Hey there Bob! You certainly are persistent, aren't you?

Since YOU brought it up, yes, I moderate the forums at AuctionTalk.com, as well as editing and managing the site in general, and writing content for it. The site just recently launched, and we haven't had enough activity on the boards to require even one moderation call yet. So my position as moderator is essentially theoretical at this point. I saw no reason to mention it, I think my arguments stand on their own merits. I felt that bringing it up would be seen as inappropriate self promotion. It's also irrelevant in my opinion, since I am first and foremost a dealer of antique gambling chips, and an online auctioneer. I did not come here as the operator of a commerical message board, but as Chipguy.

What I said was that every auction discussion site I'm aware of follows the same rules. AuctionWatch, AuctionRover, AuctionDiner, TAG, OAUA, the now defunct AuctionPatrol, and I'd be willing to bet that any other auction industry site that I may not be aware of prohibits discussion of, and the posting of links to, specific auctions without the seller or buyer under discussion having first been made aware of the discussion, and invited to participate and defend themselves. I think the reasons for this rule are self evident, apparently you do not.

By the way, when I said that PsychoBob was under discussion at AuctionBS.com, I was being facetious. I was trying to make a point, trying to get you to put yourself in the position of a seller under attack behind his back. Apparently my intention was lost on you. I should have been more direct. You say you sell on eBay. Maybe you could take a moment and imagine that you just learned that a lengthy discussion of you and your business practices was taking place on a message board, and that several of your customers were reading it, and that those talking about you did not bother to invite you to come and defend yourself. How would you feel?

The reason this rules exist on every auction discussion board except this one is twofold:

1. Talking about a man behind his back, especially when these discussions can have a real impact on his reputation and livlihood, is extremely unfair. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that it's unAmerican! I'm not the kind of man who will say anything about you behind your back that I would not say to your face, and I don't think you are either. But it's an unfortunate truth that the dynamics of a discussion board are usually such that folks can easily get carried away when only one side of an issue is presented, so these rules are universally followed out of a sense of decency and fair play, and to prevent even the tiniest chance of harming an honest seller by building a public discussion on only one side of an argument.

I'm sure you're not suggesting that every auction, buyer, or seller that's ever been discussed here was such a lowlife that they did not deserve a defense, that they were all such one sided issues that there was nothing to gain from input from the party under discussion?

2. Someone here said something like no slander could occur on a message board, therefor there were no possible legal ramifications of allowing a man's business to be discussed without his knowledge. If whoever said that is a lawyer, or received this opinion from a lawyer, fine. I'm not a lawyer and would not presume to discuss this any further. Hell, I'm not even sure of the difference between libel and slander. All I know is what our lawyers told us, and what counsel for some of these other discussion sites have told them in this regard. If Greg is liable for the activity on this board, he may want to get a legal opinion of his own, or he may not. It's none of my business.

Finally, Bob, I do understand that this message board is precious to you, really, and I hope you understand that I did not come her to disrupt or disrespect you or anyone.

I have peeked in on the board many times, especially after finally joining the CCGTCC earlier this year, but felt that the discussions were mostly about casino chips, rather than antique chips. Casino chips frighten and confuse me, and the many tens of thousands of different casino adn illegal chips make me feel ignorant. I much prefer to stick to my little specialty of antique chips, a subject I feel quite knowledgable about.

I came here because three of my best customers emailed me and told me that an auction of mine was being discussed in a negative way, and I know that many of my customers do frequent this board. I felt the need to defend myself. My personal feelings about "behind the back" discussions have been made clear. The fact that this board operates in a way that is fundamentally different from all other auction discussion boards that I'm aware of is just that, a fact. Don't shoot the messenger, you know?

Peace,

Michael