User talk:Luckenfeist

Listen.

There is a lot of information on Mr Alexander's more licit achievements in the article; they are in fact mentioned prior to his less licit ones, and in considerably greater detail.

However, the sheer scope of those less licit achievements - becoming an international fugitive with an entry on the FBI's Most Wanted list, for instance - means that they need to be mentioned early on. Consider the slightly analogous case of OJ Simpson (although the infractions with which Mr Alexander is charged are by no means as violent and distasteful as those for which Mr Simpson was prosecuted and acquitted, of course). It would be unreasonable for the article's introduction to say that Mr Simpson had been a professional football player and actor, but to make no mention of the high-profile legal difficulties he experienced.

Furthermore, to describe Mr Alexander's legal difficulties as simply "recent events" is, quite frankly, disingenuous.

I quite understand that you are an employee or associate of Mr Alexander, or are in some way connected with his legal representation (or, rather, I should say that, based on the nature of your edits to Wikipedia, and the fact that you have only contributed to articles about Mr Alexander and his company, I would be quite surprised if this is not the case), and as such your main goal is (or seems to be) that Mr Alexander be presented positively. You don't want a hatchet job? That's fine. Neither do we. But nor do we want a hagiography. Mr Alexander may be a telecoms wunderkind, but he's also an international fugitive from prosecution, with fraud charges pending against him that involve tens of millions of dollars. For the article to not reflect this would be dishonest.

On an unrelated note, the past tense of the verb "to lead" is spelled "led". Please do not revert changes wholesale. DS 16:24, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

Fugitive?
Alexander is not on the run from U.S. or any other law enforcement entities. His whereabouts are well known to the United States, Namibia, and Interpol. Being on the run would characterize a wanted person whose location is in question. Mr. Alexander has since been apprehended, released on bail, appeared in open court on numerous occasions, and conducts business under his own name. Certainly this does not constitute “on the run”. Whatever opinions one may hold about Mr. Alexander and the crimes of which he is accused his whereabouts are not unknown and he is not on the run.

Language is as dear to me as it is to many of those who edit these annals. If characterizing Alexander as “on the run” is technically inaccurate and “Despite fighting extradition” may appear too bland; possibly the next editor would consider: “While openly evading extradition…” it’s accurate and harshly critical. Perhaps this would satiate those disapproving of Mr. Alexander exercising his legal options to remain free. User:Luckenfeist April 1 1008