Bill, I think you know I hold you in the highest regard. Like most others who frequent this forum, I think of HI as more than just a business and the forumites as a kind of family, and come to think of it a generally more civil and knowledgeable group than my own extended family.
I've read thru the posts of the last day and am pretty much caught up now. And Bill, I'm left with a question:
What exactly is it you hope to accomplish thru this whole "girding for war, sign up or burn your draft card" business?
Is your aim to publically humiliate and perhaps drive out of business a small but irritating competitor, one accurately described here by somebody as "a gnat"? Bill, I submit that is beneath you.
Or do you merely wish to set the record straight regarding lies that have been told about HI? Well, ok, that's been done pretty effectively by people who've dredged up past quotes that show your competitor to be a small time operator who has twisted the truth in an effort to keep a toe hold in the marketplace. My reaction to that is, so what else is new? This is America, Uncle, and that kind of stuff goes on every day in the business world. Does the president of Ford threaten to turn the president of Suburu into a black spot on the pavement? If I threatened to punch out every PR flack I talk to who I think is lying...
While the quote-dredging has been conducted in a civil and even scholarly fashion, I think going on and on about this stuff here in the HI forum is preaching to the choir. I don't even read the puny little GH forum, and I imagine that's true for most of us. The fact that we're here is a declaration that we've already made our decision: this is where we like to hang out and where we enjoy doing business. What more could you ask?
I've observed elsewhere on the internet that once standards of civility are breached in a forum it's pretty hard to restore generous conduct. I hope you have not opened Pandora's Box with your declaration of war.
I'm concerned that your whole saber-rattling/black spot/sign-up-now thing has elicited an enthusiastic "reporting for duty/guns loaded/bags are packed/what-now?" response. I'm telling you now that Mike Turber isn't the only one made uncomfortable by this. Oh, I understand (I hope) it's metaphorical talk intended to mean "we love you and are loyal to you, Bill" on the part of folks who fondly recall those golden years decades back when they wore the uniform and were in the position of blindly obeying orders or facing court martial. Not all of us feel that way about those days. Why ask us to burn our draft cards?
I've read thru the posts of the last day and am pretty much caught up now. And Bill, I'm left with a question:
What exactly is it you hope to accomplish thru this whole "girding for war, sign up or burn your draft card" business?
Is your aim to publically humiliate and perhaps drive out of business a small but irritating competitor, one accurately described here by somebody as "a gnat"? Bill, I submit that is beneath you.
Or do you merely wish to set the record straight regarding lies that have been told about HI? Well, ok, that's been done pretty effectively by people who've dredged up past quotes that show your competitor to be a small time operator who has twisted the truth in an effort to keep a toe hold in the marketplace. My reaction to that is, so what else is new? This is America, Uncle, and that kind of stuff goes on every day in the business world. Does the president of Ford threaten to turn the president of Suburu into a black spot on the pavement? If I threatened to punch out every PR flack I talk to who I think is lying...
While the quote-dredging has been conducted in a civil and even scholarly fashion, I think going on and on about this stuff here in the HI forum is preaching to the choir. I don't even read the puny little GH forum, and I imagine that's true for most of us. The fact that we're here is a declaration that we've already made our decision: this is where we like to hang out and where we enjoy doing business. What more could you ask?
I've observed elsewhere on the internet that once standards of civility are breached in a forum it's pretty hard to restore generous conduct. I hope you have not opened Pandora's Box with your declaration of war.
I'm concerned that your whole saber-rattling/black spot/sign-up-now thing has elicited an enthusiastic "reporting for duty/guns loaded/bags are packed/what-now?" response. I'm telling you now that Mike Turber isn't the only one made uncomfortable by this. Oh, I understand (I hope) it's metaphorical talk intended to mean "we love you and are loyal to you, Bill" on the part of folks who fondly recall those golden years decades back when they wore the uniform and were in the position of blindly obeying orders or facing court martial. Not all of us feel that way about those days. Why ask us to burn our draft cards?
