I rely on primary research for the most part. I have heard some back chatter that the author of the DM essay is sometimes off target.

Is the author of the essay on target this time?

I do own up to the fact that since my heart attack in February 2007, I do change my mind when I learn new things. I I try as best a 64 year old can to stick to the facts as I understand them.

Stephen Arnold, July 8, 2008

I imagine it’s not particularly nice when somebody you described as a “wizard executive at Fast Search & Transfer and other high-tech operations” turns up in a highly critical blog post only a month later. However, this is not something I just made up (or enjoy writing about). I would suggest you read the translation of the article in Dagens Næringsliv, and read it all the way to the end.

For your convenience, I’ll quote this particularly interesting bit:

“But you’re saying you’ve had nothing to do with Archtech. This document from the company register in Florida shows you are one of the executives of the company?” Riaz takes a look at the document, thinks for a couple of seconds. Then he put a away his cell phone. “It is two years ago I had anything to do with the company. Now, I believe you should leave me alone. Ask Lervik if there is anything you’re curious about,” says Riaz.
[...]
Dagens Næringsliv has for weeks tried to get answers from Lervik and Fast on questions about the Archtech, Sunwest and Bluebird companies and the Fast managers’ private transactions with Fast. After dozens of requests, DN has still not received a response from Lervik. Late Thursday afternoon, an e-mail from Microsoft executive Jacob Jaffe in Seattle arrived. “Please regard the attached files as source for answers to your questions,” Jaffe writes. Attached was Fast’s fresh and adjusted annual reports for 2006 and 2007. It is remarkable reading: Over 30 million NOK is “irregularly” paid to “companies owned or controlled by persons who at the time of the transactions were closely related parties.” The payments were apparently for various services. “In retrospect, these services seem to have lacked reality,” it is said in the report. In addition, the same companies have “purchased” software licenses valued at 18 million NOK, which Fast has not received payment for. “These costs were wrongly approved and in defiance of internal procedures and represented irregular payments from the company,” it is said.

Now, that’s not quite the same as Riaz having been just “an employee” and the Fast problems having been caused by “a dearth of engineers who could install and customize the Fast Search system”. I sympathize with what happened to you with regards to ABI/INFORM — but that’s quite a different story, I’m sure you’ll agree.

If you want to see the evidence that implicates the Attivio CEO, I can put you in touch with one of the Dagens Næringsliv journalists working on the story.

For sure, this is a slippery slope. However — it’s not my slippery slope, but rather one that quite a number of former Fast execs are starting to slide down.