GeorgeK said:
I'd rather be right, than popular.
That's good, because I don't think you have to worry too much about being popular.
With respect to comments made above about good portfolios and good people, there is a world of difference between the two - and I would rate being a good person at least 100 times higher. In my book, George Kirikos scores a zero in the only category that matters. I have things to do, so rather that waste any more time on his little hate campaign, I will simply lay all of my cards out on the table by reprinting a private message I sent to someone this morning. Unlike, George (who prefers to operate behind people's backs and whom I would not trust any further than I could throw him), I will say these things publicly as well as privately:
"While situations like that are ugly, I am relieved to finally find out what George's issue with me was. I know nothing about this guy other than he has always posted here a lot and has acquired some good domains. So, I thought it was odd when he started posting snide little comments whenever DNJournal was mentioned, never having the courage to come out and say what was on his mind (and worse, adding little happy faces to pretend his comments were meant in fun when obviously they were not).
So when he popped up in this thread again I decided to engage him and try to get him out of the closet. I was truly amazed to find out his whole issue was that he hated Rick Schwartz and couldn't even stand seeing his domain names mentioned! Maybe he has good reason to hate him, I have no idea and no interest either way - that's between them. Ever since I entered this business I have watched with dismay as these pro and anti Schwartz people constantly bicker with each other. I determined I would never get in the middle of that nonsense, but that doesn't mean a figure like Schwartz isn't going to be covered by a domain magazine.
So while my language was harsh, I do consider George to be a weasel and a coward. To keep trying to undermine something I have spent two years and endless hours building simply because he has an issue with someone I have no connection with (never been on his board and never will be) really steamed me. If he had had the courage to come out and say what was on his mind months ago I might have had at least an ounce of respect for him. Now I have none. Though he is not stupid, I also think he is an idiot for so clearly laying out in a public thread what his motivations were and needlessly making an enemy of me.
With the people I interact with daily in this business, what does he think I am going to say about him should his name come up? Of course, to this point his name never has come up and since I haven't seen him produce anything worthwhile on the net, it probably never will, but none the less, the references he would get from me and others are not going to do him any good.
He has pulled this same crap with Elequa who is as sweet a guy as there is in this business. I'm pretty sure his campaign of undermining Ele (who is also very aware of it) is based on his anger about Thunayan giving legitimacy to new TLD's with his big purchases. George's only claim to fame is having a couple of good .coms and with his entire identity tied up in that, I'm sure he is scared to death that the value of those names will somehow be diminished by new TLD success (though I don't think they'll have any impact whatsoever on .com values).
In any case, it is a sad situation. As far as I know, he is the only person in this business I have a bad relationship with, but there are people like that in every walk of life. Too bad he is wasting his time being eaten up by jealousy and bitterness rather than doing something productive."
George can have the last say and the rest of you can read everything that has been posted so far and make up your own minds. George has simply ignored every point I have brought up showing his allegations to be nonsense, but from a slippery fellow like this, no real surprise there. At least I finally have him out in the open and his own words have exposed what his real agenda is. Fortunately, this guy's opinion doesn't count for much, so it will have no bearing on where I am going in this business or what I will be doing. Shouldn't have wasted this much time on this issue as it is.
