[Asterisk-Users] reply to today's posting

[Kristian Kielhofner]

Allison Smith wrote:
> 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

Asterisk-users,

	First of all, I'm sorry that I didn't know about this response sooner...

	I don't want to interject myself into this, but I was a witness to at 
least part of the conversation between Allison and Mark.  I don't think 
that I'll betray any confidences if I report exactly what I heard.

	Mark's exact words (to Allison) were something along the lines of "You 
record prompts, that's what you do.  If someone wants you to record 
prompts, go for it".  All with a lot of enthusiasm and a big smile, in 
typical Mark style.  Draw your own conclusions!

--
Kristian Kielhofner