Posters of IR contacts...
I know this is a long post, but I wanted to convey some thoughts, so please bear with me, or just skip to the next message if you want.
Glow, and mide, and others who post their tidbits shared by correspondence with IR... please continue to post your info and comments here. I know if I were in your shoes, I'd probably feel the same kind of resentment and frustration... you're trying to help us with additional news not conveyed in official press releases, and your posts are being attacked by some, and your credibility questioned.
As someone who has read all the posts going back and forth this week, I tend to think both the posters of the IR contacts and the respnders are overreacting a bit at times, and I think that comes simply from all of our frustrations over the past few months with all the negative articles by Motley Fool and the pile-up of class action lawsuits based on that poorly researched reporting.
There are probably a great many readers here who appreciate your efforts and who find your information useful, especially in these times where our faith in GTE is being tested. But, I can also see things from the point of those who are questioning the validity of your posts. Anyone who has spent any time on the Yahoo or Raging Bull forums knows there are a great many more people posting disinformation and outright lies than there are posting accurate and factual information. While that's certainly not the case here, it is our own hard-earned money we are investing, and it's our responsibility to not blindly follow what's posted here, but to also consider any information not released in a company press release with a grain of salt. Over time many long-timers here have learned to trust your information, but there are always newcomers here who don't have the benefit of that experience, and it's natural for them to question this information. You can't blame them for that, and you really shouldn't take it personally, unless they outright call you a liar in their post. Also, unless you are copying and pasting directly from a communication, errors in interpretation or transcription of a conversation will occasionally creep in.. it's called being human. No one should fault a poster for that, if the intent to share that info was good and honest.
Opinons and experiences vary greatly, but that's why we post here, to share ours and to consider those of others. I know I have gained invaluable insight into certain aspects of this company and the events unfolding.
I think a lot of readers here would join me in asking that you please reconsider and continue your posts of any info you get from IR. I think the majority here find a lot of value in those posts, even if a few question them. You're doing a lot more good here than harm, so please continue. Maybe as a board the readers can show more appreciation and support for your posts, which might help to outweigh the frustration you feel from being questioned and challenged. That's just part of what comes from sharing information. So I ask that you please continue, and if someone doesn't believe what you say, brush it off and move on. You're never going to convince everyone, as some even have doubts about what the company releases in PRs.
Given all that, nothing I've seen posted from contact with IR is of enough significance to warrant buying or selling this stock based solely on that information. Anyone who thinks otherwise should not be investing. However, it does help to maintain our confidence in difficult times, between major actions disseminated in press releases.
I hope you all will take the weekend to think about this, and consider continuing your valuable posts. They are appreciated by many, even if sometimes they raise more questions or doubt. Don't take it personally, it's just part of why we are all here. I thank you all for your efforts to make this a better place for all GTE investors.
...and on the 7th day, God turned off his Macintosh.
