It would be disingenuous of me to claim that I never expected to resolve the bad feelings that came out the ISGB's forum fiasco, but I can't say I had high hopes. But, amazingly enough, sometimes word gets around. That's one of the things I think pretty cool about the internet. For example, I received the following letter:

Hi Sylvus,

It was brought to my attention this afternoon - by referring me to something you had written - that you were upset my treatment of an email you sent me during the penis bead explosion on the ISGB forum. I really want to apologize to you as I had no idea you were upset over something I said. If I was terse, I definitely apologize, and my only excuse is that I was getting 30 to 40 emails a day during that period, not only from those involved in the discussion, but from different board members, including our illustrious president, who felt I should be espousing certain viewpoints for them, rather than them actually participating in the discussion. I truly never meant to be rude to you. I am not, however, going to rehash that discussion or the reasons for the point of view taken by the board, but to you personally, I want to apologize.

By the way, the hollow beads you are doing are quite beautiful.

Pam

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And this was my considerably more verbose reply:

Dear Pam,

Thank you for your kind words: I accept your apology.

As you are no longer secretary for the ISGB, and thus do not represent it or its Board officially, I agree completely that you no longer have to defend the policy: it is for the current Board to decide whether it is to the ISGB's greatest benefit to assume the legacy decision, or change it.

(It has increasingly been my opinion that the single greatest failure of the ISGB leadership has been adquate dissemination of their decision making process to the general membership. To be fair, they seem to—slowly!—be gaining the understanding of the absolute necessity of this often overlooked chore, one that I, as webmistress for one of the local chapters, have been less than perfect in executing for our membership.)

Thank you again for your kind comments about my beads: my dear friend Page has the honor of introducing me to your work, a frit and powder hollow with a quite unusual (Bullseye?) pink cast. She also gave me one of your fish, specially picked out in a (teal) green and (red) orange color scheme (one I love and she hates: something of a joke between us) that always has had pride of place in my collection (so you see, I could have my principles and eat them too, as it were, with regard to your beads.)

Wishing you all the best of success at the torch and in life,

sincerely,

sylvus tarn

rejiquar works

So often the internet is vilified. But I doubt, without the very characteristics that many people deplore, that this reconciliation could've happened.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.

Sylvus Tarn