NATS Forum

[TOM1]

There was talk of a NATS Forum a short while a go. Has this died a death or is it going to happen?

[PPRuNe Radar]

The Forum is approved by the big bosses. Just waiting till they have time and some capacity on the server to go ahead and set it up. Shouldn't be too long now, will probably beat NERC ;)

[Scott Voigt]

Gee, it's a shame to hear that a NATS forum is coming. All that comes to mind is the Black Knight yelling at Arthur "run away are ya." <G> Time for more Monty Python I think.

regards

[Spoonbill]

A bad move..............as I've said before, NATS gripes are often non - state gripes.
On the whole, it will devalue the ATC forum.
I presume that non - NATS staff will not be allowed access to the hallowed ground :eek:,
so are NATS staff going to be prohibited from posting on the ATC Issues forum? :rolleyes:

An urgent rethink is required.

[Legs11]

Right then, I think it's time to start up a campaign for a NON-NATS forum. Seems fair. :mad:

This is a foolish move, there is little enough activity on the ATC forum as it is - I'm with Spoonbill.

[ 17 December 2001: Message edited by: Legs11 ]

[TrafficTraffic]

If I promise to be good ...will you think about staying here?

:rolleyes:

[Warped Factor]

The NATS forum would now appear to be available.

WF.

[Euroc5175]

So how do I go about getting a password for the new NATS forum? :confused:

[Warped Factor]

From the main list forums....

NATS
The major UK ATS provider. To apply for access to this private forum please email the moderator at [email protected] stating your real name, staff number and any other pertinent details he may need to verify you work for the company. Please do not mail in your PPruNe Username.

WF.

[Morelands]

This is not good news and will seriously diminish the value of this open forum. I realise that it is too late to reverse the decision but would like to register my protest and express the hope that our NATS colleagues will not get even more paranoid, introverted and navel-gazing on their own private forum. Some, at least, I hope, will continue to share ideas and news and invite debate with those of us left abandoned outside the hallowed halls.

[PPRuNe Radar]

Wow, PPRuNe Towers has been a busy boy ;)

Fellow ATC people and readers of this Forum, of course it is your right to protest all you wish. Free speech quite welcome on PPRuNe and we had this debate a month or two back. We still intend to push ahead with the NATS Forum as a trial and will review how it has worked after a month or two.

However, in the meantime, the moderator and I will be looking at the issues raised on the private forum and if we feel there is mileage to be raised by airing them outside NATS staff then we will wholeheartedly encourage them to be posted in the main forum.

For NATS specific issues, affecting only people within the company, then please accept our right to discuss them within people who work for the company. The fact you won't get some of the juicy gossip (assuming there is any) is really of no concern to us and not something we feel obliged to provide to those looking on from the outside, I suspect that most topics will still be covered in the main Forum... in fact, exactly as it works for the well established Airline Forums.

If you have any further comment, feel free to email me or the moderator.

Please let me reiterate that for anyone wishing to join the Forum, NONE of your details will be able to link you with your PPRuNe name, nor will we at PPRuNe be able to tell if you have chosen to access the Forums or not. All we will provide to you is the access password. Please respect the fact that this password is not for general use. If it is believed that it has been compromised then it will be changed very quickly.

I appreciate everyone from NATS who joins the Forum ensuring that the anonimity and privacy of any contributors or issues are respected, unless the original poster or subsequent posters wish the issue to be transferred to the public part of PPRuNe.

Many thanks.

For those not in NATS, I fully expect that there will be little dilution, the only thing is that some of the tittle tattle that you may currently enjoy and beat us over the head with will be removed. I can't really get too upset about that.

You may also be interested to know that Non NATS people are also entitled to start their own Forum. Please email myself or PPRuNe Towers for details on how to request this, as well as for details of the annual cost of a private Forum, a fee which goes to help the free provision of PPRuNE and the services it provides.

Thanks for your time, I look forward to some open and frank debate within the NATS Forum.

[TrafficTraffic]

Dear Radar,

You may also be interested to know that Non NATS people are also entitled to start their own Forum.

I think you may actaully be missing the point of having a forum. I was always under the impression that it was for professionals to get together and share their experiences and share their methods at solving what are more than likely common problems. I have seen on more than one occasion people come up with responses like "...oh we fixed it by negotiating a new roster..." or similar, I am sure Mr Voigt has given numerous examples of how our slow talking tall walking star spangled friends have tackled their problems over the years.

It also amazes me that NATS staff need a forum to discuss their work, dont you talk to each other at work? Yes I know you work shift work but so does every other ATC in the world and they manage to communicate with blind teams without much problem.

It seems a typical solution to the problems that exist in NATS (I say as an outsider) that you are more than happy to hang out your dirty laundry but are less keen to have somebody either help or criticize it(whether construcively or in a TrafficTraffic way! ;) ).

I personally will not miss the level of the posts that were originated from NATS, such world shattering topics as,worrying about being paid on the 27th or Dec or the 2 of Jan when 10s of thousands in the industry will receive no pay at all as aviation suffers one of its biggest slumps, or my personal favorite Car Parking Spaces at LATCC.... which has obviously been overshadowed now by the successful return of the Greek Planespotters....

Forum /n., an assembly for the discussion of questions of public interest

At least now ATC issues will be just that...not NATS issues...

[Part2]

What's all this "####" about free speech.

Why the anonymity.null

[5milesbaby]

TT, I actually agree with the first part of your post, a non-NATS forum is a waste of time. However, a NATS forum will only make this one better for you, for us to air our 'petty' dirty laundry privately, therefore not annoying you!!!

And no, we don't talk at work, management may hear and catch on.........

[5milesbaby]

This may be a tricky one to answer, but if people have registered they will know if others also have, but are people actually using it??????

[No speed Restriction]

Well chaps in the interest of free speech, I shall continue to voice any opinions in this forum, of that you can be assured, however they will only be those that I believe should be voiced in a public domain.


Those that fret about not knowing what is going on within NATS, be it petty gripes on car parks or other equally (In your opinion) minor niggles, then may I say it, hard luck, there are some things better left unsaid in such an open environment.

I believe that the airing of certain issues directly affecting those that are employed by NATS should remain private as per the airline forums.

I am all for letting the "outside world" "in" on any relevant ATC issues but in my humble opinion we may get more constructive comments (or maybe not) from those within NATS than for example those on the periphery looking in and trying to just wind folk up.

You know who you are ;)

I look forward to some constructive debate !
:p


NsR

[EarlyGo]

I just wish to make it clear that I am the ORIGINAL EarlyGo, not the one who is Moderator of the NATS forum. Some friends have mistaken me for this jonny-come-lately, and I now have a rather tasty collection of staff info! (just kiddin'!)

So the Yoof of Mancunia can rest easy, I have not taken on this arduous task and am resting in the Village.

Cheers and Merry Christmas,

EG

[early go]

jonny come lately here (though the syntax is totally different from the original EarlyGo).

The Forum has a few topics on it now and so far around 120 NATS people have registered. At the moment there are around 5 new requests per day to top this up, though this may fall off once we're all in there.

As to knowing if other people have registered, the only way you will know is if they tell you, or you know their PPRuNe handle and you see them posting in the NATS Forum.

I have no idea of the real names vs PPRuNe names, apart from one or two who sent me this information in spite of being asked not to <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> None of that information is saved and requests to join are deleted once processed. The only thing retained is the list of email addresses so that if the password needs to be changed this can be sent to those who have registered.

I also note that as most of the topics in the private Forum also appear in some guise or other on the main Forum, the feared for dilution has not yet happened.

[Barnaby the Bear]

Thing is would anyone say what they want anyway?

[Scott Voigt]

All I ask is that if there is some interesting info on differing aspects of the new privitized NATS comes to light y'all let us know out here on the outside &lt;G&gt;. Some of us on this side of the pond are gathering ANY data that we can to help us NOT get into the mess you find yourselves in. ANY help is always appreciated &lt;G&gt;...

regards

[PPRuNe Radar]

Folks,

After receiving many applications from NATS staff to join, it is probably time for a couple of points to be made to make the process a little smoother for early go.

Firstly, anyone wishing to join has to be registered with PPRuNe. You will not be able to use your email address, real name, or staff number to gain entry to the private area, unless that's what you register as your PPRuNe member name. If you wish anonimty, I'd suggest that you use none of the above but make an appropriate name up for yourself. Look at other posters names to see the sort of things people think of.

Secondly, applications for Forum entry should go to early go and not Danny, me, or PPRuNe Admins. This is clearly stated on the blurb alongside the NATS Forum details. Sending it to anyone other than early go may result in a delay to your application being processed, as it will have to be forwarded. It also places an increased workload on already busy PPRuNe staff.

Finally, please read about the details which are required in your application. One or two have missed things out which requires further email correspondence to obtain the information, and leads to a further delay in gaining entry.

I am told that we have close on 200 NATS staff who have now recieved entry details and a few more joining each day. Thank you all for your interest and input.

For the outsiders, I think it is safe to say that the topics being discussed behind closed doors are being raised here where there is a wider implication or interest outside NATS. I am sure that will continue. And it means that those who moan about topics such as car parks no longer have to 'suffer' such trivia. A good start to the NATS Forum.

:)

[Spoonbill]

MrPPRUNE - what are these topics discussed on the NATS site that are also being discussed here??? <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

[bagpuss lives]

But surely that'd be telling? <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

[Spoonbill]

<img src="tongue.gif" border="0"> We're stillwaiting........ <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

[chiglet]

Spoon,. .To quote the film....."IF" I could tell you, "THEN" I would have to kill you first :) . .we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy

[Dinosaur]

Although I am not a NATS employee, when it comes to NERC I am hardly "looking on from the outside", to use PPRune Radar's phrase. I've spent the last few years trying to get that pig to fly.

I agree that a NATS-private forum is the appropriate place to discuss issues like pay, and working hours, and to air gripes and gossip.

But a lot of what used to go on in this forum was just ATC ops. I've found that sort of discussion most helpful (though I rarely post, I lurk here almost every day), so I hope you all will bring it back to the open forum.

[Dinosaur]

The aforementioned pig appears to have achieved lift-off.