I agree with full disclosure, but that doesn't mean that manufacturers and dealers aren't held to a higher standard than are regular members here. I understand that everyone has their own opinion about equipment -- and indeed, regarding just about everything -- but disclosing facts and fishing for commercial transactions are two very different things.
I LOVE that there are representatives from various companies here, and hope this continues on Wetpixel. But if you sell equipment and have ever written something like, "PM me for more info," you are in violation of what I consider to be acceptable conduct. I consider that to be overt commercialism; after all, you could just have easily PM'ed that user instead of going public.
I'd say that the line for manufacturers and dealers, when writing about any product they might sell or represent, is the use of subjective adjectives. So while you may state facts, you may not then embellish your statement with an adjective that is not based on fact or published data.
There is a blurry area, and that space includes posts about what you have in stock, and when things are shipping. I'd say that it is acceptable for a manufacturer to chime in to say that a product has rolled off of the production line and to check with dealers for inventory, but it isn't right for a dealer to say that they have something in stock. And this sort of thing is only OK when there is an existing discussion about it -- when users really want the information.
Of course, you can always PM people who are interested in product. This is fine, as long as you don't abuse PM and turn yourself into a spammer.
Another factor we take into consideration is the level of historical participation at Wetpixel. If someone who is part of our community -- someone who has been helpful to countless underwater photographers out there via Wetpixel forums -- slips up and writes something on edge of being too commercial, we'll often let it go. But if someone is an uninvolved member and comes here only to sell a brand, we're going to come down hard on them immediately.
I agree that most of our readers are intelligent and can sift through overtly commercial posts and give them their worth, but I don't want Wetpixel to turn into a place where vendors can drag down the conversation by trying to sell things.
Also, *we* at Wetpixel get to be commercial. Wetpixel gets to talk about the expeditions that we run and the products we sell (t-shirts, magazines, etc.). And for the most part, moderators and administrators get to have their own opinions unless they are clearly tied by employment to a particular manufacturer or dealer. This may be unfair, but since this forum belongs to Wetpixel, that's part of the deal. Of course, moderators have to be careful because there may be repercussions to their opinions, but that is for me to deal with (I've gotten in trouble when mods have badmouthed products or operators -- and, indeed, when I have been critical myself).
I'm glad this is all coming out now, in discussion form. We have had to approach specific people for years to ask them not to be overtly commercial. Most see our point and are happy knowing that we are here trying to moderate the level of industry representation allowable, but some folks just outright disagree with us... and that is unfortunate.
