I've been following this thread with some interest and--as in the case of the infamous Fletcher/Sank flame exchange--some amusement.
I can't speak for others, but my experience with Mr. Sank has taken on a Monty Python flavor, a kind of entertaining, existential avoidance comedy skit--the Ministry of Silly Mods?
Latest episode of the saga: UPS delivered one of my microphones to him back on November 19, 2004. Here it is March of 2005 and I have never had a communication from him nor do I have my microphone back (plead as I might).
Now understand: this is not the first time he's seen the same mike. It took him months to get it back to me the first time and, then, his modded mike didn't work when I tried to use it! At that time I thought, well, it's just a glitch. S*** happens.
Now, after many moons (and additional pleadings), I still don't have my microphone. It's hard not to laugh just thinking about this--after all, it's not a Neumann, it's just a cheap Nakamichi condenser.
As to Mr. Sank's customer service philosophy--I'll let you draw your own conclusion.
But it kinda makes the issue of "technical competence" a moot point, right?