Can we have an "Ask Sean" catagory?

That's not loco at all. If I am an administrator, I'd ban Sean too. Who needs a guy who can do my job for free. I still got (theoretically) kids to feed.

Feed those theoretical rugrats some ground-up dishonest dealer. After
you chop'em up into manageable parts, just shove'em in the meat
grinder, dump that in the blender, bottle it all up, add some carrots and
plenty of sugar and you got some good eatin's for them Jr. Administrator
Rugrats. Should keep em happy for the summer, while not loosing a
damn fine resource for all of us!

Marco

Somehow I missed the "integrity debate" about audio salesmen. Sounds like amusing reading.

Like used car and vinyl siding salesmen, on up (down?) the range to congressmen and even presidents, integrity is a quality that an individual can exhibit, no matter what the reputation of others in the profession. Objective review of the range of products offered as audio high end devices plainly reveals that many, if not most, lack any scientific basis, and, worst of all, often use misapplied science mumbo jumbo in the sales pitch. In this environment it is hardly surprising that audio salesmen have an uphill battle to establish their integrity.

Sean has strong opinions and speaks his mind bluntly. I often disagree with him, but find his comments interesting, and often informative. I miss him.

This is a chat room, where no one can get punched in the nose. "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me".

Eldartford, The integrity debate was on the Dynamics vs. Electrostatics thread started by Lrsky. He started the thread asking the question about the differences in the two. As the thread was picking up steam, Sean gleened from Lrsky's posts that he intended to sell a brand of electrostats that he had been espousing.
As you might have guessed, Sean took him to the wood shed and taught him a lesson. Lrsky's fellow dealers came to his aid and much emphasis was placed on the fact that Lrsky had decided to become a dealer after starting the thread. I agreed with Sean that Lrsky should have revealed his dealer status immediately when it happened. Lrsky has held some serious positions at major high end companies. He should be held to a higher standard and that is what Sean did.
What Sean was complaining about to Audiogon was dealers who post and reply on the Gon and don't reveal their business associations/ conflicts of interest. My memory is foggy on this but I think it was stated that Lrsky actually complained to the Gon about Sean. In the end, the thread and Sean were deleted.
I personally visit the site less now that he is gone. I used to enjoy reading his threads and answers that stirred the pot. I actually think Sean was a draw to Audiogon due to his knowledge and controversial stature.
I thought of Sean like a doctor prescribing medication. His prescriptions were usually on target for the problem but the medication wasn't candy coated and often the pills were too big for some to swallow.

Names may not hurt you physically... but they could put a severe dent in your pocketbook!
Say the wrong words and some dealers/manufacturers will sue! or call your boss and complain! Even free speech doesn't cover the hassle of dealing with the garbage from the jerks who bite you if you just state: "I think, after hearing XYZ, that they are not worth the money" in a post. Some folks want to think that is libel... and are willing to harass...
If I owned this site I would be very worried about what folks start spouting too. I am certain the owner of this site enjoys it and started it out of love of all things audio. But it can and could lead to a serious lawsuite if some of the stuff fo;ks want to say was allowed.