The Future of Ron's Re@lm Online...
As of January 1 2007, the first entirely online Ron's Realm column is available here.
As some of you will know by now, RR will no longer appear in ME Essential (full sorry saga here for those who've missed it), because I have no wish to write for such fundamentally self-serving and duplicitous people.
It's been brought to my attention that the only people to suffer will be those who like RR, and make use of it, rather than the MEA, and I regret this and I hope you'll all understand my position.
RR will continue here, though, as and when anything that might be useful occurs to me. As always, I shall continue to provide an email advice service for anyone who needs it - just email me at ron@ronsrealm.me.uk and I'll get right back to you.
If you want RR to continue in MEE, then I would ask you to write to them and say so, because the only way it will appear is if they retract their so-called correction, in which there is hardly a true word. An apology is warranted, too, but for the greater good I'll pass on that. Be aware, though, that given the stuff-the-members-it's-our-organisation attitude that seems to prevail at the MEA, I don't hold out much hope that you'll even get an acknowledgement. I sure as hell didn't when I complained vigorously.
This attitude is pretty much summed up in the moving of the AGM to February, from October. As far as I'm concerned (and I suspect a lot of other pwme will feel the same), I'd have been happy with the long drive in the autumn. I certainly won't be going in mid-winter (despite having a rather large axe to grind!), when the roads are likely to be unpredictable and I'd have the sun in my eyes all the way there (which I wouldn't have had in October), as will any other member who has to travel from the north. Of course, anyone from the south will have the same problem going home, but may not have as far to drive.
It pretty much goes without saying that I shall certainly not be renewing my MEA membership next year!