-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Fjelstad [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 4:45 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] Machine registration fees...

Hi Russell,

Thanks for the note back. I again appreciate your thought and comments.

As I said previously, as long as no one is named, there is (I, at least, believe) no harm and no foul.

If what is being reported is standard business practice, it is important that those who are seeking to purchase used equipment be made aware and not be blind-sided by such practices.

The expectations and the reality, we have learned from comments thus far, can be quite removed from one another. Who knows?... armed with such knowledge, it may encourage someone to buy a new machine instead of a used one.  

To stem the problem and concern, the equipment vendors can always opt to go out and repurchase all of their used equipment when it comes on the market following the approach described in an earlier message. In this way they can create scarcity and keep prices where they wish and preclude the employment of policies and practices.  (which are likely to make few friends based on what has been said.)

They may also decide, in the current business climate, to simply lease equipment in the future and not sell it. That way they can control all revisions, modifications and upgrades more closely and perhaps make or keep their customers quite happy. IBM did not originally sell computers, they leased and maintained them quite profitably.

I hold to my belief in keeping the dialog open. Censorship in matters such as this, self imposed or enforced by authority, (beyond the common sense strictures applied to indecent, hateful, mean-spirited or libelous language) does little to help the advancement of science or the industry.  

Reporting factual experiences is simply that, nothing more, nothing less. Fabrications, falsehoods and the breaking or violation of confidences are a different matter completely and I, for one, am trusting that all here abstain from such activity.

At the end of the day, if any company is concerned that they might be seen in a bad light for their business practices then it seems to me that, just perhaps, it might be that it is their conscience is doing much of the talking and they may want to consider reconciling themselves with their actions before calling in the lawyers. Law suits, we all know, will only enrich the lawyers.

Just a few more rambling thoughts from a madman... ;-)

Kind regards,
Joe   ---------------------------------------------------
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