Nathan Fox94
NewcomerOP
9 messages
joined Oct 2012
I’m not really sure if anyone actually works on this forum anymore. From what I can tell—and I follow this place relatively often enough—the entire government and the judicial system just get mocked constantly. I don't mind that; I actually value everyone's opinion, and I'm not against it. I agree that changes need to happen, and honestly, a good chunk of everything in this country, including the courts, doesn't function quite the way it should. But, when I see how outdated, unfair, or just plain uninterested people are when posting here, I might offer a little friendly advice. Maybe you should clean up your own backyard before criticizing everyone else.
On that car subforum thread, the "natječaj za Pave" (), I mentioned that an article in The New York Times was full of nonsense, starting right from the headline. Because of that, I got mocked. I kept writing about how the U.S. Forest Service is a serious institution, much like Ford or Zubak, and I just didn't believe they would intentionally enter into a legally invalid contract or a public procurement bid. Again, I was ridiculed, mostly because a few people were backing the moderator, leaving me as the lone voice on the other side. My posts were even labeled as trolling by the mod. Later, I pointed out that while the contract looks a bit cozy at first glance, if it's legal, then the fault lies with the law, not the Forest Service or Zubak. I also noted that any serious company wants to work with professionals who are capable, high-quality, and efficient. If the Forest Service saw that in Zubak, and if Zubak is the only one able to provide consistent, continuous service, then it makes sense to go with them to avoid hurting their own interests. That’s just my take, anyway. I got mocked for that too.
Anyway,
To try and find some middle ground, I shared a link to a similar thread where a user pointed out that a bid has to be clear and backed by a technical description so people actually know what they're buying. If there's too much wiggle room in a bid, all sorts of bidders (there are plenty, since the scope is huge) will try to jump in. When a company wants the best for itself and doesn't have the time or trust to mess around with unproven or half-baked vendors, they reject those bids and go with the "safer" options. But that creates a problem: the rejected bidders file appeals, the whole bidding process has to restart, and it just drags on forever. That’s exactly why a bid MUST be strict and clear, just to weed out the junk right from the start.
Furthermore,
People here constantly make fun of the capabilities of Ford dealers, or Chrysler, or whatever—those who follow this stuff know what I mean. They also frequently mock the quality of French cars. Yet, these same people turn around and lecture the Forest Service on why they won't give a chance to Ford, Kia, Hyundai, or Chrysler. Honestly, guys, you're just shooting yourselves in the foot, and I don't see how that helps anyone.
Also,
I told the moderator that it isn't right to call my posts "trolling" just because I'm quoting "20 people saying one thing while I say another." I wasn't saying that; I was saying that later on, as more people join, there will probably be others who share my view. But he doesn't see it that way.
Later on—well, now, and even more so as people with actual experience join in—we're reaching a point where I'm not the only one against the majority. But it feels too late; it's like a staged scene where I've been pushed out and can't defend myself. I calmly asked for explanations, I waited, and I encouraged dialogue. But nobody is responding.
Why isn't anyone responding? I guess because the situation feels rigged. My points above can't really be refuted, so now you're just waiting for me to do exactly what I'm doing: writing because I want to write, just so you can throw it in my face (saying it's "off-topic" or "spamming") to clear the way so I can't participate anymore.
Moving on,
Maybe the forum management is away on annual leave or something. I see Saša posting and reading messages, but the guy also mentioned that cases like mine are handled by him and Božo. I don't see Božo around, so I assume Saša is waiting for his colleague so they can deal with my situation together. But is it really that hard for someone to step up to this thread and just openly say what the holdup is? It's been three days now. Saša, you asked me to have "a little patience." I respect that, truly, but there's such a thing as going too far.
Look, I don't think the issue is really about the block itself, per se... it’s more about how my complaint just seems to be hitting a wall. There's this total lack of response, a sort of dodging of the question, you know?
If there isn't going to be any action taken on this, then I guess what's the point of having a section for complaints at all? If nobody is actually looking into them, we might as well just scrap the whole topic.
Anyway, thanks for bearing with me. I'll just wait to hear from the people in charge.
