Hi Billid!

I have no objection to reading dissenting opinions. I have also found myself embroilled in disputes from time to time for expressing what I consider to be legitimate and honest criticisms of various companies on public bullboards. I think it goes with the territory that many people do not want to hear about the downside of any stock, and you should expect to get some flak when you dare to venture a contrary opinion. It is what it is.

However, I do think you have brought some of the reaction on yourself, with what amounts to a condescending attitude and a rather petty response to some of the people who have engaged you in debate. Sometimes you have to take the high road and just coming right back with another round of rhetoric is not going to win an argument. I can speak from experience on that point.

Less is more. If you have to post several times in a row to state your case or swing back at another post, maybe its better just to let it go. We are not debating the future of the free world or the outcome of ECU to continue to exist as a company. Why is it so hard to just agree to disagree? Why do you absolutely have to be right and post your opinion in such a way that you appear to be smug and annoying as hell? You cannot prove that there is no manipulation in the markets, and simply pointing out examples where someone else was incorrect does not make you more right in your own beliefs.

The internet is a fantastic medium for communication, but so much of the emphasis is lost in written form, so its almost guaranteed that some people will misinterpret a statement. Again, I speak from personal experience.

I am going to let this one drop now. There is a history on public forums where ECU is a target by malcontents and losers. Their biggest weapon is generating distracting and tangental discussions that go nowhere and piss everyone off. Several of these people have shown up with their agenda on Agora and tried the same tactics. So if you are sincerely interested in sharing info and contributing to the forum, actions speak louder than words. I have been through many pissing contests over the years and it is a slow lesson to just understand there is no winner, just a lot of losers when it gets past a certain point. I am big enough to admit when I have become a pain in the ass on a forum and move on to more relevant issues, and I trust that you are blessed with the same restraint.

cheers!

mike