Someone knows how to make friends.

[Kate]

"Right, this issue is officially OVER.

No more of this character assassination please, it's not dignified and it doesn't do anyone any favours.

Thank you, "

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ea/9779-so-what-real-story-10.html#post153583

It's now character assassination to ask about biased reviews.

That's official. Do not question someone who knows how to make friends.

 

[ApOsTle51]

You gotta admit it , Trog was right. the Forum here is certainly commercial based now rather than having the best interests of the members at heart anymore.

But If SJ likes it that way , well I guess that's that.

 

[Kate]

Do not question the money makers.

Be prepared to be attacked if you do.

Fanbois rule KO.

 

[surbitonPete]

When a trusted reviewer suddenly goes into business ...questions obviously need to be asked.....there is a great deal of difference between someone who reviews products simply as an end user to someone who reviews products as a salesman.

 

[Kate]

It's clear that manipulation and bias questions will not be answered in this case, they've been avoided from the beginning of the saga.

Pretend you're a victim and you'll get away with murder.

We're not allowed to talk about it either - this forum doesn't seem to be for users but to protect and promote business interests.

 

[Grandma Cas]

"Right, this issue is officially OVER.

That's official. Do not question someone who knows how to make friends.

Kate I totaly agree with you having read all & I do mean "ALL" the threads on this subject I am reminded of the following quotes:

Commonly attributed to P.T. Barnum "There's no such thing as bad publicity" & most famously "there's a sucker born every minute"8-o

I blame Dale Carnegie who wrote "How to Win Friends & Influence People"

 

[surbitonPete]

It's clear that manipulation and bias questions will not be answered in this case, they've been avoided from the beginning of the saga.

Pretend you're a victim and you'll get away with murder.

We're not allowed to talk about it either - this forum doesn't seem to be for users but to protect and promote business interests.

I don't know anything about forum's and how they are set up and run but I would imagine the only way a forum like this could be completely unbiased would be if it was financially supported by end users only, very much like the WHICH magazine and website.

 

[Kate]

Yeah. Well it's got commercial sponsors now so I guess that means the review board is fair game. Maybe a warning about it not being reliable or credibility traps or something is in order.

 

[Fedor]

i don't know if this counts for anything but i totally agree with you.

I've just found the thread that you mentioned and read through it.

I don't understand why its deemed as being over and settled. So many holes...

I sure hope i don't get into trouble with this. 8-o

 

[Oliver]

Oh for goodness sakes, there's no conspiracy. People had their say, the guy responded, a forum member spoke to him on the phone, the issue is dealt with. People can make their own minds up.

The issue is over, and yes, there was character assassination - the guy was called a conman with absolutely no evidence to show that this was the case.

As for commercialisation - well, yes, the forum now has sponsors - partly to cover my rather large exposure in all this - I'm contracted in to the server arrangements for at least a year at an enourmous monthly cost to keep the forum running. it could all go belly up at any time for all of us, but from my personal point of view, it could bankrupt me.

As to protecting the interests of the sponsors - no, absolutely not true. I would protect anyone from these kinds of accusations, whether sponsor, member or non-sponsoring supplier.

 

[ApOsTle51]

As the Forum has erupted over the last months I certainly don't expect SJ to pay the Vast sums involved off his own back and sure the site needs sponsoring. This has in turn made the forum a commercial interest and a good advertising spring board for suppliers.
Without the forum I certainly think there wouldn't be as many suppliers as there are and the more the better as far as consumers are concerned.

It doesn't bother myself as far as the forums commercial interests, I know how it works, educating the masses is the point.

 

[surbitonPete]

i don't know if this counts for anything but i totally agree with you.

I've just found the thread that you mentioned and read through it.

I don't understand why its deemed as being over and settled. So many holes...

I sure hope i don't get into trouble with this. 8-o

I am sure Parked is a good enough guy ...but he would have made himself look a whole lot better by telling everyone he was planning on going into business as soon as he thought about it... that would have given people a different outlook on all his reviews...everyone knows a review from a person who sells a product is a very different kind of truth to the truth from an end user.

 

[Oliver]

You gotta admit it , Trog was right. the Forum here is certainly commercial based now rather than having the best interests of the members at heart anymore.

But If SJ likes it that way , well I guess that's that.

That is grossly unfair. The separation of suppliers and members has always been the no.1 priority in my mind - the decisions about how the forum is run has always been made with member input, this place is still at its core about giving members the ability to make their own minds up about products with the widest possible amount of information.

Trogg is absolutely wrong about the forum. But then he ACTUALLY has vested interests in doing this place down, doesn't he?

Why anyone would take seriously a comment about this place's commercialisation from Trog - a man making money from the e-cig - is totally beyond me. But hey, it takes all sorts to make a world.

I will continue to improve the forum, and I hope you all continue with the input that is so valuable in making it what it is.

 

[Kate]

In what way is challenging biased reviews and deliberate deception character assassination?

Why are we not to talk about our concerns?

How can we make our minds up about what happened when we have not been told.

Character references created behind closed doors do not answer the problem of biased reviews being posted and justified on a supposedly impartial review board.

 

[Oliver]

No, Kate, the guy has explained his reviews but you continue to doubt him. Now, you may be right, you may be off the mark, I haven't got a clue, but the continued attack goes beyond a normal skeptical analysis and into something else entirely.

And you called him a conman!! If that's not character assassination, then what is?

Could someone please write a list of questions that still remain unanswered, in this thread. I will invite Parked to respond, and THEN we will close the issue.

Is that a compromise?

 

[ApOsTle51]

That is grossly unfair. The separation of suppliers and members has always been the no.1 priority in my mind - the decisions about how the forum is run has always been made with member input, this place is still at its core about giving members the ability to make their own minds up about products with the widest possible amount of information.

Trogg is absolutely wrong about the forum. But then he ACTUALLY has vested interests in doing this place down, doesn't he?

Why anyone would take seriously a comment about this place's commercialisation from Trog - a man making money from the e-cig - is totally beyond me. But hey, it takes all sorts to make a world.

I will continue to improve the forum, and I hope you all continue with the input that is so valuable in making it what it is.

SJ , not being funny here , but i do believe Trog was saying this long before he became a supplier/manufacturer. Once upon a time he was just 'one of us'. If that isn't the case which i'm sure it is , i'm happy to retract and apologize.

 

[Oliver]

SJ , not being funny here , but i do believe Trog was saying this long before he became a supplier/manufacturer. Once upon a time he was just 'one of us'. If that isn't the case which i'm sure it is , i'm happy to retract and apologize.

Um, isn't that kinda similar to what people are accusing Parked of?

 

[ApOsTle51]

Um, isn't that kinda similar to what people are accusing Parked of?

hehe similar on a very wide tangent. I don't believe trog did video reviews of any sort to inform the potential customer , certainly not do negative reviews of the competition.
another example and I'll get flamed for this , but look at Imeothnasis attack on trog and all that ensued 'outside' , then low and behold a month later Imeo creates the Screwdiver competitor, long term commercial stratagy or just coincedence.
Swings and roundabouts.

 

[Kate]

No, Kate, the guy has explained his reviews but you continue to doubt him. Now, you may be right, you may be off the mark, I haven't got a clue, but the continued attack goes beyond a normal skeptical analysis and into something else entirely.

And you called him a conman!! If that's not character assassination, then what is?

Could someone please write a list of questions that still remain unanswered, in this thread. I will invite Parked to respond, and THEN we will close the issue.

Is that a compromise?

I seriously question your judgement on this Joe, you're covering up the indefensible.

I've been called much worse than a conman for much less cause, did you step in to protect my character? Why not? I believe he is and has said so by admitting that at least 25% of his reviews were made and posted when he had vested interests that he didn't declare.

This is the question I've been trying to get answered from the beginning and have been fobbed off and attacked for it:

Why did he post reviews of products he knew he was going to sell without making his bias clear and why did he want to keep his product reviews on the review board when he was found out?

As for shutting us up, if someone wants to say something it'll spill out somewhere even if you close another discussion.

EDIT
Parked's explanation of his reviews was 'that's who I am'. What does that mean?

 

[Oliver]

Oh give it a rest, Kate.

I've made a simple request in my previous post.

Could someone please write a list of questions that still remain unanswered, in this thread. I will invite Parked to respond, and THEN we will close the issue.

I think that's a reasonable compromise.