From: megazone@obsidian.WPI.EDU (MegaZone23)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Re: Megazone 23's Accusations
Date: 24 Dec 1992 04:57:38 GMT
Organization: WPI USAF -- United Society of Animation Fans
NNTP-Posting-Host: obsidian.wpi.edu

First let me say I'm sorry for any erros below, I'm on via delphi telnetted to
WPI and I have to use echo-host mode or the VAX at delphi barfs on the Ultirix
at WPI... so I get slow response and bad editing... Also, I am home on break
and I pay for my delphi time, so I may not be on often and therefore may miss
any more posts in this thread... Just so people don't think I'm ignoring them.

In article <mJF0VB1w165w@shakala.com> jake@shakala.com (Jake McFarland) writes:
>Since you make such a definitive statement, you must have some figures. 

Definitive? "many" is definitive? Since when? The fact is several of the 
staffers from AE'92 are still with AE'93. You know that. I didn't say most,
a majority, or all. I said many, as in a few, several, etc. Purely a subjective
term in conventional english use.

>Who did you see?

I would love to name names, fact is I can't.. The reason is I have a lousy 
memory when it comes to names, or words in general. Numbers are more my field,
I can take a few weeks to learn the name of someone I see nearly everyday. I
can't recall the name of someone I saw a few times over a weekend last July.

Basically I saw people going about suggesting to tired and edgy staffers that
it would be much better to jump ship etc... To me that is unethical, it is 
acting like a shark. Waiting until someones defenses are low and enticing them
away. The best time to pull someone away is during or immediately after an 
event since all the things that went wrong are still in the fore. 

I knew about the schedule problems, I talked to staffers about it in general
conversation. I admit to not knowing about the business license problem, no one
brought it up. I heard good and bad things about nearly everyone and everything
over the weekend. I heard from ex-Ac'91 staffers that Mike had worked his ass
off to keep the con together despite management problems. That is apart from
Mike and without my prompting. I heard about the dinner guest problems long
before they were posted here. I readily admit it is a purely subjective 
judgement on my part, but I did not prompt people for good or bad statements
and From what I heard, saw, encountered I made my own judgement. I am not
one to jump to random conclusions, and I have stayed out of the comments and
flame wars until this point because it took that long for me to get totally
fed up with what was being said.

>In what way? How have they violated ethics? According to Mr. Medinnus, 
>Mike Tatsugawa had full knowledge of their formation from the beginning, 
>prior to any announcements. In fact, although Mr. Medinnus gives it no  

From what I encounted it appeared that it was a movement to gather staffers and
then confront the SPJA with an ultimatum. Basically, we have your staff, deal
or we walk. That's what I got from talking to various staffers or overhearing
conversations. (Nice to have hearing FAR better than average.) Maybe I should
tag this as OPINION just to be clear.

Perhaps no business ethics were violated, but my standards are a bit different.
I think that everything should have been done above board. Long before anything
occurred at the staff level the organizers should have gotten together to try
and work things out. Nothing that I saw then, nor seen on this group from
anyone (and in some email) has indicated otherwise.

>weight in his post, apparently MT broke an agreement about announcing.
>AnimeAmerica formed after MT would not honor the agreement settlement 

And Mr. Medinnus and Mike have since worked that out according to Mr Medinnus.
I acknowledge the fact that Mike said he would not make a statement and then
made one anyway. Why he did this I don't know.

>or unethical? And, please, be specific and site your sources for 

My sources are my senses. Mostly hearing in this case at the convention, and
my sight for reading this group and email. The general impression I have
picked up from both content and tone is not favorable to AA.

>The inference here is that you spent a lot of time with Mike, and are 
>presumably friends with him. In my opinion, that makes your observations 

Don't assume, for when you assume you make an ass out of u and me...
Anyway, I met Mike at the con. He attended the @ party. When the @ party
moved upstairs I went along. So I spent the evening with Mike and several 
other netters. I ended up leaving with Robert Napton and Trish Ledeoux(sp)
and a bottle of Buttershots and Tequilia, but that's another story...

During the wrap up I ran into Theresa(sp?) who asked my up to the 9th floor
for the wrap meeting. I apparently made a fair impression, idunno, anyway I
sat in on the SPJA meeting and the artgroup meeting (acronymn?) and the 
general conversation that went on...

Before the con the only contact I had with Mike was his posts on this group,
and since only his posts and the occaisional encounter on IRC, which I very 
rarely use. Oh, and I sent a question on one of the info posts. That about
sums it up. For me someone is either friend, enemy, or an unknown. Since I
know Mike and he hasn't made himself an enemy, I consider him a friend.
Actually, by the same rule so are you.

So, am I biased towards you too?

>One of the requirements of slander is that what is being said be untrue. 

Point. Ok, I was being to colliquial. From what I have seen AA supporters 
have taken every opportunity to slam Mike or the SPJA as to their moral
character, ethics, etc. It would better serve fandom and AA if the positives
of AA were used and the mudslinging were halted. There have been slams 
agaist AA, I think my post could be considered one, but most were in reply to
AX slams or in the process of an ongoing war. I haven't been keeping a running
tally, but it seems to me that most of the initial attacks have been against
AX. There seems to be a lot of venom on the part of AA... And it is only 
natural that others are going to respond. I have nothing to do with either con,
but I am growing very ill with the flames goin on. And most of my anger has
become directed against AA due to the tone and content of their posts and 
what I saw myself. This has been worse than politics.

So, I should not have used the word slander, for that I am sorry.

>See my earlier statement above, and several past posts from Our Email
>Otaku. Not only did he fling mud, he rented a dump-truck.

I've seen nearly every post on the cons (I say most since I most likely missed
some along the way somewhere) and overall the AA supporters have earned a
lower opinion than the AX people. There are some positives and negatives on 
both sides. Unfortunately you end up with a group image as posts blend 
together and the image of AA is not good. 

>It is hard to argue when your facts don't hold water, or when Greg 

I said mIke has not sustained a flame war, that is a fact. Period.

>accusatory statements. And please have the courage to at least take 
>responsibility for your accusations by posting your name. 

I'm really getting sick of that line. I feel like saying bite me....
MegaZone is the name I use in life and on the nets. I will answer to it
over anything else, and I will introduce myself with it...I write and post
under that name, I have participated in campus clubs etc, under that name,
I get mail, make orders, etc, as megazone...

That does it, I was putting off a legal name change because I hate paperwork.
Now I think it is time to do it...

If you must know the stats I am Legally Brian David Bikowicz, born 12/26/70,
SS# 057-56-0222... 6'6", ~300lbs, brown hair and eyes... I do not hide 
behind anything, and I resent that implication...

I think I'll go to Brian MegaZone Bikowicz.... or maybe MegaZone Brian Bikowicz
so I can legally use it as my first name while retaining Brian Bikowicz as
an id.... I've been using it for nearly 4 years now, if people don't like it,
too bad... I planned to eventually go to MegaZone, period. I probably still
will.... (It isn't just you, lately it seems everyone has decided to accuse
me of hiding. If I put Randolf Carter in the name field no one would know the
difference and no one would question it. But because it is an odd name it is
obvious...)

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# I have one prejudice, and that is against stupidity.  Use your mind, think! #
#Email megazone@wpi.wpi.edu  Moderator, WPI anime FTP site 130.215.24.1 /anime#
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