(This is in response to a email sent to me via MMD by Craig.)

Hi Craig,  Please do not forget that the MMD is a discussion group, not
a question and answer system in which everybody asks and poor old Craig
answers.  Any real expert should, in my opinion, be able to accept
criticism and respond to it in a civilized way or take it with a pinch
of salt.

Face it, experts do make errors!  Look at the Hubble telescope and
the Vietnam War, for instance.

With my articles, I certainly never intended to upset you or your
feelings, nor anybody else's.  Also, there was no direct indication to
accuse anybody.  Please re-read it and you will see that neither your
name nor anybody else's is mentioned with the word accuse or guilty or
mislead.

However, it you feel so strong about it, I would hereby openly like
to apologize for ever questioning any of your comments.

Please let me not be the reason for yourself not writing for the MMD
anymore.  If you or anyone feels that my comments are no good or
unfair, I will stop sending them and become silent.

Bernt W. Damm
Restorer of Automatic Musical Instruments,
Cape Town, South Africa
Tel/Fax:  +27 21 592 5124

 [ Editor's note:
 [
 [ Karl Petersen will be assisting Jody and me now as a sort of
 [ "consulting technical editor", to help with the preparation
 [ of the intricate technical articles.  I've asked all the folks
 [ involved in the recent "tumult" to write privately to Karl and
 [ discuss with him the purpose of their articles and the problems
 [ they encountered.
 [
 [ Karl owns an Ampico B piano and formerly owned a Duo-Art.  He is
 [ an engineering manager with experience in the presentation of
 [ technical subjects, and for several years he edited and published
 [ journals for machinery and automobile enthusiasts.
 [
 [ MMD _wants_ to publish the data and expertise offered by our
 [ respected authors.  Karl will help the authors to organize it.
 [ This may slightly delay the publication of some articles, but
 [ that's a small matter when compared to the benefit which the
 [ technicians like Bernt Damm will receive.  We're trying our best!
 [
 [ Robbie Rhodes