I have no problem with fawtsc's post. Give me the facts.
This statement doesn't make me cringe: "There has been little or no communication of any kind to tree owners about their investments for the last 3-4 years. Yet TATF continues to post new tree offers with projections that are unrealistic based on the experience of nearly everyone who has posted here"
This does: "There is more teak in the paper of your certificates than there is on the farms of TATF"
I'm not claiming to quote anyone here by my quotation marks, just indicating what is a statement.
This statement doesn't make me cringe: "If you can't either post your valid identity to the board or have someone we trust verify it, I have no reason to believe what you say"
This does: "You post nothing but positive comments about TATF. Therefore you must be Steve. OK, Steve, what is your latest lie?"
I'm not asking for positive posts. That would be asking most of us to lie. I like Jan's idea. Let's be as constructive as we can.
I would never suggest that these negative posts have been the source of TATF's downfall if it comes. That's stupidity. All I'm saying is that bashing can speed up the crash or make it more certain or more spectacular.
The source of the crash, the first factor, will be that TATF had a ludicrous business model as we now know - but we were all sufficiently impressed to buy trees. I'm still not beyond thinking that Steve was fooled and surprised also. A second huge, huge contributing factor in the downfall of TATF is the ongoing lack of honest communication to tree owners from TATF and the lack of caveats or full honesty in the projections for new investors. A third is the apparent arrogance of Steve who refuses to change his ways in the face of many peoples' counsel. A fourth is the reported poor care or lack of care of the trees and lumber in some areas. A fifth is the lack of preparation and slow response to attempts to purchase lumber. A sixth is the fact that what communication there is is a regular, steady stream of promises that have never borne fruit up to this point.
My point is that all that is on Steve. We can't force him to change - unless there is a possibility that legal action can do so. It's obvious that he currently has no intention to change, and early attempts to get him to change only seem to have pushed him farther from it, e.g. he left the board.
So what are we left with? All we can control is our own actions. We can pursue a legal solution - the most likely 'positive' outcome from that is a measure of justice or revenge against Steve, not any return. We could rant on this board about the injustice, the probable scam, the ways that Steve will spend our stolen money. Again, I don't see that doing anything to help us get our money back. If it has any effect it can only hurt TATF, it doesn't help anyone.
Or we could pursue a solution. It might be pie in the sky, but it's the only sliver of a chance of a positive outcome that I can see. It's not worth it to me to bash TATF. It could potentially cost me and it brings me no satisfaction at all. I think I have trees in Costa Rica. I don't know if they are being cared for, but I would like to do what I can to make it possible for TATF to fulfill their responsibilities to me. However small my part is. It is more than nil, or if it isn't, it's surely not less in my view.
I'm the pragmatist here. You guys are the idealists, who think that repeatedly pointing out who is obviously wrong will change something. Right and wrong is water under the bridge. I say, what now? What is the best chance to make it work? To me, bashing isn't it.
planb, I wasn't suggesting that TATF is a bank or a publicly-owned company. Those were what I call "examples" of how soft factors can bring down a company that is viable. Business models change. TATF started with a bad business model. They have discovered that and they are trying to correct it, according to their communication. Your negative opinions or speculation presented as fact could be harmful to TATFs ongoing business. If it's hanging by a thread or teetering on a cliff, you are doing your best to cut the last thread and push it over.
