cornfedboy, signing off


a few months ago, i received an email from audiogon’s management with the intriguing subject line "got a minute?" in it, i was asked whether i had any interest in helping to develop a dispute resolution system for transactions emanating from audiogon’s website. hours of telephone conversations and countless emails followed. and, eventually, a dispute resolution system was developed, which is now an integral part of this site.

in working through various dispute resolution issues, i became more and more involved as a lawyer to his client. additional legal issues arose that i was asked to review and resolve. all during this time, i continued to post to discussion forums as a "member" of the audiogon community. i tried my best to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, avoiding conflicts in my roles as legal counsel and "member."

over the past few weeks, it has become apparent to me and that i can no longer wear two hats. so i’ve had to chose how i might best serve this community and those who allowed it to begin and to evolve. i’ve chosen to continue and expand my legal services to audiogon. my long-term goals as legal counsel are many but two are of greatest importance: to assure that audiogon remain the fairest, safest and most dependable online market for audio and video gear; and to help construct bridges over that chasm that now exists between the manufacturing and distributing sector and those who use the internet as a marketing and informational tool.

the decision to end my participation in the audiogon discussion forums was not an easy one. i’ve loved being a participant in these threads. and i truly treasure the many friends i’ve gotten to know here. i invite your private emails, whether you seek advice, a shoulder to lean on or just want to vent.

as my favorite band sang, "what a long, strange trip it’s been." so, my fellow denizens of this cyberspace pub, i bid you a fond farewell.

-F. Kelly Smith (a/k/a cornfedboy)
cornfedboy
Thanks for all your excellent imput and I respect and admire your decesion to seperate yourself because of your current involvement with Audiogon.

Good luck with your new venture.
When I came to this forum about a year ago, the first poster I consistently noticed was the cryptic "cfb". Was it his deflating sense of humor, or just his ubiquitousness? At first I thought, "Wiseacre". Later on I came to understand I could drop the "-acre" part. Fast foward several months, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an e-mail from Kelly. He was making sure I hadn't taken his comments in a thread duel the wrong way. We had a complimentary message exchange, but I felt the gesture possibly betrayed a little over-sensitivity put in context. Some of what is alluded to above may help explain this.

IMHO, Kelly might be needlessly concerned in a similar way now. As long as he recuses himself from participating in threads having to do with disputes or the subject of disputes, and maybe legal and transaction issues generally, and sticks to audio (and humor), I frankly don't see a conflict of interest here. But whichever way he goes, I'm certain of one thing: Based on my own limited dealings so far here on the 'Gon, and the obvious character of all you members that is on display in this thread, I am confident I will never require Kelly's services in his new capacity!
Ugh, that stinks. Kelly, the community hereabouts will certainly be less for your absence. That said, having spent some time attempting to devise ADR schemes for dumbfoundingly complicated multinational ventures and looking into what claimed to be state of the art on-line dispute resolution projects about a year ago, I can't wait to see what you come up with -- and I remain hopefully confident that we will all continue to benefit from your wisdom and insight, even if you'll be wearing a different hat for the time being. Best of luck. Peter