Surprise, Terry! Lawsuit already in the mill. But I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with that one. That lawsuit has blood and vengefullness written all over it. In so far as all you've been talking about and so forth, perhaps you should file as an intervenor (is that the proper term?). As an interested third party you would at least be copied accordingly. But again, that lawsuit is a blood and guts type deal. In that one, your involvement might even serve as a calming force. Anyway. Beyond all of that.
Me? What do I think? Well, Wired certainly gave it a good bid at describing many of the problems. But they also gave a pretty good bid at describing some of the hopes. It was a far more objective article than ones of the past. The writer, actually, took great pains to attribute both sides in this drama. And he did call it a drama. It is.
It was nice to see Both Smith and Lance Estes quoted extensively. And I know many of you are going to throw a mudball at me. But I still admire Hayton's strategy of turning the other cheek, in so far as the personal stuff they put on him. He didn't turn it into a pissing match, when he could have. To me, that requires fortitude and it is precisely this characteristic that perhaps has impressed Estes so much.
The problems? Yeah, they've got some debt problems. But these are problems that capitalization coming from the right places can easily solve. We now have a clearer idea of some of what the company has encountered over these many months. While we've been swatting mosquitos in spring and summer campground, Zulu has been dealing with gnats the size we see in science fiction movies. Overall, I think the article gave us a pretty good picture as to why we've seen so many of the delays that have caused so many complaints from our camp.
I was particularly impressed by the remark where Smith noted that the company DID WANT TO reach out to us much earlier in the game plan. In fact, I'm certain they would have. But when you're dealing with sci-fi hobgoblins that aren't sci-fi at all but real ones, I now better understand why they haven't been all that out front with us. Simply put, it's too confusing to explain, never mind try and explain. Wired this time, it seems to me, has done a pretty good job at painting the overall picture.
It's not easy to talk to anyone publicly when you're surrounded in legal matters. Remember, it hasn't just been us doing all of the complaining. The former SIMers (can't wait to see them at the shareholders meetings--hope they're friendly, regardless of the problem) seem to have challenged every single decision up and down. A pesky bunch indeed! Jon Tara, are you sure you don't share drinks with this crowd?
Well, there's much, much more to talk about. And I'm sure we will. In any event, I'm going to end my quick sight analysis on a positive note, and quote from the article:
"It's a potentially lucrative business. This year,
advertisers are expected to spend $1 billion --
about as much as they spend on billboards -- to
place ads on top Web sites. If companies like
Zulu-Tek and DoubleClick (DCLK) establish their
brands and foster loyalty, they could skim off
hefty commissions as Internet advertising
blossoms in coming years."
Hmmm. "...hefty commissions as Internet advertising blossoms in coming years." Now, I like that part! Longer than ever on ZuluGroup.com! |
