I think it would be a very good thing if RP posted on these boards with his own identity to answer questions so that all can see the answers (instead of private chats and e-mails). That would allow not be a waste of time IMO.
However, I think the chance of that is absolutely zero. RP does not want to answer the tough questions. He seems to prefer suggestion and innuendo (wink, wink).
If they spend time lurking on these boards when they should be out pursuing business, then they are wasting time at shareholder expense. I wonder how many hours are spent by all of the e.Digital staff on these boards.
As far as keeping a potential customer waiting for an hour, that was not "getting wires crossed." He was standing right in front of the potential customer's booth and made a choice to talk to two people who are extremely active on Agora instead of meeting with a potential customer at the designated appointment time.
That shows that his priority was to please Sunpoop and D.inkie rather than to show respect for the potential customer and earn new business that might create shareholder value. If I were a shareholder, I would be angry at the two shareholders who knowingly caused him to be an hour late.
Keep in mind too, that the potential customer may have been in earshot of the conversation. That could be the reason for the supposed boasting about how everyone is coming to them now and they have to turn business away.
From everything I see and hear, Fred is embarrassingly unprofessional in his conduct at times. His gaffs in the Bloomberg interview come to mind. Given his disastrous performance as CEO over the last 6 years, it was outrageous for him to call his loyal and forgiving shareholders a "cult following" who discovered the stock on RB and to mention that he couldn't even say how many he had met who didn't have any idea what the company did (implying they are ignorant investors).
His performance at the Nov. 2002 shareholder meeting caused a mass exodus for the doors and when he speaks during webcasts, it is clear that he is reading a script verbatim (good public speakers can use a script, but it doesn't sound like it).