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Pogue and the Bogusness of Advanced Gadget Reviews

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the i-don't-think-bogusness-is-a-word dept.

Jordan Golson writes "New York Times gadget reviewer David Pogue got into an email back-and-forth with Valleywag after he was tricked into writing an article by advance misinformation on a pre-launch product. In theory, it's good for reviewers to test and write up products before release day, so consumers can make informed choices. In practice, Pogue and we wish the industry standard would change." Personally I think this is why blogs are great- if a product sells 100,000 units, it only takes a few dozen bloggers to encounter problems for the truth to come out. Of course, that doesn't help you if you want to pre-order.

6 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Ouch. by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Isn't the best solution to not write about it until it can at least be tested? Why does Pogue, or for that matter, any reviewer, have to beat the release date so badly on such an obscure product? So nobody knows about a product when it's actually released, that's not such a bad thing for everyone, except maybe for the company in question if they have predatory intent.

    I think it's important to wait and not rush. I'm happy to let the early adopters try stuff out first for a few months.

  2. Well Done, I say! by Gazzonyx · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I think it was awfully big of Pogue to openly admit the prices were wrong (despite it not being his fault that the company essentially lied to him), and address the issue, rather than submitting a correction that would get filed on the back page.


    He could have also put his hands in his pockets and whistled while rocking back and forth, and hoped no one noticed or said anything. It's rare to see journalists point out when they're wrong (I'm glaring at you, Dvorak!), without being at knife point.

    --

    If I mod you up, it doesn't necessarily mean I agree with what you've said, sorry.

  3. Read with caution by MasterVidBoi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    if a product sells 100,000 units, it only takes a few dozen bloggers to encounter problems for the truth to come out

    And the corollary: It only takes a few anecdotes to tarnish a generally reliable product.

  4. Consumer Reports only reports on buyable stuff by Animats · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Consumer Reports only reports on products they can buy at retail. They barely even talk to manufacturers. And not only do they make money, they're one of the very few magazines on the web people actually pay for.

  5. Ridiculous by Procasinator · · Score: 5, Interesting

    He asked a company for it's pricing and he was supplied with the wrong pricing. For what reason would the prices be wrong? A complete non-story, Pogue did nothing wrong. Releasing prices to the general public is a good thing, not something that should be discouraged. People want to know the price of products like PS3, iPhone and charges of using features of it before they are released, even if only a guideline.

  6. Oh really? by dgun · · Score: 5, Funny

    David Pogue writes whatever you tell him to

    I'll keep that in mind. The next time I piss my wife off, I'll have him write an apology.

    You can't top an apology written in the NYT. Unless I can get some putz at the Wall Street Journal...

    --
    FAQs are evil.