Sorry, if my original post wasn't clear. It's a genuine question. Sorry, that you had to
infer the questions. I wasn't very specific. Basically, the is are a couple of statements and some questions:
Statements
S1./ You've built a great site, with a good reputation (excluding the few problems we've had recently
) and a forum with lots of members. Congratulations on a job well done! I also think you are sorting out the mod/admin protocol which is a good thing!
S2./ Running a site like this costs a lot of time and money: i) server hosting, and ii) paying your news-posters the fee you pay for news items, iii) possibly (but dont know the details of this), some kind of "reward" for the time put in by mods and admins.
S3./ Keeping on top of technology costs even more money: i) getting hardware, ii) visiting trade shows, iii) buying plane tickets etc.
S4./ I assume you've built up TPU such that it breaks-even, or makes a small profit, or a small loss. But CERTAINLY, you have income (either cash or hardware) to cover many/most of your costs
S5./ There has been a big political debate on the internet, especially with news-bloggers and review sites, where "paid for reviews" or advertiser/sponsors get press-releases out onto forums fast, or get, let's call it, slightly biased comment/review, etc.
The Questions are these:
Q1./ What is TPU's official standing regarding sponsorship, advertising, paid-for-reviews, free-hardware, turning "news" into a RSS marketing channel for manufacturers (basically, news just becomes press-releases for sponsors or preferred companies or preferred sources).
Q2./ What sources of income, or freebies, do you have, and which companies provide them to TPU? Or is it a secret?
Q3./ What's TPU's policy on reviews and forum comments relating to sponsors or advertisers?
Q4./ When you credit a review with the reviewer's name, why are there not other credits, like "hardware gifted by..." (ie. not returned)or "hardware on loan from..." (ie. you have to return it)? Or other such statement that indicates the tacit support from the supplier?
Q5./ TPU lives on its credibility. Credibility DOESNT have to mean complete 100% independence. But rather, clarity and all facts related to interested parties being disclosed. What's TPU's policy on this?
Please note these questions are not to try to be "difficult" but to obtain some information on how TPU has matured over the last years, and how it compares to other sites.
Thanks for your contribution.
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