My Final post on the PBM Report From: maxnbr1@aol.com (MAXNBR1) Date: Sat, 01 Aug 1998 00:00:00 +0000 >>Long may Flagship sail as it >>does provide a service to PBM that isn't found elsewhere. If your in the US, or play US games, check out Paper Mayhem, it's an independent PBM magazine. Been around a long, long time. I let my subscription slide, {oops ;)}so im not sure how much it costs First, I think I understand some of the confusion. This argument is being carried out in two locations. Half is being posted on Rec.games.pbm, the other half on AOL, in the Galactic Prisoners section of the PBM area. Second, wow, out of town for a few days my mailbox filled up.... I am glad to see that The PBM Report has decided to change its article on GP. It appears now that he is going to print a non-slanderous article. I think the original discussion about US Flagship has gotten off track. A bad Rumor was written. A response was written by Grandel inc., disputing the rumor. Flagship mis-represtened that letter, that's when the lawyer was involved. The lawyer was not involved because of the Rumor that was printed; he was involved because the mis-printed Grandel Inc letter. Can you sue because of a rumor, sometimes (happens to tabloids). But you can definitely sue if you are attributed quotes that you did not say. Imagine you run a PBM Company. You pay for ads in a mag. Only 1/2 of them ever see print. They say they forgot about the others, and they'd print them. They never see print. This same magazine has a listing that they maintain. It is not ads. In it they print the prices for your start-up and turns to low. After writing to them for over a year, they finally change it. EVERY player who wrote to you wanting to play your game from that listing never plays because they are disgusted at you because they feel that you intentionally had low prices printed, just to trick players into joining. Now, this same magazine takes a letter you wrote, and edits it so that none of your points are supported by the facts, and the last two paragraphs are completely made up. This is what happened to Grandel Inc at the hands of US Flagship Some of you may think that I am over-reaction in my reaction to the PBM Report. But every GP player who I've talked to and who has read what Ken's said agrees that the PBM Report *was* (is?) actively trying to get information to write a negative article based solely on the flagship lies. GP players are very loyal, and that's because many of us are PBM Vets. We've been in many, many games over the years, and know a good game and GM when we see one. Many players are/were GM's also. I do not know the most the GM's at Grandel Inc have worked, but back when they were advertising and we had over 600 players, work 120 hours a week was normal, and many high-combat weeks were much longer. I believe that 100hours in now the average. The PBM Report/ Ken says that he has never heard of a PBM Company acting against another PBM Company. He is either lying, or really hasn't a clue as to what happens behind the curtain in the industry. I mentioned to him the ballot stuffing scandal involving Adventures By Mail and he ignores it. That leads me to believe that he does know what's going on, but chooses not to acknowledge it unless he thinks he can make money at it. I am sure that I will now be remembered as I travel from game to game. I will carry my "notoriety" with pride because I know I stood up for what was right. I doubt that I have increased the level of honesty in the PBM industry, but at least I have tried. I think that I have done all that a single PBM player can do. My only regret is that I should have tried to convince some of the PBM ers who wrote me to post on AOL and here, because I'm afraid that perhaps this looks like only a dozen or so players think this was wrong. Again, I am glad that The PBM Report now *seems* to be changing it's original article, and *appears* to be willing to print only the facts. Finally, don't worry, I'm know this isn't a binarry group ;) and even though it seems to upset a few posters, im am only sending the things i mentioned in previous posts by e-mail. Although you can't really tell by the volume of responces i generated, I am aware of bandwidth... ;) Bill Bowersox PBM Junkie Referenced By Up