Great post and you make some wonderful points. But I feel like you missed one of the major points I was trying to make.

I can certainly see how AW readers have questions regarding Chris's work. That's totally valid. But what I didn't see was the relevance to the topic and thread being discussed.

I'm the kind of person that deals with my conflicts directly with the person involved. And Don is as well.

Lets say you shop at Home Depot. So does your friend. And your friend tells you a story about a negative experience he says he had at Home Depot. Your friend takes out a full page ad in the Times slamming Home Depot's customer service and telling others about it. Do you expect Home Depot to take out a full page ad slamming your friend and explaining what happened as well? Or do you expect Home Depot to even discuss another customer's matter with *you* when you go in there to shop? I would find it incredibly unprofessional if they did.

And say Home Depot is having a 'Tool' day where you come in and check out the latest hammers, screwdrivers, etc., and get advice on your next home-building project. Do you stand outside and picket because your friend says he had a bad experience there?

That's what I felt like happened here. This thread had nothing to do with Chris's issue. So why bring it up? And again, if *you* in particular (or anyone else for that matter) have a question about Don's work, and that affects your ability to take his posts credibly, why not speak to him directly about it? He's chosen to take the high (and very unpopular) road on this issue and it's certainly cost him.

You're right, this is a forum, and a community, and the exchange of ideas and asking of questions is encouraged and welcome. Especially when they're asked relevantly. And I NEVER once suggested that those questions shouldn't be asked. But I also don't see how an issue between two individuals becomes all of AudiWorld's business.

And despite my screenname, I *don't* speak for Don and I don't work for Don. I speak for myself. Obviously the screenname implies a connection between Don and myself. However, I'm writing about this because *I* want to, not because he wants me to. That connection also doesn't invalidate the points I'm trying to make. And if the situation were reversed, I'd feel *exactly* the same way.