I don't understand it either. I like having the manufacturers around. That's why I got into HD in the first place. Michael Barnes got me hooked on the site in the first place with the philosophy behind his company and although I didn't buy from him, I still enjoy reading about his efforts and the people behind them. It's nice to read other forums too, especially the Odyssey forum, where I ended up buying my system, and the rest, because there are a lot of knowledgeable people out there, building things. I've gotten good suggestions from Herbie's site too, and although there aren't many posts there on HD, if you ask, he'll answer. I guess that's what I liked about HD, being able to ask and get a real answer, rather than corporate drivel.
Things are shaping up nicely here, wish I could help more, but my job makes me leave at strange times so I can't guarantee I'll be around to do the work.
If you need financial help, let me know, it's the least I can do for the fantastic sound the users of HD helped me to find.
cheers,
Dick