Hello Jim,

Thanks for the nice compliments. I hope you haven't changed your mind after reading my reply to Will. I am not sure if you will find my reply to you satisfactory, either, but here goes.

What do you think a well-educated, well-informed outside person would think of M?  

Do you think such a person, having familiarized themself with M's past (i.e. as depicted in the archival material on EPO) would think that he was trustworthy? Why?

It depends on what they had seen about him. If they had seen only the pages of this website they would certainly think he was the one of the most deluded, deceitful, fraudulent and monomaniacal figures in human history. Many people have worked hard and long here to create exactly that impression. Sitting and listening to one of his videos might do nothing to change this idea, but on the other hand, it might. As I keep saying, probably boringly, there is a thirst that some people feel that has no connection to intelligence or academic attainments. For such people, listening to MJ gives an inkling that this thirst can be quenched. If they are like me, they might get pretty excited at this prospect. I was present when quite a lot of the events that are described so disparagingly on this website took place, and I have a very different take on them. Our hypothetical well-educated citizen would not have that advantage, so might have to say to him/herself "Well, I am reading something bad, but I am feeling something good." Then they would have to decide which one to go with. That has actually never changed. When I came to Knowledge, MJ was being portrayed in the Indian press as a great watch smuggler. Years later I met someone who could tell me exactly how that article came to be written, and it was a total absurdity. Our well-educated person would have to chance it the same way I did. 

Cheers,

Quoll.