Cougar Allen said:
Well, you can't expect an old manuscript found in a garbage can to be an exact allegory of current events.... Speaking for myself, I am angry at the criminal, not at the victims.
I understand it is not the policy of the administration over there to suppress information about Allen Blade.
Just to be clear on this Cougar, ...my policy, I'm the sole owner of BritishBlades and it was my decision to allow him to trade.
Nonetheless, information was suppressed, as recounted in this thread and others by members of both forums. Not all the moderators over there are responsible for those actions; I think that's clear to everybody, but denying that it happened isn't going to help. THIRD BANKER did tell FIRST BANKER to shut up, even though SECOND BANKER didn't.
It wasnt information that was suppressed, it was the mob. A subtle, but important difference.
Technically. what happens on Bladeforums, happens on here and has nothing to do with BritishBlades or visa versa. Niether website owes a debt to either. It's an important starting point if you are inferring some kind of global responsibility.
However ...yes there is also a moral responsibility that goes beyond websites and it
was considered. We were totally aware oif Allans history. I'd read the threads on here and was aware of Joe's issues (and others) and I discussed it with our mods. One of our admins had waited over 4 years for a knife from Allan - the situation was well known to us.
As you say, it's been discussed at length. There is a lot of emotion driving the issues, but what is apparent is thast if the bloke is globally black-balled, he aint ever gonna pay a single penny back. Though that may satisfy the wolves baying for blood, it isn't the most productive solution. I took the decision to allow Allan to trade, because I believe it's the only solution that is actually gonna produce any kind of result - even if it's a painfully slow result, it's more thasn nothing.
Once that decision was made, I wasn't gonna allow a vendetta mob from another forum to invade the place, with the sole intention of digitally eviscerating him - or anyone else. People were warned that a mobbing of Allan Blade on the BB forums would get em banned. That had nothing to do with my affection for the man, or suppression of information. It was suppression of the mob and it's just the way I run the place.
He's had more than three chances already.
It's irrelevant really. If he screws anyone over at all on BritishBlades, I'll stop him from trading - it'll affect his trading status on other British forums as well - it's a small world.
I'm afraid it will soon become clear whether Allen Blade has used his current chance to deal honestly with new customers and make a little bit of redress for old wrongs, or whether he has paid out a few pittances as an investment to enable him to take in far more money for more knives he will never deliver.
We've had a lot of argument here at Bladeforums over the years over whether 'tis better to do business with Allen Blade on a cash basis in the hope that he will use some of the money he earns to pay old debts, or whether 'tis better to boycott him until he makes good (or just boycott him without any expectation that he will ever make good).
This is the crux. I honestly dont know and you may well be right. All I can say is that I think I took the deciscion that provided the most mileage out of the situation, but it was always equivocal. We may soon find out.
The one thing we've all agreed on (including Allen Blade himself) is no one should pay him a cent for knives that he hasn't delivered yet. A knife knut sending money to Allen Blade without having the knife in your hot little hand is like a banker giving John Dillinger a free mask and ammunition for his machine gun. The only difference is in the real world, FIRST BANKER is not going to be robbed again. SECOND BANKER and THIRD BANKER are only hurting themselves.
I don't know whether boycotting him could make him pay off old debts faster. It could hardly make him pay them slower, though. And now he isn't even making promises. Now he's quit paying even pittances to Joe Chen, and he's denying he owes anything to the late Rob Simonich's widow. I don't mean to accuse anyone at British Blades of any responsibility for that -- that certainly isn't your responsibility. It's his responsibility.
Yes it is. We (you and I) just do what we think is right Cougar, and it either pans out or it doesnt - and we live with the fallout either way.
Now he has some of your money (How much money? Has anyone figured up the total?)
Personally?
He doesnt have any of my money, I never fancied the odds.
For BritishBlades? I've no idea. I'll guess we'll add it all up once we've been stung.
