Greg Walters, Everything Channel, Paige Coverage, Xerox and You - A Teachable Moment

June 2011

Controversy and Fire.

Dignity and Water.

DOTC has grown into a personality of its own; bigger than imagined, larger than MpS.  Although I rarely claim to be anything more than a 'thought leader', I am often referred to as rebellious, contrarian, and controversial.

So Be It.

The views expressed here are my own; the content for MY pleasure.

Life often sends us golden nuggets, wrapped in discomfort. Some call these moments, 'teachable'.

My recent run-in with a fellow blogger is just such a nugget and two great organizations rise above the fray.

I have received apologies from Xerox and Everything Channel - by email and phone.

I have accepted both and present them here for You.

Thank you to everyone who called me, emailed, offered, and posted words of support.  I am humbled and grateful.

Submitted for your review:

Xerox - 

Greg,

I want to take this opportunity to extend our sincerest apologies for the Paige Coverage post made on biztransformcenter.com regarding you. The views in the post were made by an employee of Everything Channel and not by an MBA in a cube @ Xerox. While Xerox does sponsor the BizTransformCenter, Xerox does not review or control any posts made to this blog. Hmm…we shall review that strategy.

We clearly don’t support these comments and posts by Paige and I’ll call you personally to clarify this unfortunate series of events.

Sincerely, 

Tom Gall
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Everything Channel

Dear Greg,


Thank you for taking the time to speak with me yesterday. I am writing to extend my deepest apologies for the June 21, 2011 blog post by Paige Coverage on the Managed Print Services Community site, which is part of the CRN Community platform. The blog entitled, “Greg Walters Leaves a Trail of His Own Ignorance,” included several negative comments about you and your blog “The Death of The Copier is The Death of MpS.”


The post was a badly misjudged attempt to stir community participation and debate. Instead, it focused on personal criticisms of you and your blog site, and was done in very poor taste.


While the opinions represented by Paige Coverage are by no means the opinion of Xerox, United Business Media, Everything Channel, or CRN, such a disclaimer does not excuse the content of the June 21 blog, which overstepped the boundaries of professional communication.


We deeply regret the over-zealousness, poor judgment, and lack of taste of the June 21 blog.


We apologize for its appearance, and any negative repercussions it may have caused you.


Sincerely,


Adelaide J. Reilly
Vice President, Integrated Solutions Management
Everything Channel

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'nuf said...




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The Old Guys are Getting (back) Into Managed Print Services - And I thought MPS Trainers were Bad...

"...Everything dies baby that's a fact 

But maybe everything that dies someday comes back 

Put your makeup on fix your hair up pretty and meet me tonight in Atlantic City..."

It's not the same scale as the gang-wars of New Jersey, but there is something here.

If you've been in this nutty industry for more than five years, you've probably heard tell of the mythic millionaire copier dealer who built a dealership and sold out.

He waited in siege around the non-compete, got back in, built up another dealership, sold out once again.

A millionaire, twice over.

Hey, this is America and there is nothing wrong with doing what you do well, and getting paid to do so. Capitalism at its best. I love it.

Yet, after talking with a couple of these new/old comers,  I walked away feeling the need for a shower.

Slick, sly, oily...ummm...gross.

He was 69. Clarence Clemons...DOTC PowerPlayer of the Last 40 years...

"...Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge
Drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain
The rat pulls into town rolls up his pants
Together they take a stab at romance and disappear down Flamingo Lane...

...And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment
And try to make an honest stand but they wind up wounded, not even dead
Tonight in Jungleland..."



I first saw Clarence October of 1980, during The River tour.  My back was against the wall of Cobo Arena, Detroit, - I was in the very last seat.

I did not matter.

What seemed miles away, the Big Man in a white tuxedo atop two stories of speakers blaring out from what appeared to be an impossibly big golden saxophone, the sax solo to end all others was, dare I say, religious. If you've seen, you know.

Hundreds of concerts later, I still remember that Michigan autumn night. The band started just after 8PM and rocked to just before 1AM. For the last set, which I believe was the 3rd or 4th encore, all the house lights remained on. It seemed everybody in the joint was up, dancing in the isles and sweating.

That night, those few hours together, was about as human as you could get.

Fucking Glorious.

Bruce's music is a good friend of DOTC, a good friend of mine. I've played him here many times.

I will miss The Big Man. Tears were shed.

Bruce -

"Clarence lived a wonderful life," states Springsteen. "He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage.

His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years.

He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."

The Autumn of Managed Print Services: Out with the Old, In with the "new"

Managed Print Services - I Swear, You Learn More from a 3 Minute Record...

Video of The Week: She's The One, Springsteen

"I saw Managed Print Services Future and it's name is Bruce Springsteen."

Click to email me.