From: pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com (Dillon Pyron)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Skin Diver Magazine
Date: 28 Jul 92 21:24:08 GMT
Reply-To: pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com
Organization: TI/DSEG VAX Support


In article <1992Jul27.215258.26201@hubcap.clemson.edu>, mjs@hubcap.clemson.edu (M. J. Saltzman) writes:
>In article <1992Jul27.194420.19990@dale.ksc.nasa.gov> sdavis@laforge.ksc.nasa.gov (Steve Davis) writes:
>>Peter Rigsbee writes
>>> I don't remember seeing SDM ever presenting themselves as providing objective
>>> and comparative evaluations of equipment or locations (or if they did, I
>>> knew enough to ignore it! ;-)  And I haven't tried to use it as such.  I
>>> realize that some people will, and that is unfortunate.

But they do present themselves as a trustworthy, reliable source of
information!  Even their subhead implies that!  And their new "awards" also
imply that some sort of objective judging is going on.

>>
>>  IMHO, the fact that they label an article as an equipment review, including 
>>accounts of actual use by the magazine staff, blatantly presents the image of 
>>objectivity.  What I'm looking for is a Consumer-Reports-style journal that  
>>lists the good with the bad, comparing equipment between brands rather than  
>>within one brand.  The fact that many divers take the word of infomercials in 
>>SDM as responsible evaluations is not only unfortunate; it's potentially  
>>tragic.
>>
>
>To some extent, it is only reasonable to expect this kind of behavior
>from mags that accept advertising; after all, offending their advertisers
>may lead directly to loss of revenue.  There may be better ways to handle

I subscribe to plenty of magazines that have no qualms about knocking a bad
product.  Last year, Undercurrents ran an interview with Bill Gleason, in which
he basically admitted that they didn't run negative reviews.  If the product
didn't measure up to their standards, they didn't publish the review.  This in
itself is only a little bad.  The problem is, it seems, that their standards
are "if you can't say anything good ...".

>it that SDM does (proposals, anyone?), and there may even be mags 
>available that do a better job than SDM, but the only way to get
>Consumer-Reports-level objectivity is to set up a Consumer Reports.
>They don't accept advertising and they don't allow their reviews to be
>quoted in advertisements.  They don't accept donations of review items
>or any other perqs.  They are funded entirely by subscriber fees and
>maybe foundation grants.  Is the diving community prepared to fund 
>a corresponding entity for ourselves?

There is a sailing mag titled The Practical Sailor.  Of late, they have gone
down hill, although I don't know how bad, as I've dropped my subscription.

Would I support one?  I don't know.  I personally do a lot of research before I
buy anything, but I rarely read CR.

>-- 
>		Matthew Saltzman
>		Clemson University Math Sciences
>		mjs@clemson.edu
>
--
Dillon Pyron                      | The opinions expressed are those of the
TI/DSEG Lewisville VAX Support    | sender unless otherwise stated.
(214)462-3556 (when I'm here)     |
(214)492-4656 (when I'm home)     | Lawyers are like nuclear warheads, every-
pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com          | body has some, and when you use them, they 
                                    f*ck everything up.
                                                  Danny DeVito, _OPM_
Newsgroups: rec.scuba