"I agree that this issue has polarized many people and taken a great deal of fun out of the board!"

I guess we should have simply swept it under the rug and not discuss/debate the issue.

This is a serious problem that is not going to go away simply by dismissing it with a sweep of the hand and saying "if you don't like it, don't buy it".

Five years down the road, the cry may very well be from new chippers on the block,"gee, how come nobody tried to warn us this was coming back in 2000-2001?" "How come nobody stood up to the slabbers and tried to do anything about it?" "This isn't how I remember how my chip hobby was back in 2001".

Mel Jung said when he left this bulletin board a few days ago something that I found to be profound.... to the effect that 20 years ago (before CC & GTCC)there were 20 chippers who knew each other on a first name basis. Ten years later there were maybe 200 club members many of whom knew most club members. Today, ten years later in 2001, there are presently 2500+ club members, most of whom have never met. We have the potential for a large unified voice. We possses the influence to control our own destiny... if we choose to use it.

I hate to look into the crystal ball and project what will be ten years down the road when all our most deisreable chips may have been imprisoned. Is that the hobby we are wanting to befall us?