RE: Resignation from International Alliance of iNation Citizens

Leif,

Thanks again for your wise reply.  I apologize for three reasons:
1)  I am late getting back to you
2)  This reply to your "simple" question will need to be long and perhaps
"incomprehensible"
3)  You are 100% right, but I'd like to explain _why_ I'm scheming


I agree with you completely where you wrote: "iNation can only succeed if
its citizens are informed rather than being manipulated."  But at the same
time, that isn't as simple as what it sounds.


There were multiple reasons why I said I'm "not at liberty".

I'm completely serious when I say "it's WAY too premature to speculate on
what it means."

But what I should have said, in my previous e-mail was the following:


"I received an invitiation, from Ms. Kimberly S. Stevenson, to 'chat' on the
phone next week.  I'll believe it when I see it, but I have no reason to
doubt her.  She's followed through on things she said she would in the
past."

"The time and agenda haven't been set.  This could be a good opportunity for
the iSeries Community to speak, through me, to the Executive in Charge of
the iSeries Nation (tm)."


That's what I should have said.  That is not _all_ the things she said in
her e-mail.  That is the part that I'm not at liberty to discuss, at this
time.  Why?  A lot of reasons.  I was just dismissed from the IAiC group,
specifically because they felt I betrayed their trust by making too many
things public, which were said in private correspondence.  Plus, we're
dealing with IBM, one of the most private corporations in the world, as far
as how they work internally.  Plus, when I first wrote Mr. Gerstner last
September, Bob C. (a _very_ wise man to me, at one time) told me something
like "there _are_ rules, but _there is no rulebook_".  I will put a lot of
people off with this next statement, but it is, _in no way condescending_...
There are few absolutes, but it is an absolute fact that **you _don't want
to know_ everything I've been privy to in the past year~~~!**  You can take
my word for it or not, as you see fit...

Sure, maybe I appear to be "scheming" at first glance, but it's a little
deeper than that.  I'm basically a "what you see is what you get"
kind-of-guy.  I'M TIRED OF TRYING TO READ IN BETWEEN THE LINES OF THE COVER
PAGE...  WHEN THERE'S A BOOK THAT NEEDS WRITTEN~~~!"  But we _are_ dealing
with IBM, here.

Try to look at it from my point of view, Leif...  A year ago this time, I'd
just started lurking on the various Internet forums and listservs.  This
past year, I've been writing you all, frequently, and writing some of the
top executives in IBM.  To say I'm out-of-my-league here, well...  that's a
hilarious understatement...  I'M REAL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS SITUATION I'M
IN...   But I do it anyway, because I firmly believe it's my duty, and an
honor to try to serve the Community in this way...  But I mainly do it for
my own benefit, because I learn a lot of different things...  And I learn a
lot about myself in the process...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At this point, Leif, I had a long and meandering part 2 to this post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To be honest, I don't know that I'm going to finish that one, and whether
I'll send it even if I do.  I'm doubtful, because it's covering a lot of
ground, maybe too much...

So I thought I'd send this, as is.  Actually wrote all but this last,
yesterday.  If I wait 'till tomorrow, I might not end up sending it at all.
Hopefully this is worth your all's while, or at least keep you interested.


Thanks once again.


jJt

"Ask not what your iNation can do for you, ask what you can do for your
iNation !"  ...Neil Palmer





-----Original Message-----
From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
[mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Leif Svalgaard
Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 1:49 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Resignation from International Alliance of iNation Citizens


From: jt <jt@ee.net>
> 3) I think you severly underestimate Mr. Haines.  Surely he
> must have felt the collective efforts of the iSeries Community could,
> essentially, replace his efforts or he would not have left IBM.  That is
my
> firm belief.  So I take it that Mr. Haines saw that the other leg, being
the
> iSeries Community, has jiggled a little, and already I've seen IBM take
> another step forward, but I'm not at liberty, and it's WAY too premature
to
> speculate on what it means.

What do you mean: "not at liberty" ?
Is the scheming going on behind the scenes?
iNation can only succeed if its citizens are
informed rather than being manipulated.

P.S. My spell-checker objects to "iNation",
suggests replacing it with "inaction"...

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