Posted By:
HankronI made an error in canceling the course to everyone, and I duly apologize.
I wish to point out that as many realize I had a fund raiser in an attempt to support a variety of free services, including local (Seattle) and online courses, authentication, etc. I'm not a rich man, but I have been able to afford for several years to offer my services for free (Find me a lawyer or accountant on this board who does similar). As a personal rule, I have never wanted to become some authentication service, charging $50 for an LOA. In fact, I'd rather quit the business altogether, than take an ‘authentication for $50’ booth at the antique show. It has always been my specifically stated practice that anyone in Seattle could stop by my home or office and I would judge the authenticity or do the necessary research free of charge. I’ve always enjoyed helping normal people and never wanted a fee per examination to get in the way. Even though they still sold, I had uploaded all of my books onto website for free viewing and downloading .... However, due to turn in events I found that I was longer mentally in a position to do everything for free, and certainly couldn’t take the same work load as before for nothing. I had hoped that if I got sufficient backing I could keep everything free for everyone on and offline as I had always done. The funds were to cover ONLY the specific costs of the services (materials, software for the course, etc), and donations would be used for and only for keeping services free for everyone. Naturally, upon solicitation there were almost no donations. As such, I was no longer in a position to offer most of my services as I had before. However, I decided I could offer the courses I had planed but only if I charged the students. To get the course ready, I was going to have a dry run (the course offered here). As it was a test course to get everything straight (for me and the future students) I was willing to offer it for free. The first time through, offering for free was a benefit to me, as I would find out what were the typical student questions people would ask and concerns they would have …. Well, when I offered the course here guess what? All the people who never donated to keep the services free for everyone were the first to sign up for the free course. In fact, these people made up 80 percent of the people who signed up (Of the others, one actually donated and the others were probably unaware of the fundraiser). To say this rubbed me the wrong way is an understatement— and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say rightly so.
In the end, I agree with Leon and Jay that I was wrong to cancel the course, as I had committed to it. I hope people understand why I had earlier (wrongly) cancelled the course. I do however believe that those who take it will enjoy it and find it helpful. I also hope that any ill will that my earlier tantrum caused, will dissolve during the course. I also wish to repeat that, as this is the first run of the course, the course will benifit me in offering it in the future.
Best wishes
David