- Joined
- Jan 26, 2003
- Messages
- 22,199
I just checked out Jan and Brad's (Diamond Broker of Florida's) section of Diamond Talk. I don't know how many Pricescope members know it, but a great deal of dialogue (none of it terribly productive, in my opinion) is going on there. I mention it because some of it concerns Pricescope and some of our regular posters apparently went over there to engage Brad in civil discussion about his accusations about Pricescope shills.
Some people are actually taking the time to research old Diamond Talk postings in order to show that their positions are correct. I know that that takes a lot of work, but I am not sure who is going to bother to read everything that is being dug up!
One thing that struck me is that Barry Guttwein, whose actions I opposed for years based on my friends' Jan and Brad's comments about him, seems to be on their side now.
Another thing that struck me is how much people I like and respect are all over each other, fighting. Nice, kind, reasonable people are blaming each other. Jan and Brad, to whom I remain a loyal customer based on their superlative service, and people I greatly admire from Pricecope (lke Josh and JohnQuixote and denverappraiser), are at odds.
One thing I can say from having watched this over the years is that fora seem like friendly, homey places, but BUSINESS is going on in them. As business rivalries change, so do the alliances on the fora. A vendor who is the arch enemy of another one year becomes his bosom buddy the next. The marketplace determines alliances, not personality.
As someone who is not business-minded, I find this very hard to get through my head. I am fooled again and again. I take a story of some transaction told to me by a vendor "friend" as gospel and then learn a bit later that the person who did him in is now OK.
What am I saying? I guess I am saying one must take all these dramatic accusations with a grain of salt. If consumers get involved, they will be embroiled in what is really the bread and butter of others, the vendors. They won't be helping to reform the diamond industry or the diamond fora. And the vendors they defend today will be quarreling with someone else next month or next year.
Deborah
Some people are actually taking the time to research old Diamond Talk postings in order to show that their positions are correct. I know that that takes a lot of work, but I am not sure who is going to bother to read everything that is being dug up!
One thing that struck me is that Barry Guttwein, whose actions I opposed for years based on my friends' Jan and Brad's comments about him, seems to be on their side now.
Another thing that struck me is how much people I like and respect are all over each other, fighting. Nice, kind, reasonable people are blaming each other. Jan and Brad, to whom I remain a loyal customer based on their superlative service, and people I greatly admire from Pricecope (lke Josh and JohnQuixote and denverappraiser), are at odds.
One thing I can say from having watched this over the years is that fora seem like friendly, homey places, but BUSINESS is going on in them. As business rivalries change, so do the alliances on the fora. A vendor who is the arch enemy of another one year becomes his bosom buddy the next. The marketplace determines alliances, not personality.
As someone who is not business-minded, I find this very hard to get through my head. I am fooled again and again. I take a story of some transaction told to me by a vendor "friend" as gospel and then learn a bit later that the person who did him in is now OK.
What am I saying? I guess I am saying one must take all these dramatic accusations with a grain of salt. If consumers get involved, they will be embroiled in what is really the bread and butter of others, the vendors. They won't be helping to reform the diamond industry or the diamond fora. And the vendors they defend today will be quarreling with someone else next month or next year.
Deborah
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