[Leon]

Originally Posted by npa589

I don't have a problem with the new rule in principle, which, I suppose is all that matters. Where I do have a problem with it, however, is in its association to what has been happening in the Goldin thread. I've been on here for about a year now, and don't say too much. I keep my thoughts to myself until, well, it hits this type of nerve, a nerve that seems to be activated when people are being conned, duped into throwing money away out of "promises" of worth.

He didn't continue to try to fight us in public, he took to the PM to quell John from making any further comments. I think that the public display of the exact PM (where it could not be edited, because it was a screenshot of the sent message) possibly saved other people from wasting their money. It also alleviated, as Wonka said, the "he said, she said" aspect when people were reading the thread. So, in that sense, I'm okay with it.

Also, it has not been a problem in the past. The no posting of e-mails is a great rule, and they are definitely related to PMs, other than for the fact that it's rather easy to edit an e-mail, even in a screenshot. Also, we don't have access to a moderator to clear up the air, reading the exact e-mail sent from companies like Comcast, Yahoo, or Google. At any time, Leon can just check pms to see what was actually said. That being said, however, people not as respectable as Wonka may began to run with the posting of PMs, and it could become a very frustrating display of cat-fighting and high-school drama. That would be detrimental to the board. That's why I think the rule should be implemented, with this possible asterisk:

How about a compromise, we still contact Leon before posting any PMs, but if it is deemed by Leon to be helpful, by way of saving people money, or helping "clean up the hobby, making people aware of some bad apples", it can be allowed to be posted. Just a thought....


Quick thoughts about Goldin advertising on here:

The stanses put forth in the thread were not differing, and were not the typical screaming rants of people who had one bad experience with a seller, and are seeking to destroy them. This is clearly a problem that is pervasive to who Ken is as a "businessman", and has been true for 20 years now. I personally wouldn't even accept his money to advertise at this point. It is literally the money of people who may have been put in severe holes after listening to him lie, not simply misrepresent or fudge, but lie about actual sale prices of cards. As far as I know, every other auction that advertises on here is top-notch.

What if they become hindered by the fact that Goldin advertises on here as well? If I know of him from AANtv, and if many others do as well, I am certain that the big auction houses are more than familiar with him.

There is precedence for asking a company not to advertise on this board. As of this moment I have made that request to Ken. I think some time needs to go by, not sure how much and if ever, before his advertising on this board resumes. I am leaving the door open for the future, but for now, no more ads or email blasts concerning Ken and his auctions. I am not making a judgement otherwise. It's just too volatile of a subject and quite honestly, I don't want to deal with it.

As far as the PM's go, it looks like the board is going to be overwhelmingly in favor of keeping them personal. That being said there is an open ended part of the rules, I had to put in there, in order to keep our community safe. It basically says that the moderator can do anything he wants, written in the rules or not, to protect the community. I would use that option if I need to in order to protect our community and the hobby. I think the rule about not allowing PM's to be displayed is going to be a good one. So do most other board members....but if something warrants it then an exception will be made. I also try hard to adhere to the rules myself, as well as enforce them. It's not always easy, or black and white.

What was VERY comforting at the National was all of the folks that came up to me in support of the way the board is moderated. I don't mind saying it made me feel like I was doing a decent job of trying to be as fair as possible, while letting folks express themselves, all the while trying to keep a civil place for us to chat.