From: HO@kcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (Francis Ho)
Newsgroups: misc.forsale.computers
Subject: Re: Joseph Cohen's Fact-distored Posting
Date: 21 Nov 92 22:46:45 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University


                           An Announcement
  in Response to an Accusation by Joseph Cohen (cohen@gomez.phys.virginia)

Dear netters:

I am forced to respond to netter Cohen's false accusation.  Compared to his
350 some line posting (e.g. misc.forsale message #63588, misc.forsale.com
-puters message #59278 etc.) mine will be brief and just point-making.

-I delivered to Cohen what I promised.  I tried to work with him, in my
  good faith, when problem (even not on my part) came up.

-His demands was so unreasonable,  for one example, he will only pay $5 for:
  Accessories for Texas Instrument 99/4A (all like-new working cond.)
  (1) 6-pair of like-new joysticks
  (2) printer interface
  (3) TI data tape backup recorder
  (4) word processor cartridge
  (5) game cartridge

-His threats were from the beginning and systematic.
  Right after he received the package he wrote:
  "In case you object, I am going to post the whole story on the net plus
  a hardcopy personal letter to the head of your dept.  I will also send the
  full story to the system manager in your computing facility.  So far, OSU
  Computing director and campus authorities have been very helpful in past
  cases of Net problems."

  Later he resumed contacts (hoping I "buy" his threats)
  Later he sent out another very demanding list with deadline
  Again he demanded 75% money back (i.e.pay only $5 for the above components)

  He threatened again to post on the net and write to my dept. chair. He added
  "...if this doesn't help, I'll contact the post office with a mail-fraud
  complaint..."
  etc....

-He left out many important details when he was trying to tell his side
    of the "whole story".
  he demanded 75% of the money back and still call it as a "partial refund"
    of the total $20 transaction
  he NEVER wanted to return any of the items he classified as "useless"
  he never tell everyone he spent about 4 hours online to "negotiate" the
    deal after the first time he saw the my posting (he really wanted
    those "useless" items bad)
  (sidenote:  Why a physicist or physicist-to-be spent so much time during
  the day on a late 70's game machine?  Why he spent much time fingering
  my vax account?  Why he will have space in his vax directory documenting
  his side of the "deal"? I am still wondering.)
  etc.....

After a few-time encounters with netter Joseph Cohen regarding his unreasonable
demands, I believed I was dealing with someone who is deelply disturbed and
has no trust in people around him and always believe people are deceiving him.
He strongly believes threats and publicity will "mobilize" people toward his
goal. I understood he would never be satisfied no matter what I tried.  I began
to stop responding to his threats.

Even in his 350 some line fact-distored post, he admitted he thought I was
"hiding" something during the entire process.  I have nothing to hide.  The
TI/99-4A is in very good cond. and was finally sold.  As a long-time PC user
who owns laptops and a longtime netter, I have no interest to keep any TI
(an early 1980's or late 1970's) components behind.

Before his false accusation was posted, I informed/contacted my site
manager and his counterpart at virginia.edu that user Cohen's messages
to my account are unwanted mails.  His messages which contained systematic
harassment and threats remained in my e-mail directory for inspection by
concerned authorities.

I am very tired of his systematic threats and fingering my vax account late
at night (he was even seeking public help to finger my vax accounts in his
postings which I view it as a conduct of very bad taste).

In Cohen's postings, he was collecting names over the net who had trouble
with me in the past.  To challenge his bad-tasting post, I myself am compling
a list available for public inspection.  This list will contain the e-mail
addresses of buyers who have phurchased items (made available due to my
family relocation) from me in the past few months.  Only names associated
with about $100 transactions and positive response received will be on the
list.  Among them there were respected educators, retired engineer, and people
temporarily without a job.  We shared a good time over the net even we have
never met.  Those buyers will be contacted for their permission before their
names can be released to any interested individuals.

I am sorry for "wasting" the already-narrow bandwidth which should be
utilized to carry much better messages to all netters.   There will be no
further public postings from me regarding this incident.

Very sincerely yours,

FH
____________________________________________________________________________

A Personal Message to Joseph Cohen (presumable of Physics/U. of Virginia):

-get (professional) help
-trust people around you and work with them, the world will look different
-next time when things don't work out don't threaten people, work with them!
-next time spend a few bucks more in your local thrift store for those toys

FH
____________________________________________________________________________
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