TOM KIRKMAN, RODBUILDING.ORG BB, MY DECEMBER 1,2003 POST, ETHICS

Mr. Perez:

I believe you have made some very bad assumptions about how internet
rod building forums operate.

Boards cost money and most rely on sponsors for funding. Now if a
non-sponsor can get advertising and promotion at no charge on those
boards, then those who are sponsors will stop paying a fee to be
sponsors. At that point, the money runs out and the board shuts down.

Tom Kirkman has the finest internet rod building board there is. He
has done us all a good deed to create this wonderful site where more
rod building information is exchanged than anywhere else. If his
sponsors get mad and leave, then the board will shut down and we will
lose the #1 rod building site on the internet.

Boards that are not moderated are hateful cesspools of arguments and
problems. Tom's board runs smooth as silk because he has set some
rules and is quick to enforce them. I applaud his sense of fairness
but realize he has to protect the interest of his sponsors. They pay
for the board and are entitled to preferential treatment.

There are also a small handful of troublemakers that he is right to
keep out. They have ruined other boards and no one wants a repeat of
that at rodbuilding.org.

I hope you will send Tom an apology. He's a super friendly guy and
I'm sure he'll be willing to overlook your mistake.

Best of luck to you.

Aurthur Mercer