I am all for the open discussions that we have on The Chipboard. I think that everyone has a right to their own opinion and to be able to express it in a civil manner. Everyone is also entitled to not agree with other's opinion and to also express it in a civil manner. Where some who post on this board go over the line is when they make personal attacks on others and when they resort to vulgarities. Before anyone does this again in the future, please consider the possible effects of your actions on the hobby.

I recently spoke to one long time collector, someone who collected chips long before there was a Club, and who was very active in the Club. He has decided to leave the Club and the hobby because of all the negative rhetoric surrounding the controversal issues in the hobby over the last two years. As someone who used to proactively promote the hobby, he now finds it too embarrassing to recommend that others get into chip collecting. He is now disposing of his collection and moving on to other enjoyments.

I asked another new collector I recently traded with if he was a Club member. He replied: "No". I asked if he was interested and his response was that he was turned off by all the negativity on The ChipBoard. I am still trying to recruit him.

I think that we need to make chip collecting a friendlier place to be, if we want to grow the hobby. Right now we are turning prospective collector's off. Not all of us are so serious about the hobby and chip collectors want to visit to have a good time and grow their collections and their knowledge of casino chips.

My recommendations for the use of The ChipBoard in order to improve the hobby, are:

o State your points of view in a civil manner
o Do not make personal attacks
o Do not take personal disagreements public, use email or the phone to resolve personal issues
o Give others the courtesy to disagree with you and let them have their own opinions
o Just because someone does not agree with you, it does not make them wrong or right, just as you are not wrong or right in having your point of view
o Before posting your message think whether it will help or hurt the hobby

I am open to other recommendations, again this only my point of view. If we can come to some agreement, maybe Greg can find a place to make the recommendations available to users of The ChipBoard.

Thanks.