Thanks for coming over, Dave, you're the first management rep on the thread, you were also one of the first to post to SI directly, imho this is a far-sighted and progressive move, a sign of respect for the forum and the shareholders. I lurk your thread, as you know.
"There are some other things one should be concerned about. As there are many registered vegetables, sport heros, mythical beasts, etc., is that the person posting is the one you think is posting. As pseudonyms are accepted, we should be very careful."
Agreed, sure pseudonyms open the system to easier abuse. I meant to concede that point in my last post to John Barenbrecht, but forgot. It is true, though, that anyone who knows your userid and password can post under your name. Also, there are people on this forum who supply their names (or appear to) and even email addresses whom I do not put any stock in whatsoever. On the other hand, there are completely anonymous entities whom I have learned to listen to. So in the end, it comes down to what people say, not who they are, on the investor side, anyway.
I'm anonymous because I'm nervous about the crazies, the absolute nut-cases. I heard a couple of scarey stories before buying this computer, and don't want one to tell. You are familiar with a small dispute a short while ago, somebody holding a grudge......well, I don't want that entity knowing where my house is. And that "registered vegetable" is a good guy if you get to know him, he has the same concerns. Anyway, in real life I am truly much more "marcos" than Horst Amadeus....:-)
"... anyone who wishes can phone a company's office and ask to speak to the executive. We have always taken those calls when possible. The internet and email is just another way of communicating, albeit to a larger audience."
The internet is cheaper and faster, to the advantage of both management and shareholder, right? I know the investor side well, have held common stock for over 30 years, paid a lot of long-distance charges, spent a lot of time on hold, and taken a lot of people away from more productive work, maybe. Also, with phone calls the details require extensive notes, here everything is archived, old posts on the threads are educational and last longer than my notes ever did. I still phone some, email more, but the web supplies more and more of the answers to the FAQs.
From management's side, it's cheaper and faster, right, it really is a "larger audience", much larger. I bet that by posting here you have cut your time spent on IR, your office costs, mailing costs, phone bills.....please correct me if that's not the case. At the same time, the quality of info has risen, partly because of the archiving and partly because when you post you can spend more time, put more into it. Your posts on the MGR thread go well beyond correcting disinformation, you supply detailed information and explain it. You explain the thought process that goes into decision-making, you show the warts, delicately maybe, but you show them. No company doing anything anywhere is without its problems and difficulties, but there are IR people answering phones who are paid to give that impression. I'd rather read your posts, along with independent (non-IR) DD, they would form my trading decisions.
Forgive me if it appears I'm on a crusade here......that might be an accurate view....it's just that I'm still fairly new to computers, totally impressed with the web and especially SI, and fascinated by the possibilities here. All of us, management and shareholders alike, we never had it so good.......So, thanks for reading this far...<g>...do you have any advice besides "Beware of the Animals" for a management rep considering posting here? For now, let's put that in the draught version;
1. Tell us who you are.
2. Beware of the animals.
There's many a truth told in jest...;-)....cheers....marcos |
