YE PUBLIQUE NOTICE:
Even though Blake Bowers officially won the election for Moderator of the 
SCANRADIO echo, a fly has appeared in the ointment.  I have decided to open 
the issue for public discussion.  Please read on, and then feel free to 
contribute your opinion on the issue:
1.  First consider that FidoNet echos are NOT democracies.  To the contrary,
    the Moderator literally "owns" the echo and participants are "guests".
    Other than the right to Life and retention of one's own limbs and
    appendages, participants have no "rights" other than any rendered them
    by the Moderator.....which can also be taken away.
    THIS IS NOT SUBJECT TO ARGUMENT, APPEAL, OR REDRESS.  IT SIMPLY IS THE
    WAY IT IS, AND HAS BEEN FOR FIFTEEN YEARS OR SO, SINCE FIDO'S BEGINNING.
2.  Elections are sometimes held by outgoing Moderators, where the incoming
    Moderator reflects the "choice of the participants".  In other cases,
    the outgoing Moderator handpicks his successor without consent of the
    participants.  Either scenario is well within the few FidoNet rules that
    govern Moderators.
With the above two considerations in mind (and not subject to discussion), I 
am open to input from any and all participants with respect to the following 
unusual circumstances that have come up to where I may not appoint Blake 
Bowers as your next Moderator.  There is also the chance that Blake will 
voluntarily
decline to fill the position.  So carefully read the following explanation of 
the new situation and feel free to discuss it among yourselves, so long as 
ALL discussions are unemotional, respectful, and considerate of the parties 
involved.  Any flames or blatant disrespect to anyone will result in 
immediate, without warning, termination of posting privileges to this echo.
============
Ken Storm, the original and founding Moderator of this echo has returned from 
a lengthy period of misfortune and circumstances beyond his control.  He has 
indicated that he wants "his" echo back.
Many of you will recall when I took over in his absence that I said I would 
hold the echo "in escrow" for him, should he return.  He didn't return, and 
the rest is history......more or less.
I am, however, torn between honoring the results of the recent election and 
my original promise.  It's not that I feel a sense of overriding obligation 
to Ken Storm, though I do deeply respect the time, effort, and trouble he 
went to, in order to create and bring this echo to the FidoNet Backbone for 
all our enjoyment and benefit.  It's not that I have any undying loyalty to 
Blake Bowers, though he is the hands-down winner of the election I chose to 
hold in lieu of appointing someone.....and I do respect YOUR choice.
If push came to shove, my decision would be to appoint Blake as the next 
Moderator of this echo.  Regardless of Ken Storm's misfortunes, and he did 
suffer plenty, his inability to manage the echo put me in a position to take 
it forward.....
Some time ago, however, Ken reappeared and I offered the echo back to him 
(this was long before the election), and he accepted.  Then somehow we fell 
out of touch and he didn't receive my followup netmails; nor I, his.  My 
conclusion was that he had gone incommunicado again.... so I decided to hold 
an election.
Now I am torn between a rock and a hard spot.  Blake's a good man and a 
radioist extraordinaire.  Ken is the founder of this echo.
============
I am open to listening to your opinions and thoughts, if presented 
objectively and unemotionally.  In fact, I want to KNOW how the body of this 
forum thinks, and after I get a feel for it, I will make my decision.  THIS 
IS NOT A VOTE, however, and I am not compelled to go with the majority.  I 
may be compelled to go with the clearest thinking.  Please assist me in this 
decision.
So that we do not get carried away with this "referendum", in addition to the 
standard rules against flames and disrespect, there is one more:  you may 
post to this REFERENDUM subject only twice, after which you MUST stay out of 
any further public discussion.  I will allow a minimum of seven days from the 
date stamp of this message, after which I will feel free to close it at any 
time and make my decision.
If you wish to comment in private, please do so via e-mail or netmail, as you 
prefer.  It is acceptable if Blake and Ken comment, too, and for them I will 
permit an unlimited number of replies and posts until I close the thread. 
Everyone else gets two posts, and that's it.  I will try to stay out of 
active discussion unless there are bona-fide questions that only I can 
swer.
Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Bill Cheek ~ E-mail: bcheek@san.rr.com  ~ Netmail:  1:202/731
Moderator - SCANRADIO
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