Is the Fall From Grace fatal to the Good Guy Certs?

On another thread it has been stated that some people are disappointed in the fall-from-grace of a certified "good guy" and I wanted to share my thoughts on this without contributing an off-topic post to an already too-long thread.

I was very much looking forward to attaining that seal and posting it on my site, but now I'm not so sure. I feel somewhat betrayed by the tainting of that icon, and am now unsure if there is any purpose in pursuing it.

My interpretation of the Good Guy Certification is that it is supposed to include certain checks and balances, so that just because you WANT and get the certification, you cannot KEEP it if you are scum.

I think that others feel that the certification is a badge of honor, or a sign that the individual or business is infallible. But I don't believe that it has ever been this thing. It is merely the stepping stone. I have thought about applying for one, but two or three main things keep me from doing so... the first and most important... I don't have a website on which I could post the certificate. Well, I do have websites, but none about snakes. Also, I have very few deals with the people in this community. It's too dang hot to ship snakes in this part of the world, so I don't do much biz with people virtually. So I haven't tried to apply for the certification. If I did get it, it would be useless until/unless people actually post their opinions on my behaviour as a "good guy".

I don't think that the recent events have tainted the Good Guy Certification, but perhaps they have clarified for those who think it means something different what it really means. It's the BEGINNING of being a good guy, and a stepping stone for those who have been scammed to report their experience.

I'm not being very clear, but I still feel like posting this message, because I would like to hear other thoughts on this issue. Aw heck, let me make it into a poll...

The Good Guy Certs are definitely doing their job; after all, one can change one's vote at any time, and no one would display a certification on his site where the certification votes could be checked and where they were overwhelmingly not in one's favor.

Throughout history, groups of honor have had individuals who fell from grace: in the clergy, in the military, and so on. I still feel respect for the membership of those groups, in fact my respect increases when, as here, the people involved take the lapse seriously and publicly reaffirm what SHOULD be the standard of behavior.

The BOI and Good Guy Certs have changed the face of the reptile community permanently, and in a good way. Scammers who decades ago would thrive in dark secrecy are now held up to public judgment.

If someone does fall from grace, they can still do harm before the word is out, but that has always been true in any system. That doesn't mean the system is any less valid, it is difficult to visualize a perfect listing of good guys and bad guys that would appropriately change *prior* to actions done by them, that is science fiction; But the BOI and Certs are what we have and they lead the reptile world in efficacy.

No, that is what it is there for.

Good guy gets to keep his Cert. Bad guy don't get one. I think the program did exactly what it was supposed to do. Deny people the added benefit of being considered a good guy in one of the most frequented herp sites on the net.

On the GOOD GUY CERTIFICATION thread it specifically says: And when you have completed your transaction, be certain to come back here and place YOUR vote on the person you have done business with in order to keep the accounting as current as possible.

So everyone who has given Bill a Bad Guy vote in the poll has done business with him? HMMM, no. In this instance, only Lee should be giving Bill a Bad Guy vote.

What's the difference in people who never did business with Bill giving him a Bad Guy vote and David giving NERD a Bad Guy vote when he never did business w/them at all, just didn't like the fact that they freehandled hots a few feet from bystanders? I see a few names who crucified David for giving NERD that Bad Guy vote who are right here and now giving Bill a Bad Guy vote when they obviously didn't do business w/Bill either. (CoughJim&DennisCough)

So which is it? So can you give someone a bad guy vote just because they are an admitted bad guy? Bill admitted he stole a snake and is a bad guy. And NERD admitted they did freehandle venomous animals within feet of the public (It was their second time doing it too BTW) so why don't they have bad guy votes too?

Apples and oranges Karen. Nowhere does it require that someone have done business with someone to vote in their poll. When David did it he had no idea himself who was in those pictures and was basing it on assumptions.

What does the paragraph below mean, Jim?

On the GOOD GUY CERTIFICATION thread it specifically says: And when you have completed your transaction, be certain to come back here and place YOUR vote on the person you have done business with in order to keep the accounting as current as possible.

Gotcha there.

And does it say "you may not vote if you haven't"? Sheesh.

Originally Posted by CaptainSlackass

Gotcha there.

Wrong again slackass. Now lets not pollute this thread with that argument.

David did know who they were. It was already discussed on another forum.