[Asterisk-Users] reply to today's posting

[Allison Smith]

Asterisk Community Members:

What a day we've all had! OK -- deep breath -- relax, and let's take a look at the situation calmly and rationally.

I -- as the voice of Asterisk -- am really out of the loop gossip-wise. I'm not even officially on the Asterisk-Users mailing list. Who said what to whom? I don't know. I'm completely out of it. I record prompts all year long, and once a year, I board a plane to Astricon where I am fortunate enough to meet the users and developers who make this great system run. I know nothing about the politics, the drama, the door-slamming or anything else, so when -- in Anaheim last month -- I made jaws drop when I asked why that fantastic, fun BKW wasn't here this year, it came from a really honest place: I knew (and still know) nothing about what happened with BKW and community. All I was told is that he was no longer in good standing with the community. This made me feel a little odd, as not two weeks earlier, I had recorded prompts for BKW not knowing that he wasn't a developer in good standing.

At Astricon, I asked Mark what I should do if BKW should approach me for more recordings, and (pay close attention, as this it totally key to the whole thing) he neither encouraged me nor discouraged me from doing them -- he took a very neutral position. Couldn't have been more "Switzerland". 

I made the decision -- and me alone -- that when I was approached to record again for BKW, that I would recuse myself, as I feel loyal and dedicated to Digium -- the company who hired me originally to voice the Asterisk prompts, the company that pays me to this day for recording prompts on a daily basis, the company who brings me down to the conventions and makes way too big of a fuss over me. I explained to BKW -- in almost exactly those words -- why I couldn't continue to work with him. No position taken...no judgement (how can I? Can't judge if you don't know any of the details) ....just out of loyalty to Digium, it seemed to be a conflict to record prompts for someone who wasn't officially part of the community anymore -- and -- it would appear -- is actually associated with a competing product. He seemed to be OK with it when we rang off -- then, a few minutes later came a mildly vitriolic e-mail from him, and then -- the Asterisk user board started to buzz. No doubt, he thought about the logistics of finding a new voice and having the prompts re-recorded from the ground up, and found it to be an overwhelmingly daunting thought -- not finding new talent...I'm completely replacable...but the recording of all-new prompts...oy.

Let me be very clear about this, guys: Mark and the group have not "strong-armed" me, "backed me into a corner" or threatened me in any way with any bizarre exclusivity agreement. I've even voiced for the major Bells (you know -- the guys on the t-shirts with the big line through them?) Mark does not own the rights to my voice....that I know of. He is not holding me hostage in his basement, making me record only for him (I am captive in his basement, but I choose to be there.)

Digium's best interests were the only thing in my mind when I took this stand, and that hasn't worked out so well...so let's try this: I will be happy to record prompts for whomever. Whether they are in good standing or not. Asterisk is so superior a product that it will not be diluted or made less effective by my voice being heard on other systems (and it is, already, anyhow -- in systems worldwide too numerous to track.) I simply want to do the best work I can, and make sure that the community has all the prompts they will ever need for as long as these vocal cords will allow me to record. No alliances, no crazy politics, no drama -- my life's mission has been to get along with everyone I've ever met, and except for today, I've come pretty damn close.

Love you all! You're all perfect lambs!

Allison
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