I was just pointing out that this forum is rubbing off on your style, you are becoming more troll like in your posts...
That unfortunately is true, I feel that I have become more cynical with time. Not because of this thread, I think, but of other threads I have been reading. Some of them are beyond crazy, totally surreal.
For example, reading the threads about Butterfly Labs, AMT, and other mining rig scams, I could not understand why the victims kept asking and pleading and discussing with the companies for almost a year, still accepting their phony explanations, promises, deals, upgrades -- even sending them more money. Those clients must know that the CEO of one of those companies was convicted, not long ago, of running an international lottery scam that stole 25 million from old pensioners and such. Being told so, a sane client should have stopped wasting time and gone straight to the police to file charges for fraud. Why did their clients instead keep asking, whining, pleading, insulting, sometimes even praising the scammers?
Then I had an epiphany (what a swell word, must use it more often!
): that is the way drug addicts interact with drug dealers who failed them. They know that the merchant is a criminal and what he did to them was fraud. But they of course won't go to the police, and know that he is the boss so their only hope is to convince him to deliver. When they finally get some product from him, even if it is late, junk, and much less than they paid for, they will be thankful and forget the damage and come back the next day for more, nice and smiling.
Could it be that buying illegal drugs was the only non-trivial "business experience" that those clients had in their life?
I actually don't necessarily believe the metaphor of the drug dealer and the addict is the best fitting one. I guess it's just how human psychology and reasoning works. Why would they be afraid to go to the police, buying mining rigs isn't illegal, is it? It's more of the "I don't want to admit that I've been scammed" sentiment, combined with "I'll just go and keep telling myself they'll deliver eventually" - which is called wishful thinking. It's just trying to get out of the whole situation and trying to grasp every straw available!