Posted by Carl
on 6/26/2009, 11:48 pm, in reply to "I don't necessarily agree....."
205.188.116.13
JB, as you know I don't delete many posts. When I do, I think about it first. Seldom is it a knee jerk reaction as it seems to be on many other forums. I draw the line at personal attacks. When it speaks about a person and not a product things have gone too far.
This forum could disolve into a gossip blog in about 24 hours if I let it become a free for all. You mentioned you felt the post I deleted was pretty darn accurate based on conversations you had with the people involved. What you describe as accurate I might characterize as heresay. Maybe it's true, maybe it isn't but if it's personal and intent on injuring somebody I need to step in. I wanted to clear that up before I addressed your other points.
JB, I respect your opinion and we seldom disagree but in this case I'm taking an opposite point of view regarding small business. I could fill this post with links to small businesses of all types that make claims of being the best at whatever they do. From dry cleaners to roofers, from plumbers to caterers. The list would be endless. Most businesses these days have web sites preferring web exposure over ads in the Yellow Pages or newspapers. It's why the advertising directories and newspapers are in trouble today. Ad dollars are being spent more and more on the internet. Many companies pay for placement on search engines like Google and Yahoo. In fact, it has become so commonplace that it's difficult to discern which company is larger than the another, impossible to determine who is more experienced by looking at their web presence. The internet has become the great equalizer in ways totally unimagined before. People don't spend the money to build and promote their business on the web to say they're NOT the best or just one of many. Quite the opposite. It's marketing 101.
If you pay for a web site to be developed and maintained why would you want to promote your competition? Many sites have guestbooks, forums, blogs, etc. attached to them. It's another form of advertising and nobody every said ads needed to be fair and balanced. That's why this forum exists...to try and make sense of things. It's the Chevy/Ford debate extended to everything we consume via internet. Hype, exageration, half-truths, implied promises...it's all part of the landscape. But much of everything is opinion, not fact. One person loves McDonalds burgers and another can't stand them.
Regarding quid pro quos, I know that it happens but nobody has every approached me to do a field test, or say kind words about anything backed with dollars, products, or anything. I've tested a few items but only for feedback purpose, not advertising fodder. No major manufacturer of detectors as ever asked me to test and give a skewed version of my results about anything.
As you recall, I started this forum because of personal attacks directed at me on another forum for stating my opinion about a detector. That is what I consider unfair...when attacks are personal. People should be allowed to speak out about their experience with a machine and be honest in their appraisal. It's the character assasination and personal flaming messages that I can't tolerate, especially those with no return email address.
This isn't a perfect forum and I'm certainly not the best forum moderator in the world but I make no apologies for the occasional deletion that I feel steps over the line from detectors to people. And on a personal note, JB, I have been self employed by entire adult life. I have never drawn a paycheck from an employer and have made my living and paid for my kids college education from the fruits of my labors and the investments I've made in myself when nobody else would. Please don't assume to know or understand what it's like trying to survive working for yourself, knowing that there is no paid benefits, no paid vacations, no paid sick days, no pension, backstopping you. I never took a vacation before the age of 45. I missed so many important events because I had to work that it almost cost me my marriage. When somebody puts it all on the line, without a silver spoon or rich wife or family and others with all these things begrudge him or her a dollar profit, it's an insult you could never fathom. Maybe that's why I'm a bit more sensitive to the plight of Troy or anyone else who is going it alone and walking the tightrope without a safety net. I've been there and am still there and I understand on a level only others similarly situated could ever understand.
Sorry for the rant, let's get back to detecting.
Carl
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