Dissappointed With New Site.....attn Bill Weiss!

Hi Everyone! I have been away for the last week teaching "Basics of Expertizing" at the APS Summer seminar, and while I am now home, I am absolutely buried in backed-up work, so only have a moment here. Complicating all of this is Don's personal health problems as well as his wife's recovery. So bottom-line is that I would ask every one to be patient with the "growing pains" of this site. I firmly believe that such a site is a tremendously overall positive thing and in the long run will benefit our hobby a lot and will save buyers a huge amount of money that they might have lost without the site.

I am particularly surprised by some of the negative comments, although I respect everyone's right to make them. I think we all need to pull together on this. I had many positive discussions at APS about this and am currently working to try to gain support from APS. Also, we have been invited by ASDA to write an article about the site and it's mission in a future issue of ASD&C magazine. So we are working to gain national support and attention. But right now, between Don's problems and my work, not a lot is going to get accomplished.

Last, before I must run, I want to defend the policy of allowing reporter's to use a fictitious name. While I am generally an advocate of posters online to be required to use their real name, when it comes to reporting problematic online listings, I have no problem with pseudonyms simply because many really expert readers will NOT participate if required to use their real name - because they fear repercussions to their businesses, so since that is their livelihood, they will not otherwise participate. So in my view, it is far better to have those expert reporters using fake names, then to not have them at all. Don's explanations about safeguards he will use to prevent or limit "grudge" reports should help a lot.

And very last, when I report a fake coil, I am not about to be required to provide an explanation, which to me, is equal to me teaching everyone who reads the report the methods used to detect fake coils. Further, it greatly increases the time factor, which I just can't afford to spend.

Everyone please be patient, help whenever or however you can. Thanks in advance!