I think much of what we're seeing is the differenc

I think much of what we're seeing is the difference between perceptions and numerical figures. My guess is that when Bill was doing the communication as well as all the negotiations, meetings, etc., he had a very different set of inside knowledge and "feel" that he was conveying to us. He is an optimist, believes in his company, and conveyed that to us in his messages. Under the "reconstruction", a different set of folks with different skill sets have emerged, and they do NOT have Bill's inside knowledge of the company; they are learning it, but the FR has to make hard decisions based on numbers... not on "feel" or inside knowledge. Try to balance this with an IRT made up of several people of varying competency levels and widely varying levels of communication skills (who are almost certainly handling OTHER IRT responsibilities for OTHER companies as well), and you end up with some initial confusion, miscommunication, and a constant need for clarification. I think we can all agree the first few days of IRT involvement were a lot like a kid with an espresso and a new puppy.

As a former Public Relations/Public Information Officer, and a veteran Technical Writer/Editor, I can say -- without a doubt -- the communication channels are a hot mess at the moment. The usual corporate response it to pull back and go silent. Later, they will sort out communication, agree upon "facts" and numbers for public consumption, and will have a more professional approach. We just need to give them time to sort it out, but don't be surprised if things get a bit quieter for a while. The pendulum swingeth, but findeth equilibrium eventually.