Farewell B Watson
Nov 25, 2004 | 2:30 am
#16
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: AA EXP/mm, Travelholics Anonymous
Posts: 2,962
I share in mourning the sudden and needless death of a flyertalker, many of us considered a friend. We will miss your enoyable contribution, conversation, and company. I pray for your soul, and the family you left behind.
Whatever you did my friend, know that we loved you and we will miss you.
Whatever you did my friend, know that we loved you and we will miss you.
Last edited by benoit; Nov 25, 2004 at 11:02 am
Nov 25, 2004 | 3:27 am
#17
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tokyo, Japan (or Vienna whenever possible)
Posts: 6,978
I wish his family peace. I will always remember the chats and mail exchanges I shared with him. I'm sad and will miss him. Thanks be that there is this group to share this feeling with. Peace all.
Nov 25, 2004 | 3:28 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
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Very sad to lose such a respected moderator and member of the community 
Nov 25, 2004 | 3:33 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London & White River, South Africa
Posts: 24,632
Very sad. Leaving aside the circumstances surrounding his death, it is a real tragedy for his wife and family. I will miss his FT contribution hugely.
Nov 25, 2004 | 3:39 am
#20
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: CH / D
Programs: Amex, Avis, BA, BD, CX, FS, Hertz, HH, IC, LH, NH, RC, RCCL, Sixt, SPG, SQ, UA
Posts: 7,050
We lost an amazing personality, a very astute and candid poster!
I will very much miss his posts and e-mails.
I feel sorry for his wife and family. My condolences.
I will very much miss his posts and e-mails.
I feel sorry for his wife and family. My condolences.
Nov 25, 2004 | 3:43 am
#21
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 6,053
Was he really that highly regarded on here? I know one musn't speak ill of the dead, however I think quite a few people may have a substantially different view point and opinion.
Nov 25, 2004 | 4:00 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
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Originally Posted by Dave_C
Was he really that highly regarded on here? I know one musn't speak ill of the dead, however I think quite a few people may have a substantially different view point and opinion.
Nov 25, 2004 | 4:05 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: PMI, MDE and less and less LON...
Posts: 5,465
Unexpected death, in whatever circumstance, is always terrible. Whilst everyones thoughts are with his family let us not forget others 'left behind' i.e. Cybernet's employees. The quote I will always remember B Watson for, and think what you may it is my opinion, is:
Lets hope they at least get that.
Originally Posted by B Watson
The reward for being an employee is a PAYCHECK
Nov 25, 2004 | 4:28 am
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
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Posts: 26,017
Life is fragile. Yes I know I said that already over at the CX forum. But really, one may never know when your time is up irrespective of the circumstances. I've come to know B Watson well through our PMs, emails and generally tit-a-tat at each forum, and I was looking forward to finally meeting him early next year in Singapore. His last email to me was just last week wondering if I was going to be in Asia so we could meet up.
He will be missed. His wit was wonderful in all his posts.
He will be missed. His wit was wonderful in all his posts.
Nov 25, 2004 | 5:37 am
#25
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Location: NYC
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It's always a very sad sitution when this happens...I feel sorry for his wife and most of all the workers of his company...
-howie
-howie
Nov 25, 2004 | 6:07 am
#26
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CGK
Programs: SQ TPP30, CX DM, DL P, FB P, AA G, GA CB, WOH LGLOB, HH D, MB G, Hertz P
Posts: 2,887
May he rest in peace. Definitely he will be missed on FT.
Nov 25, 2004 | 7:36 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,218
This is/must be the most bizarre thread I have ever encountered on FT.
Where are our values? Yes, R.I.P.
We can be shocked and saddened, but I have a hard time separating the man's personal life with his (un)professional life.
Where are our values? Yes, R.I.P.
We can be shocked and saddened, but I have a hard time separating the man's personal life with his (un)professional life.
Last edited by fallinasleep; Nov 25, 2004 at 9:12 am
Nov 25, 2004 | 8:12 am
#28
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Lowly BA Blue. One of the original easyJet Flight Club members and still am.
Posts: 4,319
I will not be a Hypocrite. I never met the man in person but his high and mighty attitude on FT tuned me against him. As I said in this post he had the attitude of an 18th Century mill owner.
I feel very sorry for his family who will have to pick up the pieces. I feel especially sorry for his employees who trusted him to run the company and will probably find themselves out of a job.
He may have been one of the most frequent travellers on FT but if that travel and other luxuries such as dining in the kitchen at the best restaurants was funded by fraud then it counts for nothing.
Lawsuit cites high-tech shell game
Lawsuit filed against The CyberNET Group in Grand Rapids
I feel very sorry for his family who will have to pick up the pieces. I feel especially sorry for his employees who trusted him to run the company and will probably find themselves out of a job.
He may have been one of the most frequent travellers on FT but if that travel and other luxuries such as dining in the kitchen at the best restaurants was funded by fraud then it counts for nothing.
Barton Watson, 44, has a rocky past. In Washington, D.C., he was accused of fleecing investors out of $230,000. He agreed to a plea deal in 1987 and was sentenced to one year to three years in federal prison.
"I have a lot of regret over what happened," Watson told a judge at the time, "not just because I stole a great deal of money from a number of people but particularly in that I abused their trust and friendship."
"I have a lot of regret over what happened," Watson told a judge at the time, "not just because I stole a great deal of money from a number of people but particularly in that I abused their trust and friendship."
Lawsuit filed against The CyberNET Group in Grand Rapids
Last edited by Gaza; Nov 25, 2004 at 8:36 am Reason: Fixed links
Nov 25, 2004 | 8:23 am
#29
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
Programs: AA 2MM Yay!, UA MM, Costco General Member
Posts: 50,842
Apart from all of the controversy, and I can see both sides of that issue, this is a tragedy and I am saddened to hear it. My condolances to the family.
Nov 25, 2004 | 8:47 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
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Posts: 13,635
I'm very sorry to hear of the untimely death of bwatson. He offered interesting and insightful commentary on everything from First Class travel to fine caviar and I will particularly miss his infrequent though excellent Trip Reports. Though he perhaps faces an uncertain future in the afterlife, here's hoping that his journey there was also in First Class.
R.I.P. bwatson.
R.I.P. bwatson.
Last edited by Seat 2A; Nov 25, 2004 at 9:04 am