The written word always comes off as too harsh which is the one drawback to these forums. I too am actually a nice guy, get along with most everyone. As an aside....whatever happened to the old saying about "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me."? That is no longer true in this society because too few have backbones. You and I do and most others in these forums do, but society at large no longer does.
Ferris - The only time I met him in person was at last Fall's shareholder meeting. Super nice, super professional, super smart, very thoughtful, cares deeply about the company/product/mission. I don't know about his backbone but I think its probably pretty strong. The problem with all the stock/listing/IR/communication mumbo jumbo is that it is not a science but is equal part art and "feel" and maybe personality.
I have met a fair number of other CEOs and most also give off a bit of a swarmy sleezy used car saleman vibe. Walking away I always check my pockets for my wallet. To his credit, no such vibe with Ferris.
I am also heartened by the fact that Bob truly believes that "the numbers" - revenue, EPS, growth rate, cash generation, etc. are what ultimately drive share price. He is right about this but he also (my opinion and I might be way wrong) needs to understand that soft factors like "perception", "communication", "enthusiasm", "forward vision", are also important and do not happen on their own.
