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The Barry Watzman LessonIt has been several years since I cheerfully went to the mailbox and was delighted to see a letter from Barry. Every spring, I think of him, what he gave those of us that visited first the old board, then this one. I remember reading his early post sixteen years ago and immediately recognized that here was a poster that knew electronics, seemed to have insight into the significance of Rambus patents, and was a very good writer. His posts along with Jim Rockwell's, Stuart Steele's, and various off board publications convinced me that this was a company worth investing in for the future. During and after the trials in Virginia and the start of litigation in California and Europe, Barry and I exchanged private messages on occasion and found that we had much in common. He was a ham radio operator as was I, his wife taught school as mine did, and he even worked for a period of time in Rock Hill, SC; the exact place I was living that fateful day in May when I opened his letter. I could never get too close to Barry though. He would not allow a real frienship to grow off board. He seemed to prefer to keep his distance as I once was visiting near Canton and mentioned off board that I would like to meet him, but he gave me an excuse not to meet and I just assumed that was the way he wanted it. A number of regular posters also expressed a similar sentiment among the dozens of messages I received after the news of his death shook this board like no other news could. It has been several years now and for the past four years, I put it all behind me, left the board completely, put a copy of his letter in a spot where I am not reminded of his irresponsible and tragic investment scheme that went sour over several years. Here was a man that, like me, got lucky with Rambus LEAPS, made a fortune, but unlike me, never took a dime off the table. In retrospect. . (the only way we mortals can ever see clearly,) that early success and greed to make even more and more, led Barry to lose more than a million dollars over the next ten years. He never told anyone, including his wife, what he was doing. I suspect that's the real reason he did not want some of us around; to keep things from his wife and family. I, along with many other posters did, in hindsight, notice a very subtle shift in the tone of his messages during that last year. But we all were frustrated, angry, and excitable as Rambus would routinely be manipulated up twenty, down thirty it seemed every week. I do not blame myself or anyone else on the board for not noticing his desperation. His letter to me insisted that he left hints and even suggested a message number to refer to, but a veiled threat to take his own life were couched in words that were not out of character for any of us at the time. Barry taught us all a hard cruel lesson and I was the teacher and messenger that day. The real lesson was not the one about eggs in one basket or the risk of option chains, but rather the lesson was about how easy it is for reasonable and intelligent people to be duped into believing in government processes being fair and that the legal system is fair. Barry counted on his government, and the courts to provide justice. They failed us all in favor of corruption, big money, political influence, and lobbying. I cannot help but to think that his death played a small part in the changes that have taken place at Rambus. Dropping litigation, moving into new patent areas, partnering with exciting technology companies, and having new leadership a few years ago might not have saved Barry from himself, but it may save ithers from the same fate. God bless Barry's family and may he rest in peace, only if he is not forgotten. |
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