Dear Mr. Shaw,
When I first read you were leaving Bloodhound Blog, I was quite concerned that perhaps you were suffering a health problem, or a family tragedy. When you reappeared as a new member in a different online community, I was very relieved to learn that you were alive and well.
Online communities are constantly changing, active members become inactive, new people join bringing new ideas that sometimes alter the character of the original group. Your leaving Bloodhound Blog does not bother me. I truly wish you well in the online community you have now joined.
It does, however, bother me that you withdrew from the Bloodhound Blog Unchained conference with less than two weeks on the calendar before the conference begins. I don’t know the particulars, of course, but I would imagine that you made a commitment to speak, and the conference organizers made plans based on that commitment. I don’t doubt that some people made plans to attend the conference because of your commitment to speak there.
Mr. Shaw, I like and respect you, so I want to say this as gently as possible, but unless a serious personal tragedy is involved, backing out of a commitment you made is just simply not an OK way to behave.
If my understanding of the situation is incorrect, please forgive me. And please understand that the conference organizers did not ask me to write this letter, they are not even aware that I am writing it. Someone needed to say this publicly, and I felt compelled to do so.
While I myself adhere to no particular belief system, a client of ours once gave me a little booklet titled “The Way to Happiness” which I found to contain simple, common sense advice. Let me quote a couple sentences:
“Keep your word once given. When one gives an assurance or promise or makes a sworn intention, one must make it come true. If one says he is going to do something, he should do it.”
Respectfully,
CJ
Russell Shaw says:
My health is fine. I appreciate your comments. You are referencing precept 14-1. The one I just had to follow in this instance was precept 7, Seek to live with the truth.
http://www.twth.org/about/resources-and-downloads/e-books/?id=19219w
May 10, 2008 — 5:06 am
Mike Farmer says:
I don’t know the circumstances, but I emphatically say — Ditto.
If this is out of line, then so be it. I had the same reaction. And unless there is some explanation, I say again — Ditto.
A lot of people here have a personal relationship with Russell Shaw — I don’t — so to me it looks bad.
It also looked bad for Agent Genius to gloat over it. This is just from an outside observer.
May 10, 2008 — 6:00 am
Sean Purcell says:
Cheryl,
A tough subject matter well written.
Like you, I have come to respect Mr. Shaw a great deal and was concerned when he left BHB. His reasons for leaving are his own and I look forward to reading his posts again where ever he writes them.
But I share in your disappointment over his timing. I am sure we’re not alone. I give Mr. Shaw the benefit of the doubt in assuming this was more over-sight than intentional disregard, but it feels “wrong” just the same.
May 10, 2008 — 6:35 am
Robert Kerr says:
Best of luck, Russell. I will definitely miss your perspective here.
Take care.
May 10, 2008 — 6:57 am
Greg Swann says:
I thought I had said what needed to be said about this. Russ has the right to be who he is — a right I will defend for everyone here and one I would love to see defended for everyone on earth. He made a difficult decision based on fundamentally held, thoroughly understood philosophical premises, and I did the same thing in my turn. We arrived at different conclusions, alas, but we both did so by honest and honorable means. It’s kind of intrusive, albeit understandable, to speculate about other people’s motives. I think it’s sufficient to note that there is nothing shameful or tawdry in any of this. To the contrary, I admire Russell all the more for hewing to principle in a difficult circumstance.
May 10, 2008 — 7:00 am
Brian Brady says:
“To the contrary, I admire Russell all the more for hewing to principle in a difficult circumstance.”
and I admire Greg Swann for doing the same.
May 10, 2008 — 7:09 am
Vicki Moore says:
I disagree that your letter needed to be publicly displayed. Without knowing the facts of the situation it’s my opinion that it’s improper to judge or to criticize how it was handled.
I also disagree that AG gloated. It was an announcement, pure and simple. The writer did not make any disparaging commentary nor try to embarrass anyone as it seems was done here.
May 10, 2008 — 11:33 am
Mike Farmer says:
I take back my statements. It just looked bad.
Vicki, I was talking about the comments to that thread.
Perhaps those weren’t sanctioned by AG, so I apologize.
Now, let’s hold hands and think about puppies.
May 10, 2008 — 3:31 pm
Vicki Moore says:
Mike – You know the furor that is created if any one’s comments are actually withheld. I love puppies.
May 10, 2008 — 11:32 pm
Mike Farmer says:
Yes, I know. The whole thing just seemed odd looking at it from the outside.
No big deal.
May 11, 2008 — 5:34 am
Teri Lussier says:
My thought process followed yours exactly, Cheryl: Concern, then relief, then upset about Russell pulling out of Unchained.
Russell has the right to do whatever he wants. I don’t think it’s intrusive to wonder about his motives under this particular set of circumstances. In this case, the timing is an issue that we can’t ignore, even if we are wondering what’s up only in the privacy of our brains.
But. Grown folks do what grown folks do. So.
I wish Russell all the best.
And my open letter to Russell says this:
Dear Russell-
Sorry to hear you are going to miss one helluva conference!!!
Fondly,
Teri
May 11, 2008 — 10:50 am