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From: rrd@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ray Depew)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: The Quick ST II Challenge vs. Usenet?
Message-ID: <7340018@hpfcso.HP.COM>
Date: 29 Oct 90 19:20:52 GMT
References: <1990Oct22.190053.21874@wam.umd.edu>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Lines: 46

Chris,

> There is a difference between discussion [of] commercial products and
> a software author plugging his wares on the net.

Not much.

When you grow up and graduate and your employer sends you to Conferences,
Symposia and Trade Shows, you will have to learn for yourself to tell the
difference between a "technical presentation" and a "sales job".  Right now,
you can go down to the engineering library and check out a back issue of
[insert journal name here] to get some practice.  Half of the articles are 
"technical articles" and the other half are "sales jobs," and you can't tell
the difference by the title or the color of the page.

We in the industry don't particularly mind listening to or reading a "sales
job."  There's some cool stuff out there, and how else are we going to find
out about it?  If you want to sell a product, you're going to need to advertise.
"Technical presentations" and "technical papers" are a good way to do it.  And
you don't have to pay for the space!  We just learn to recognize the sales
job up front, and then wear our BS-blockers for the remainder of the article
or presentation.

While you're in the trade journals, read the "Tech Notes" or "New Developments" section.  There are some reviews of new products in there, that aren't really
reviews.  They are press releases, written by the manufacturer or a hired pen,
artfully crafted to sound like a review.  Some of them don't even mention the
manufacturer's name, or they use the hired pen's name to make the review sound 
legitimate.  The journals print them verbatim.  They don't review the products
to check the text's accuracy.

Whether Darek crows about his product or whether someone else does, it doesn't
make any difference.  For all you know, Darek gave what's-his-name a free copy
of QSTII and asked him to comment on it on the net.  (Not saying that he did,
mind you...)  That's not illegal or unethical.  That's business.  You may not
like the way it looks, from your side of the fence, but I'd be willing to bet
my ST that within 10 years you'll see it differently.

No flames intended in any of the above.  Please don't go looking for any.


Regards
Ray Depew
IC's by Bill and Dave   
rrd@hpfitst1.hp.com

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