The recent incidents involving FD and Kiltman got me to thinking. Not so much about the specifics of their crime, or their punishment, or their possible rehabilitation (and I don't want to debate any of that here), but rather what this community has come to represent to me and what I hope it will continue to represent.
I don’t think I’ll get much argument when suggesting that this industry/hobby is rife with potential dangers. Undisclosed resto, scam sellers, shill bidders, misrepresenting of grade, shipping profiteers…the list goes on and on.
However, in amongst all this, I’ve come to consider this place a relative oasis, a community populated mainly by stand-up guys and gals, and I value it immensely. In all my dealings with boarders, I’ve found them to be honest, professional and generally good folk. I desperately want this to continue. Hell, I’ve just wire-transferred $3,000 to a boarder I’ve never even met for a batch of raw books I’ve not even seen!
To maintain our integrity, however, we must police ourselves just as ruthlessly as we police the rest of the world of funny books. Yeah, we engage on witch-hunts, but very rarely are they without reason…and very rarely are they proved inappropriate. Yeah, a few boarders have gone down in flames, but so too have so many others who we don’t know. Yeah, painful truths have been exposed, but so many of us here are better educated (or better behaved) buyers and sellers as a consequence.
I know this sort of thing results in ‘board negativity’, but I honestly think we’ve made the business a better place. Auctions on eBay have been pulled, bidders have been saved from losing a lot of money, sellers have been NARUed, CGC have even listened from time to time and amended their practices, Danny-Boy has been exposed and his activities given a much wider audience than we could ever hope for.
This is another list that could go on for paragraphs and it’s a list that we can all be rightly proud of…we have honestly made a difference.
Unfortunately, there will be casualties along the way…people who we like, people who we are close to…and this is tragic, but necessary. We should neither lower our standards, nor ignore failings simply because of who is responsible.
This sounds all very ‘holier-than-thou’, as does the board ‘voice’ from time to time, but I actually want people here to be pretty damned holy! I want to be able to send $3,000 to people I don’t know without worry. I want to be able to trust their judgement and trust their goods. I want to know that I’m dealing with everyone here on a level playing field.
And if that requires us to occasionally go through some pain to get to the truth, so be it. Because you know what they say about having your head in the sand?
You’re bent over double with your arse in the air.
_________________________
THE NEWEST AND BEST BACK ISSUE WEB-SITE HAS GONE LIVE!!!
You can always go back to the father and son walking along the beach. The kid starts throwing starfish, one by one, back into the water during low tide. The father asks "Why are you wasting your time? There are too many to make a difference." The kid throws another in the tide and says "Maybe. But I've just made a difference for that one."
Registered: 03/25/05
Posts: 581
Loc: THE BIG GUAVA (Tampa)
FIRST CGC FORUM GET-TOGETHER (NAMING RIGHTS AVAILABLE) VISIT THE SARASOTA, TAMPA, ST.PETERSBURG, ORLANDO FOR THE WEEK (END?) The odd Florida roadside attraction "World's Largest Collection of Charlton Comics" plus "World's Largest Collection of SA and BA LOVE/GIRLS'/ROMANCE COMICS"
Or do it by the 4 regions of the US.
Coming soon to an airport bar near you: CGC FORUM ON TOUR 4 City Tour Meet and Greet FACE-TO-FACE
NY, LA, Chicago, Sarasota
VISIT LUXXXXCORP The odd Florida roadside attraction. "World's Largest Collection of Charlton Comics" plus "World's Largest Collection of SA and BA LOVE/GIRLS'/ROMANCE COMICS"
WHAT WOULD THE NAME OF THIS TOUR BE?
_________________________
WANT LIST: NATURE BOY, McKEEVER AND THE COLONEL, Adam Hughes WONDER WOMAN, Any DAVE STEVENS, All CHARLTON "HOT ROD" type comics, ADULT/MATURE COMICS > (EROS, VEROTIK, PENTHOUSE, etc.),
Quote: Despite all the negativity over the last few months....I think that this forum will rebound ...and once again become a great place to hang out .
Maybe some day we could all get together for a massive forum BBQ.
Note: By "BBQ"....I mean beers & steaks...not a flame war
I'd show up for that. (Wearing as much protective gear as i could afford )
Quote: Despite all the negativity over the last few months....I think that this forum will rebound ...and once again become a great place to hang out .
Maybe some day we could all get together for a massive forum BBQ.
Note: By "BBQ"....I mean beers & steaks...not a flame war
I'd show up for that. (Wearing as much protective gear as i could afford )
I'm not entirely sure that humour is the best way of dealing with your current 'status'.
No judgement levelled...just not sure I'd handle it the same way?
_________________________
THE NEWEST AND BEST BACK ISSUE WEB-SITE HAS GONE LIVE!!!
)
