I apologize to all for not sending this in earlier; my east coast trip was
physically stressful due to a tremendous lack of sleep in my attempt to get
as much research in as possible.  I only managed to finished a single
location and that was only after reluctantly dumping visits to friends to
maximize my research time.  I came home to immediately attend classes and
go to work and managed to accidentally fall asleep two days in a row, which
made me miss yesterday's FML deadline.  Perhaps Bill will let this post
slide in and FML members will forgive my occasional need for sleep.
 
The response to my Modern Ferret comments was so overwealming that it
completely filled a 5MB space and caused my mailbox to crash, bouncing mail
to all sorts of people.  I've managed to clear it out, so if mail bounced
to you, you can resend it and it should be ok.  As usual, I will ignore
nasty emails and flush them to the ether cesspool where they belong, but
you can send them anyway.  ;-)
 
My original Modern Ferret post was atypically short for a rambin' man
because of the circumstances of my "borrowing" of telnet access.  As such,
several comments were not worded very well.  Still, I got the basic ideas
across, at least judging from my mailbox responses.  So in regards to those
comments, if you wish specific clarification, email me privately.  Also, I
will not address specific FML comments, especially those of a childish
nature, because they have been addressed at great length and I can
contribute nothing new to the debate.
 
When I posted my short comments, it was after I confirmed some independent
Fancy Publications research with Mary and Eric.  When they confirmed what I
had discovered (and told me more), I was so angry I had to post.  The
problems I am speaking of have nothing to do with issue 24.  The problems
with #24 were the push over the edge of the cliff, so to speak, but the
anger was already there.  Looking back at my comments and the response they
generated, I realize I made the mistake of assuming the FML membership knew
what *I* knew.  Of course you couldn't know what is going on behind the
scenes between Fancy Publications and Modern Ferret, primarily because Mary
and Eric haven't told anyone.  They didn't even tell *ME*; I told them and
they only admitted it with my evidence.  That needs to be known so people
don't misinterpret their comments as "whinning" as several FML posts have
suggested.  Mary and Eric were reluctant participants.
 
I will only comment (very briefly) on Janne' Ronald's post.  I honestly
appreciated this type of post, for it was one I might have made.  I do
wonder who Janne' Ronald is, having never seen the name before, and wonder
if the person recently joined the FML (Coincidence?).  I wonder this
because the questions to me were worded very specifically by someone who
might have known the answers already.  I do the same thing in debating,
which is why I noticed the technique.  But I do have answers that probably
would not be expected (which I will get to in another post).  Also, some
of the questions suggested a depth of knowledge that only someone with
intimate knowledge would possess.  And that is one thing that keeps
recurring that few people have noticed.  People keep posting on the FML
(and AOL) information that is only appropriately known by either Mary and
Eric, PetCo, Fancy Publications, or magazine distributors.  That suggests
*SOMEONE* is working some sort of an agenda, and I doubt if it is Mary and
Eric, their distributor, or even PetCo.  The simplest explanation is Fancy
Publications (either directly or perhaps unwittingly by some employee) is
behind the information leak.  Reread the FML posts (and who can, access the
AOL posts) and determine how many were anonymous posts and how many have
erased their addresses.  Draw your own conculsions.
 
I will say that for the last six months, I have been doing a private
investigation of Fancy Publications and their treatment of competition.
Some of my evidence should be independantly confirmed, some was only given
with the promise of anonymity, and other evidence was clearly generated by
people with a grudge and should be discounted.  Because *MY* investigation
is not finished, it would be premature to release info because Fancy
Publications can go all out to stop leaks, manipulate people I haven't
interviewed, or even pressure people to change their stories.  I fully
intend to publish this work in a non-pet industry publication to bring
attention to the issues.  Call up your local newspaper; no reporter would
give out information prior to publication, especially from sources what
have a livelihood that would be threatened by Fancy Publications.  As you
can tell from my attitude regarding my Q-N-A sources, I *NEVER* reveal
names or private information.  Never, so childish goads will not make me
change my ethics on this matter.  What I do feel comfortable to share will
follow this post with one that only addresses those issues.
 
Finally (for this post), I want to point out the strength of the FML lies
in the diversity of people it attracts.  It is their combined experience
and non-ferret knowledge that gives us the strength and ability to do so
much with so little.  There are people on this list who build military
weaponry, who teach Sunday school, who do animal experimentation, who do
taxidermy, and who even work with nuclear weapons.  We have policemen,
firemen, school teachers, business people, soldiers and their dependants,
pilots, college students, home teachers, and such a variety of office
workers that it cannot be described.  With such a large group of people and
such a wide variety of interests and passions, it is easy for all of us to
forget one basic truth; we all love ferrets.  Lately the FML has polarized
on some very basic issues, driven perhaps by a few individuals with
passionate beliefs, and it has harmed us all.  There is a point where even
a lively discussion of issues deteriorates into name calling.  While I
personally feel the use of hyperbole and satire is appropriate for
corporate intities (like the California Fish and Game) because it is
personally anonymous, it is not appropriate for individuals unless under
extreme circumstances (like to prevent the spread of misinformation).
While Modern Ferret is a publication, it has a staff of two; Mary and Eric.
Any comments made about Modern Ferret ARE directed at individuals.  It is
one thing to say you didn't like thier issue; it is another thing entirely
to attack them personally in a public forum.  Freedom of speech allow both;
it is morality and ethics which prevents the later.
 
Bob C and 18 MO' Ferts O' Fun
 
[Moderator's note: I don't *entirely* agree that comments about Modern
Ferret are comments to individuals.  I mean, in a way, of course they
are... but as much as I consider Mary and Eric to be friends and solidly
on the "correct" side of "ferret rights", I also see Modern Ferret as a
business (hmm, double meaning there?) and, as such, subject to somewhat
different standards.  Flames against a business or a government agency
are, within reason, acceptable for the FML.  Businesses have chosen to
deal with the public and as (theoretically) money-making endeavours are
subject to public scrutiny.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 2791]