For all those dissapointed people that the results weren't posted within a half hour of closing of the pools: Could we have done that? Certainly. Should we have done that? I don't think so. Here's why, though i don't expect the pundits on this thread to even care.

Near the end of the balloting process I was given a rumor heard by several members of the board, all known to me thus not a rumor in the dark. The rumor was that a candidate or two was encouraging their friends to newly sign up for FlyerTalk and vote for them. Obviously that is in contrast to what we'd like for a fair election, but nonetheless, it was a serious rumor. Based on the rumors, some wanted to cancel the elections and others wanted to not count any ballot from people newly signed up for FlyerTalk since the start of the elections. After a little thought, i determined it was not a good enough reason to cancel the elections since it was just a rumor at that time. Also, restricting those balloting to those registered before the elecdtions was a good idea but we had no such language before the lections started and I really didn't want to be accused of changing the rules of the elections after they started. So, what would you have done: techgirl, 2 Many Miles, Tolarian Wind?

Well, what i did was wait until the results were over and then started a manual research of every single member that voted - over 8,000 - looking at the date they first signed up for FT and than put those aside and after all that, went back and built a matrix of those late voters looking for some commonality of voter choices. Not an easy task, but one i was willing to take the cheap shots for, because at the end of the day, my name and the reputation of FlyerTalk is on the results. As it turns out, the rumor was just a rumor and there was no late registration voting that swayed the results one way or another. Yes, there was some late resistration voting but no detectable pattern for candidates which effected the final outcome.

As for some shady dealings. Look at the results themselves. I don't see a 'Randy' line of members and am sure there will be some chemistry issues for the Board to work through, but I won't be the one the short circuits the voice of the members of FlyerTalk.

So in all seriousness, as long as i have anything to do with this board - fairness, accuracy and honesty will always be the guideliness for my actions. And neither cheap shots, peer pressure or other items of contention will stray me from those standards. So if I've dissapointed anyone...sorry.