CSI Acquires BSD

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Author Message Ronald J. Ray, RA, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: rjray Post Number: 82 Registered: 04-2004 Posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 - 01:21 pm:    I was quite pleased to read the announcement that CSI had acquired BSD and the various software systems they have produced over the years. Of particular importance is BSD’s specification software SpecLink. When I started my specification consulting firm around 20 years ago, as a member of CSI, I decided purchasing SpecText was the correct and appropriate thing to do. You know, support the organization where my money was going. What a mistake that was. SpecText was of little use and certainly not helpful in gaining knowledge of construction component or systems. AIA’s MasterSpec had it beat hands down. But now, things have changed. Over the past 4 years or so, I have watched AIA attempt to reduce the huge gap between MasterSpec and SpecLink in the software side of commercial specification products. Granted, MasterSpec is a far better product than it has ever been, but in my opinion, SpecLink still is the leader in specification software. The big unanswered question for me, and the one that the CSI president told me would never be answered, is just how much of our dues was used to acquire BSD? No doubt it is a large number. But I wonder if it goes beyond hundreds of thousands into the millions. In my 25 years as a CSI member, this is yet another example with both the CSI national organization and my local CSI chapter: lack of openness. My perception of CSI as a “good old boy” organization may never change.