-----Original Message-----
From: Mikal Anderson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 02:18
To: witango-talk@witango.com
Subject: Re: Witango-Talk: Open Letter to Phil and Sophie
Wonderfully expressed, Mark. Thanks x 10,000.
Mikal Anderson
Developer from Tango Days
On 10/20/2008 11:57 PM, Mark "Hawk" Weiss wrote:
Nothing we say will smoke them out, or change their course.
One thing I have learned is that many people respond to
pressure and
challenges by using the tools they have. Some people
understand that
part of their tool box is other people. Some leaders NEVER
learn that
lesson, never see others as part of the solution. All along
the way,
the resources of this group were at their disposal. They
chose not to
use those resources. This happens all the time. In tons of
businesses,
heck in marriages. My wife has poor night vision driving,
and freaks
out, not because I am a poor driver, but because of what she can't
see. Her limitation on that point, becomes my challenge, even my
limitation, if you know what I mean.
Ill-formed and complex problems come up all the time in
business. Such
are the problems Phil faces. He could have involved others,
collaboratively, to solve those problems, share the load,
but has a
personality or mind set, that isn't open to that. That is
clear. It is
also clear that isn't going to change soon. He isn't going to say,
"Hey, sorry I didn't reach out, have a few sign
non-competes/disclosure or whatever and get this done for
all of us."
Not in the cards. Not in the personality. So just face it
and accept
it. He is still an ok guy for sure. Just not a viable
business partner
that I can tell.
There are several legal options that open the way for a collective
effort. Heaven knows, there have been many on the list who
would have
helped, and have shown by their actions over the years to be great
great resources. No matter what you say, you can't force them to be
collaborative or give up control or give up the credit or
trust others
who are better than them in some things. That is a choice
they need to
make willingly.
I have a relative like that. Absolutely no communication.
Nothing you
can do, until he needs something, and then afterwards he is
back into
his cave. I left a company and lost 6 figures to that kind of
behavior. Nothing could be done. Nothing.
Sylvia Ashton Warner, an educator in New Zealand said,
"Behavior has
it's reasons." It always does. Being clueless about them,
and having
an unwilling partner, destroys trust. And trust is at the center of
all successful human relationships.
So here is where I think we are at.
Someday perhaps a product will be released and and version of open
source of some flavor. At that point, it will be as if this product
had never existed. It will be a new product and a new idea
and a new
approach. Phil will then start over and build a new group of users
from scratch. People who are new to the web development world, and
don't have any of the history or baggage we all do for the
most part,
will form his new business model, and slowly if at all, he
will have
support again. Some of us might consider it if we see a
viable model.
Then each of us will have to decide if this "new product" is worth
taking a look at.
In the mean time, for me, it hurts in a personal way, to be treated
like this. I mean it cuts to the heart. Many comments of
others on the
list reflect that hurt as well. I really know how this
kind of abuse
hurts. Such hurt is often really deep.
I don't think any of us will ever understand how someone
can care so
little about others, or care so much about themselves, to
treat others
in such a wasteful and abusive way when help was all around them.
Everyone says how nice and well meaning the Witango folks
are. Perhaps
in their own way or in their own minds. In any commercial
sense, they
are not well meaning. However personable I think Phil is
and he has
been nice to me the few times I have interacted, they are
not nice in
a commercial sense. We can have a cup of hot cocoa no problem. but
commercial trust takes a long time to develop and for most that is
long gone.
I have this son, he gets three tickets, crunches a car and
comes to me
Friday night and says, "Dad, I want to borrow the car." I respond,
"Son, we have the love thing going. I will always love you
and be on
your side. I am in your corner. What we don't have going
right now is
the trust thing. You don't have to work for my love, but we
all have
to work for trust. In a few months after things settle
down, perhaps
we can the trust thing going again. For now, nope, you
don't get the
car. Sorry." The personal regard for Phil is there. It's
the trust thing.
However, given this hand we have been dealt, we all now can choose.
Play by Phil's rules or Not. If we choose to play by his
rules, then
shut up. If we choose not to then move on and remember the
good times.
Pals forever,
Mark Weiss
