Frank Williams weighs in on Farago's decision to accept advertising on TTAC, discussing the impact it's had on other publications' Chinese Wall. As for our own two cents, Farago's never had much of a problem telling folks to go screw themselves, so we think it'll be an interesting experiment. At the same time, Williams' assertions about the leaks in the dike, from our experience, are pretty true, especially on the enthusiast-oriented end of things.
Having done time on that side of the business, while there are some great people involved in it, the publishers don't pay the writers enough to stay unbiased about things (if I don't have a new carburetor, I won't be able to get to work, so sure, I'll write wonderful things about this piece of crap you're about to hand me!) and tend to dictate editorial via the ad reps. The web is starting to break down the walls, but there's a ways to go. We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, go check out Williams' screed.
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