RE: microwave oven + eternal vigilance

From:Jim at ProSciTech <jim@proscitech.com>

Elfie, Gail and Tom, I think that you have missed the point:
I had reasons to think that a posting concerning instruments had been made by a 
person with a long standing commercial interest and without declaring that 
interest or showing his affiliation. It was a civic duty to query.
It turns out that the person no longer is in that business, so I apoligised and 
that should be the end of that. Now I am being challenged that
1	his advise was sound.
2	he is a good man.
3	my question was offensive or petty.
4	what does it matter?

In regards to points 1+2, they are irrelevant. People make good and bad 
statements in this forum, or they can be (as was I) unaware of certain facts. 
What matters is that the reader should be alerted to the possibility of a 
pecuniary interest. The reader can then make up their own mind on how much 
credence to give.
Adding a disclaimer does not make a statement worthless and what would be the 
alternative? Do you mean that only "good people" making "good points" are 
allowed to hide their interests? Look at the practicalities. Furthermore, good 
people can be blinded when their interests are at stake.

In relation to points 3+4: Its important to ask such questions (even risking to 
be wrong), we can not relay on the sysop's to pick up all offenders. My 
question would have been rightly offensive if the person in fact still was in 
that instrument sales business. Petty? What does it matter? Well, its part of 
histonets rules that we must add disclaimers etc. If you think that is petty, 
ask that the rules be changed.
I for one hope that will never happen. I would not want to be part of a 
discussion group were the greatest cheats and liars "win". Better believe, that 
would be the natural evolution of a listserver if you did away with such rules. 
Why do I have to preach "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance" to a forum 
that is predominantly American? Why was there no other opposition to the 
amazing opinions expressed as summarized in points 1-4?
Cheers
Jim Darley
ProSciTech                 Microscopy PLUS
PO Box 111, Thuringowa  QLD  4817  Australia
Ph +61 7 4774 0370  Fax:+61 7 4789 2313  service@proscitech.com
Great microscopy catalogue, 500 Links, MSDS, User Notes
ABN: 99 724 136 560                      www.proscitech.com

>---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
------------
Maybe he was at home! He did not push his products or his company.
     Gail Macke, HTL
     Cincinati, Ohio
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
--------------
 On Tuesday, October 31, 2000 3:56 AM, Thomas J. Kuwahara 
[SMTP:tom@resolve3d.com] wrote:
> OK for once let's stop the stupid personal jabs at competitors right
> here and now and act like professionals.  I get tired of these constant
> sophomoric antics by sales people at one another.  Doesn't the Histonet
> have a policy which would cut offenders off if they persist?
> Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>On Wednesday, November 01, 2000 5:13 AM, HACKERLAB@aol.com 
[SMTP:HACKERLAB@aol.com] wrote:
> In response to the following comment by Jim Darley:
>
> Below message would not be, by chance from Steven E Slap, President of Energy
>
> Beam Science and a purveyor of laboratory microwave ovens. Unless you have a
> very rare namesake: were was your disclaimer and why did you use a private
> email address.
> Cheers
> Jim Darley
>
> ProSciTech                 Microscopy PLUS
> PO Box 111, Thuringowa  QLD  4817  Australia
> Ph +61 7 4774 0370  Fax:+61 7 4789 2313  service@proscitech.com
> Great microscopy catalogue, 500 Links, MSDS, User Notes
> ABN: 99 724 136 560                      www.proscitech.com

> Dear Jim;
>
> Not to get in the middle of what seems a bit petty to begin with, but Steven
> Slap is not longer with EBS, and would he be, he certainly would have
> followed correct protocol. If nothing else, Steven has always been correct
> and continues to be so. As for his input, even if he were with EBS, I think
> it's sound, objective advise and favors no product in particular as far as I
> can see.
>
> So that's my 2 cents worth.
>
> All the best,
>
> Elfi Hacker
> Hacker Instruments & Industries Inc




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