Site Staff product review guidelines

[Moleculo]

We have received numerous questions about the rules or guidelines for product reviews on equipment that was donated to Site staff members in exchange for the review article. In particular, there have been questions about the disposition of any free equipment as well as what the "official position" of the site is with respect to these review articles. We now have a set of guidelines that the staff is going to do their best to follow.

Following are the portions of the guidelines that the members will be most interested in. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Staff Review Guidelines

• Reviews by staff are not to be presented as the "Official View" of worldwidedx.com, it's owners, or other staff. They are the sole opinion of the reviewer.
• Reviews by staff are subject to the same critique by members as any other user contributed review.
• Staff members may use their position in an attempt to obtain products from manufacturers for free or discount in exchange for a review article. However, all applicable FTC guidelines must be followed.
• Free or discounted products will not be exchanged or delivered to staff from manufacturers until the site owner has had an opportunity to establish a working agreement with the manufacturer concerning the nature of the relationship with the site.
• Product given for free to staff for review becomes property of the site. The disposition of the equipment will be determined by the disposition policy in affect at the time.
• If a manufacturer decides to give a discount on a product in exchange for the review, the product will be paid for by the site owner and then delivered to the reviewer. Other arrangements may be made on a case by case basis with approval of the site owner.
• Any staff that makes arrangements with a manufacturer for a review in exchange for equipment that fails to provide the review in the time frame agreed upon must do one of the following:
  • return the equipment to the manufacturer
  • send list price payment to the manufacturer
  • send the equipment to the site owner

Current Free Equipment Disposition policy

• After the review is completed, the equipment will be given away as a site contest prize to Premium Members.
• On occasion, the equipment may be retained by the staff with approval from the site owner.

Note:
Worldwidedx.com does not endorse any product/review exchanges between manufacturers and non-staff members written and posted on this site.

Remember, staff members do not hold their positions as a result of being an "expert" on any particular radio related subject. Our jobs are to ensure that the site performs properly, spammers & hackers are blocked, and appropriate moderation is applied. Our public comments and opinion on equipment are held in no higher regard than any other member's opinion. The great thing about the radio hobby is that it's a never ending learning process, but we need to remember that everyone in the hobby is at a different place in that process. We promote our hobby best by educating each other, not criticizing each other. Everyone should always appreciate the time and effort that it takes for anyone to write detailed review articles for the benefit of others, even if you might have a different opinion to share.

 

[GLR]

respect

 

[loosecannon]

my name is LooseCannon and i approve these guidelines.

it might be a good idea for these guidelines to be posted at the bottom of any review done by the site staff.
just an idea.
LC

 

[packrat]

One question...

Reviewed items will be given away except when they are not given away?

 

[Moleculo]

One question...

Reviewed items will be given away except when they are not given away?

Right It's the general rule, but there will be exceptions. Here's an example of an exception, but there will be others: If a person has to go to some expense to put together a system do a review, it doesn't make much sense to ask them to give away a key piece of the system. A yagi review is a good example - If you have to put up a tower, rotor, coax etc. to write an article about the yagi, it doesn't make sense to ask that person to give up the antenna if they would like to keep it.

Sometimes it might be nice to provide some incentive for reviewers to continue to want to do them...they are a lot of work, after all. "Don't muzzle the ox that treads the corn..." is a passage that comes to mind.

As was written in the guidelines, the disposition of the equipment will be determined by the "current guidelines". They may change out of necessity.

 

[pro151]

"Site Owner" has posted the guidelines. They sound reasonable and fair to me. They are also crystal clear. IMHO, this should be the beginning of the end of the arguments.
I have stayed clear of the argument in the other thread and intend to keep it that way. The only comment I will make is that if I ever get pissed at at moleculo or and admin or mod I will start the discussion via PM first.
You may not respect Moleculo or any of the other staff, but you should respect their position.
I know, I know, and yes you are correct.
I am old.