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This is really getting ponderous.
I don't appreciate having
my work referred to as "a rag"...I don't appreciate having the work done by people like Denny, Pat, Rob and a host of others degraded in such baiting manner.
Not any more than you'd appreciate my deducing from your posts that you're obviously a failure in business; frustrated at not getting the "breaks" and skeptical of anyone who puts the product before the profits. Of course, I haven't said such things about you, but I think you get the point. In fact, were you talking about any Member of this Forum but me, you'd have already received an email...from me.
I didn't challenge you to find "some advertisers whose products we reviewed". It's a small industry and you'll always find such. I asked you to back up your smarmy assertions with
correlation. Shall I explain the term?
But lemme ask you a couple of things:
What exactly do you do for a living?
Do you take any pride in it, or will you do anything for a buck?
If the former, why would you not afford us the an assumption that we are of equal moral character?
If the latter, why would you assume that we work at your level?
If you knew anything about the way this magazine is run, you'd get your face out of mine.
DS Arms: An innovator in the FN area. Shall we refuse to tell our readers what they're doing because they've been an advertiser since day 1?
Sigarms Academy: You'll find a minimum of five features on them in the last year...not a single ad, though they advertise religiousluy in GWLE
FN: We did a balanced write up on them. They liked it. They called to thank us. They advertised: which should we have refused? The Feature or the Ad?
Insight Tech: To a man, we
love their products. We think you should know about them. You will whether they advertise or not...as long as they remain innovative and dedicated. Same with Thunder Ranch. Same with Gunsite.
DPMS: Oh, you mean the guys who have that 3" B/W Ad. Got me there. I absolutely whored myself out for that couple hundred bucks. But then, I'm pretty well known around here for my penchant to do anything for a buck....(note all the banners you've seen since you logged on).
As for slamming products? Your view is the view of a man afraid of failure. We're not...and guess what...betcha Benelli is back within the next 3 issues. They may not have liked the article, but they respect our position...and they respect the guy who wrote it: Louis Awerbuck...you know Louis, doncha? Long time reputation for selling out for a nickel?
Description of our Policies? See, now you
are sounding like a frustrated businessman.
You want to critique and nitpick a business...just don't want to do any of the work. The Policy is cleary stated on our Web site. If that doesn't work for you, I'd suggest something along the lines of "personal problem".
Conflict of Interest? And now you're sounding like a really small person. I'd hate to think that about you. I have no conflict at all. People worried about a buck have conflicts. Perhaps the "conflict" between making a buck and producing the best product/service you can is foremost in your mind. It's not in mine.
I'm not certain where you get this idea that one must be untruthful or "conflicted" to make money. That's an extraordinarily juvenile view of real business.
Rich Lucibella