Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Maybe if you don't respond..... "B. D. Colen" wrote: > I know that some people are going to giggle, others are going to to choke, > but, please....to paraphrase serial arrestee Rodney King -;-) - > > Can't we all just...LET THIS DAMN THREAD DIE? > > B. D. > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Dante > Stella > Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 11:40 AM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: Re: [Leica] Erwin Puts > > I find it interesting that a lot of Europeans on the LUG get their stomachs > in a knot when someone asks questions about conflict of interest. Is it > that Americans have different ideas about what a conflict of interest is? > > In the United States, the concept of a conflict of interest is impropriety > or the *appearance* of impropriety. You don't have to actually be > influenced (or lie) by whatever drives the conflict -- it just needs to look > like that possibility exists. Call it a vestige of Anglo-Saxon epistemology > (versimilitude), but it is a very powerful thing here. In American courts, > routinely get removed from juries for being 4th cousins to parties in a > case, sometimes for being of the same profession as a party. In American > corporations, board members are required to disclose conflicts when the > company enters certain transactions. Some examples of apparent conflicts I > have seen (and in relation to various reviewers): > > o being given equipment, such as with Serial #0001 by a manufacturer; > > o injecting references to products you sell in reviews of other products; > > o receiving equipment on indefinite loan. > > One way to mitigate the appearance of a conflict -- and give your readers a > chance to evaluate it -- is to disclose it. To his credit, Erwin actually > does disclose a potential conflict right on his Leica page: > > "Special thanks to Odin BV (Leica distributor in the Netherlands) for > lending me lenses and other equipment for as long as I like or need." > > For BD, Erwin does not have to disclose other potential sources of conflict > (i.e., junkets, paid trips) unless they exist. Be this as it may, it is > completely appropriate for Erwin to answer questions about these things -- > since it would actually *enhance* its credibility. > > For Erwin (and others) to conclude that such questions are "too personal" or > "attacks" only raises more doubts in the minds of the doubtful. While it is > true that people are entitled to privacy, it is also true that they lose > claim to that privacy when they come out in public (the M7 review also > appears on a web site) and make statements that they expect to be believed > by others. Cross-examination is a normal and healthy part of truth-finding. > People don't have to answer questions about their credibility or personal > conflicts, but they shouldn't expect anyone to accept that refusal. > > As an aside, people wouldn't get so agitated (on both sides) if they spent > far less time worrying what others thought of equipment and spent more time > drawing their own conclusions. > > ------------ > Dante Stella > http://www.dantestella.com > > >> Also, I find it sad that Erwin's integrity is being questioned like this. > >> He certainly doesn't deserve this kind of treatment. > > > > I certainly got a very different "picture" of his character from that post > > he sent to his mailing list. I find it very interesting that some find > the > > questions asked of him egregious, but say nothing about the content of > that > > post. > > > > Austin > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html