From: Gavin Hall (zoooctan_at_yahoo.com.sg)
Date: Tue Feb 22 2005 - 22:52:17 PST
Hello all. It's been awhile since I was last on this
list, but I think I was one of the first few culprits
who had asked about Knowledgenavigator after I made a
purchase from him for a backlight screen and an
ethernet card. Or at least caused his name to
resurface.
I hope you humbly take my opinions and reservations
about him, my case and my observation of the
subsequent discussion that this has lead to.
1. I was very upset at first. Because of the
surcharges and lack (at least what i though of)
savings in shipping cost.
2. I contacted this list and was happy that many
people offered advise and suggestions. Thank you.
3. I contacted knowledgenavigator again and we
subsequently came to an agreement that in the end has
saved me more than $40.
4. I am now awaiting my products, which may or may not
work...according to some of the posts on this
list...but have been given assurances by
knowledgenavigator that they do with his guarantee
behind it.
5. With my case done. I have to say that my advise is
to make sure that you read his descriptions and make
up your mind beforehand whether or not you agree with
them. I admit to being guilty to not reading them in
detail. We can argue the ethics and morals for all we
care, but I am guilty of not having read the
fineprint.
6. I am also guilty of not checking with him before I
bid for the products. Funny thing is I often do this,
but "assumed" this time that all would be okay based
on a) the small Newt community, b) the deduction that
the products would be light in terms of weight, c) my
laziness. I have to state that I live in Singapore. So
I'm used to not having pay US$1 - 5 for shipping but
the cost still shocked me at first before we reached
an agreement and he even gave me an addition discount.
I hope you bear with me while I state my case to give
you background cause my observation is this.
7. I find that the level of replies about
knowledgenavigator, the tone taken in many threads,
and the level of details in the discussion about
employers or suing or police... simply uncomfortable
and not very befitting of a community.
8. While it is our duty to warn people of bad
experiences, surely it is also a fine line between
"sharing experiences" and discussing legal and next
step tactics for seeking justice. I find that we are
uncomfortably close to crossing that line.
9. And injustice is all around us right? Many of us
have already shared of our negative experiences with
OTHER things. But just concentrating on one guy...I
don't know. I am lost for words.
9. Knowledgenavigator did write to me and say that he
wasn't surprised at the level of criticism this list
is generating and shared some of his details. I find
that how much of what I want to believe of his words
are entirely up to ME. However on the other hand, I
find us sharing all our thoughts of him and his
business as if it's the gospel truth.
10. I'm sorry. Maybe there is no two sides to every
story in this case here. But we don't know that do we?
And surely this is not the forum to continue
discussing, debating and planning it.
11. I am sorry. I don't mean to sound self-righteous.
I hope I am not. But I can't help feeling that we give
a very oppressive impression of not only who
knowledgenavigator is but of ourselves as
well...particularly to newcomers to this list. I admit
I was hooked totally, when I first read some of the
posts about him. I thought: "What an evil guy!" "Let's
get him!" "Let's report him!" That's what I felt at
first. Do others get this impression. Do we stop to
think of what we are saying and how we are influencing
others?
12. He's a business man. I don't know him, hate him or
love him. Perhaps I'm just feeling this maybe cause
I've just re-read my Apple Confidential book and
re-discovered that at one time the name
Knowledgenavigator was John Sculley's vision of what
he wanted the Newton industry to be.
Thank you and apologies for the long post.
Gavin Hall
From Singapore. - Which is not in China :)
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