Dirk, we go back a long time to when I really appreciated your balanced, informative and reasonable posts and read them with care.
But in more recent times you sound increasingly like DaveR, another man who's gambling expertise I definitely respect but who's unproved and almost totally unbalanced allegations and views on various issues I have come to distrust and largely reject for lack of evidence and way too much personal conjecture.
I hate to say this and I do not like to be impolite, but imo you have no idea of what goes on behind the scenes in getting player issues resolved in this business by the very people that you accuse of being "too close" to various software suppliers.
We're talking about hundreds of cases that do not become high profile issues but are nevertheless resolved to the benefit of the player...and we lose some of them too, because all players are not above board in the same way that some casinos are way better than others. Software providers, too.
That's apart from the considerable personal effort we devote to investigating the bad bastards out there and warning players through publicity, too.
No fanfare or expectation of reward from either side - just putting something back into the industry, which the cynical seem to have a hard job understanding.
That is not accomplished by raving on the message boards making unfounded allegations, denigrating trust and actively encouraging a growing chasm between the two most important and interdependent parts of the business - players and casinos.
There are enough naysayers out there and I fear you have become one of them, with the concomitant danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
We take the time to talk to the key people regardless of provider who can make things happen and hopefully improve the industry, travelling at our own expense and most of all time to events in order to interact with all aspects and learn more about the other side, and maintaining communication links that invariably turn out to be of use in player issues.
Sometimes we have achieved resolutions without the player even being aware of some behind-the-scenes "heads ups" to the right people who have a real commitment to good business practices.
To say that we are too far removed from the player's POV is overstating the case to put it mildly. Most of us are not only regularly in private comms with disgruntled players, but are here and on other good boards every day trying to learn, give an alternative perspective and help. And I believe that we have a right to express sometimes conflicting opinions without in any way being accused of not being close to player interests.
You can guarantee one thing - the three of us have always tried to give an honestly held opinion, and sometimes that is desirable to counter-balance some of the unreasonable rants that are posted.
You need to consider your own position here imo. What is your real motive for trashing eCOGRA so vehemently along with Caruso? You seem totally resolved to dismiss this substantial initiative as a mere Microgaming inspired PR stunt despite the compelling evidence to the contrary that is steadily evolving. And how productive to the player is it to have an admitted trash policy every time the eCOGRA name appears - does the player community win in this sort of personal pissing contest, and what useful alternatives are you proposing?
I think Spear and Bryan have very eloquently expressed everything else I have to say on this.
Let's just remember that there are other views on most issues, and that some of your own opinions can be plain wrong.