You mention history. Allow me to set that record straight.
I've no agenda concerning Dave Houston. I've seen him rail against anyone who disagrees with his sometimes silly ideas though. He and I got along fine at first. Then one day I disagreed with him on a minor technical issue, the subject of which I've long since forgotten. Houston started calling me childish names and attacking me personally. I'm no saint either. I can be pretty sarcastic and I've occasionally sniped back, but it's not personal to me. I'll kid around with someone and the next minute offer to buy them a beer. With Houston everything is personal. People fall into two groups -- those who agree with him and those he attacks. I disagree with some of what you say but not all of it. That doesn't get you attacked. Try disagreeing with Houston. Then watch what he has to say about you personally. It gets ugly really fast.
On one occasion after years of nonsense, I noticed something Houston said about his website and clicked the link. He was working on some ideas he had (has?) regarding home automation and the needs of physically disabled. It was nothing that sounded marketable from my perspective. I sell security and home automation systems to DIYers.
On the home page of his website he stated that his financial situation was worsening due to his ongoing health problems. Houston clearly stated that he feared he might have to abandon the project he was working on because he could not continue paying for the colo site, among other things. I try to support anything that helps disabled people when I can and what he seemed to need was something I could easily afford.
I thought this might be an opportunity to turn things around between us. There's an old saying my father liked: "The best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him a friend." I sent Dave a private email offering to host his projects for free. I own several servers that I use for my own websites and for experimental work. It was nothing major. I have more hard drive space and more bandwidth than I need. I hoped that the simple gesture might break the ice between us.
Mr. Houston did not reply to the email. Instead, some time later he publicly accused me in this newsgroup of trying to steal his work. He stated that his "proof" that my intentions were evil was that he can tell what other people are thinking. He has made similar claims to "prove" he's right in attacking other helpful participants of CHA, such as M. Hult. He also lied on the newsgroup, claiming that he never said anything about his financial troubles on his website. He has repeatedly lied and misled regarding matters pertinent to this forum. He routinely and deliberately misconstrues published information about various matters, such as CFLs. [Staying on topic] When challenged over this behavior he responds with personal attacks.
That, my friend, is the actual history between myself and Dave Houston. It is the reason I will never again offer to assist him in any way. I don't wish him any harm. It's sad that his physical problems make life difficult for him. It's sadder still that his psychological problems make *him* difficult for the rest of the world.
Regards, Robert