoxmail.com>

*

* See http://www.asterisk.org for more information about

* the Asterisk project. Please do not directly contact

* any of the maintainers of this project for assistance;

* the project provides a web site, mailing lists and IRC

* channels for your use.

*

* This program is free software, distributed under the terms of

* the GNU General Public License Version 2. See the LICENSE file

* at the top of the source tree.

*/

I can honestly say that it was Jims wish and vision for Allstarlink software app_rpt to always be open source for the betterment of the ham community.

The HamVOIP developers have taken Jims work of the App_rpt software and made improvements to the code for arm based systems, the BIG problem is that they will not keep in the spirit of ham radio, Allstarklink, or Jim Dixons WB6NIL wishes and share their source code so that the rest of the ham community can benefit. They keep making silly excuses. 

Today I could no longer sit by and watch the mis-information being spread by HamVOIP, I sent  Steve Rodgers, WA6ZFT and email asking him to re-affirm who was to be in-charge of AllstarLink.

Here is his response to my email which is included. 

-----Original Message-----

From: Steve Rodgers [mailto:steve at rodgers619.com] 

Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2018 10:48 AM

To: Marshall Oldham

Cc: 'Tim Sawyer'

Subject: Re: AllstarLink Community

Hi Marshall,

I really don't want to thrust myself into this, as I have no time for it. However here is my personal statement...

HamVOIP was NEVER given control of Allstarlink.org. In fact Jim Dixon ran into conflict from Mr. Crompton from the get-go. I assisted with the transferring of Allstarlink to Steve Zingman after Jim Dixon passed away. Steve Zingman and 

his group were the intended management team from that point in time forward.

Thanks,

Steve

WA6ZFT

On 09/16/2018 10:26 AM, Marshall Oldham wrote:

> Steve,

> 

> We really need to talk when you have sometime.

> 

> These HamVOIP folks (David McGough, KB4FXC, and Doug Crompton, WA3DSP) are really twisting the truth and what Jim's 

> wishes were for the overall future of AllstarLink  Software and the ham community.

> 

> They have closed Allstar_arm, email list that they moderate so that there users never get the truth. They 

> continue to bash the official Allstarlink folks on their own list.

> 

> Read the second and third paragraphs of their webpage.

> 

> https://hamvoip.org/

> 

> 

> They (HamVOIP) have been publicly claiming that the folks that have been running Allstarlink since Jim's passing had no right. 

> And that the folks that took over really didn't have the understanding or knowledge of just how to run Allstarlink. 

> Which is not true. You know the folks that you asked to step in and help continue the future or Allstarlink. I 

> have been helping when I can and think that they are all working hard and doing a good job of seeing out Jim's vision 

> for the future of Allstarlink.

> 

> They (HamVOIP) are also claiming that one individual took over control and moved the servers all on his own. Which is 

> not true. There are many folks involved working hard to make things better.

> 

> They (HamVOIP) are trying to make the general ham community think that there is only one person in control of servers 

> and started a coup.  Which is not true.

> 

> I believe (HamVOIP) is trying to mislead and fracture the Allstarlink community so that they can have control. This will 

> be a sad if it happens.

> 

> As one of Jim's closest friends and a contributor of app_rpt software,  I think we need to have you make a public 

> statement of Jim's vision of Allstarlink software being open source to the ham community.

> 

> The HamVOIP folks have stolen Jim's work and not released the source code, and have even tried to claim that Jim was okay 

> with them not releasing the source code.

> 

> Please read about this on the following link.

> 

> https://old.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/9ff5pw/state_of_affairs_for_allstarlink_hamvoip_the_gpl/

> 

> Please help us out with this situation.

> 

> Marshall - ke6pcv

> 

I am publicly asking the developers of HamVOIP group to stop spreading mis-information or posting information that they really do not know about. 

I am publicly asking the developers of HamVOIP group to post and share their source code for the betterment of the ham community. 

Let's all work together instead of against each other. 

73

Marshall - ke6pcv

From: App_rpt-users [mailto:app_rpt-users-bounces at lists.allstarlink.org] On Behalf Of Tim Sawyer
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2018 2:11 PM
To: Users of Asterisk app_rpt
Subject: [App_rpt-users] Politics

There has been a ton of inaccurate statements by the HamVoIP principals in numerous posts, emails and telephone calls regarding what AllStarLink is up to. Before you read the rest of this email please take a look at the August 16 post over on hamVoIP.org.

I really don't want to wade into this political BS. I should be coding not spending time on this BS. Even so I've spent tons of time behind the scenes attempting to get folks working together. I hesitate to speak publicly on this but my low key approach has not worked. So, some false statements must be publicly corrected. I will address only this particular post at this time. 

First, "The server" is not owned by one person. The very reason AllStarLink, Inc. was formed is to prevent that scenario. 

Second, there is not just one server. There are numerous servers around the country run by folks that donate their time, effort and money.

Third, HamVoIP principals continually imply that AllStar was unofficially taken over. That's just not true. The reigns were turned as officially as possible given Jim's sudden death. Jim's long time friends and co-developers of AllStar contacted current and past AllStarLink board members and made arrangements for what you see today. 

Additionally, it's true that migration to the new servers didn't go perfectly. But it's extreme unfair to bash individuals who are only attempting to improve AllStar. Ham Radio is about learning if it's about anything. Making mistakes happens as part of the learning process. Now we have a better system and no one got shot as my Marine friend used to say.

The August 16 HamVoIP statements are divisive and only serve to build up some individuals at the expense of others. To HamVoIP principals I say enough of that crap! If you want to build a better mouse trap you are welcome to that. Go for it. But don't justify yourself by speaking badly of others who have nothing but good intentions. 

-- 

Tim WD6AWP

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