About Reviews, Disclosures, and Free Stuff.

One thing we’re doing on this site is reviews — of places to visit, things to see, stuff to eat and drink, toys, gadgets and goodies. It’s all about helping people find things they’re interested in and improving life around us in little ways.

Our review policy is simple: a review is an opinion of the author who wrote it. We will not accept compensation to write a positive review. We won’t review things we don’t use and like.

We don’t promise to review something because we’re asked to. We will review something because we think it deserves some publicity and visibility. Our strong preference, for what it’s worth, is to not review something rather than trash it — excpt when we think it really deserves trashing. That said, you’ll find a predeliction towards positive reviews here, because life is too short to waste it on stuff that isn’t up to snuff. I’d rather not finish a book than finish it and write a bad review, because I can then spend that time on something more rewarding — I don’t find negative reviews fun and rewarding, although there are things and people that prove themselves worthy of a good beat down, and when I run into one, I’ll happily oblige (hint: you probably don’t want to be that thing or person).

Disclosing compensation and conflicts

Our policy on compensation and conflicts is simple: I have no problem if someone wants to entice us to review something by sending it to us or otherwise spending a few bucks to promote it to us. We believe not in refusing these things, but in disclosing them so you can decide whether or not it affects the legitimacy of the review.

Any compensation or complication that might impact a review will be disclosed, within reason. That means if a restaurant gives us a free meal and we write about it, we’ll note the freebie. Ditto if we get a gadget and are allowed to keep it after the review instead of sending it back — those things will be disclosed.

At the same time, I don’t believe in disclosing every little thing; if you honestly believe our opinion can be bought by a free dessert or appetizer, a free T-shirt, or some other small trinket, then please, don’t read this site, because you’ll be disappointed. (on the flip side, if you’re someone who thinks we can be bought by a free dessert or appetizer, don’t ask us to review you…)

Don’t be surprised if you see thing sent to us turned into prizes and giveaways here on the site. But don’t be surprised if I keep the best stuff for myself, at least until this place starts paying for itself. Assuming anyone actually sends us stuff, of course.

Undisclosed conflicts

Our rule on undisclosed conflicts is simple: if someone writes a review for us and we find out later that there was undisclosed compensation or some kind of conflict that we didn’t know about, we will disclose it once we have proof of the conflict, we will update the article in question to note the conflict, we will flag every piece written by that person as having not disclosed a conflict in violation of our rules, and that will be the last thing that person writes for that site.

Want us to review something?

Well, that’s simple: drop us an email and tell us about it, and why we (and the readers here) should know about it.

Want to send us something for review?

We strongly recomment you contact us first; if we aren’t interested, it saves you the hassle and cost of  sending things that’ll get ignored, or worse, laughed at (and ignored). We cannot guarantee that things sent to us without prior arrangements will be returned or acknowledged (the more expensive the thing is, the more likely it’ll disappear on the UPS truck, ya know? So don’t send us stuff cold — we won’t be responsible for it).

Embargos? NDAs? Secret meetings in parking lots at 11PM?

If we haven’t agreed to it, we won’t be held to it. Just because you send it to us and tell us its embargoed doesn’t mean we feel beholden to it. If you ask us to embargo something AND WE AGREE, we’ll abide by it. If you send it to us before we agree, that’s your problem, not ours.

Consider this our small way to discourage companies from hiring stupid and lazy PR people.

Want us to sign an NDA? We may. Maybe. Depends on what it is and why it needs and NDA, and what the scope of the NDA is. Again, nothing exists unless we agree to it, and the best way to get something published by us is to send it to us and tell us that because we got it, we’re under NDA. Happy to work WITH you on things. Not so interested in people dictating terms unilaterally.

Want to buy our opinion?

You can’t afford us. Well, you probably can, but it’d be cheaper to put that money to building better products than funding our retirement. What, you think we come cheap? Silly boy.