OK, but the opposite of that should be true as well. Many people on here were posting high rates, is that considered negotiating in public? I don't do either of them, mainly because I don't think it matters what we say on this forum, the company and NC are going to do what they are going to do, which is make a deal they can both live with. I just don't see the harm in it if one person posts low rates while others post high rates.
I can see what you are saying about apathy breeding apathy and perhaps you are right on that, I was looking at this more from the argument people make about negotiating in public because somehow they are reading what people write in here and basing their offers on it, that I can't get behind.