Hey all,

What do you all think about doing some product reviews and/or polls for many of the common hardware items we use?

I know that many threads ask about various products and whether they 'work' or are 'worth it'.

We could break it up by topic, such as filters, pumps, heaters, c02 equipment, lights, substrates, etc.

if we had a section for this that is easy to search, it may prove useful to us all, whether novice or experienced and may cut down on the many threads that ask for this info.

I know that I have submitted more than my share of enquiries of this type

Maybe that way we can take more advantage of the wide ranges of experience of the folks on the forum.

Tom, is this a section that can be added as a sub-forum? Do you think it would be worthwhile?

Appreciate your thoughts.

Hi, sure this can be done.

I think Greg and I will sit down and redo the subforum listings anyway, it's time.

My only concern is the liability issue. I prefer fair reviews, as best as folks can muster.
Discuss the benefits, the trade offs, what is known and what can be done to know more. If they offer nothing but snake oil replies, company "secret", well, then that's on them.

In most cases, it's best to just not say anything or go after anyone.

I have no vendors here, just the subscribers and perhaps a few members I might count as the "real vendors". So such review might carry more weight than anywhere else on the web.

There's no vendor bias here.

I suppose I have some myself, but a long history is my teacher there.
A history often missing with newer folks in the hobby. I know they can benefit from this perspective as well and would like to have such history of their own.
It would save them a lot of headache


I'm not a fan of polls, but that does not matter.
Other folks might be, tere's hardly a lack of anecdotal opinions about things on the web using google I guess I have some social science mixed in here to know more than perhaps I should. So I often come across somewhat crotchety about some things and ideas I've seen before.

Still, revamping the server and the sub forums is over due.
DIY projects should be included and "money savers".
I have a number of things to add to this group.

These are things that a new hobbyists can save asap in the hobby with DIY projects.

That's pretty valuable.

Regards,
Tom Barr

In regard to the liabiliy issue I believe there was a suit invoving Aquatic Plants Digest and a vendor. It got to the point where a defense fund was set up to defend those being sued by the vendor. I do not know any of the particulars, but it went on for some time.

Henry,
Read that complaint, I was one of those sued
The plaintiff got a beating from me and harassed me, but in the end, lost out far more than anything done to me. I won that fight.

Rare case with a nut, the web brings them out.

There is another case involving a web owner in the UK and a threat from a poster, not a business, rather, a big ranging egomanic who used the law there rather civil debate. He'll lose more than he gains for his ego and bullying use with the law.

It's already occurred. Neither ego manic was forced into suing or threatening etc, they had plenty of good choices, they just chose the wrong path Most vendors and businesses doing a decent job would never consider wasting their time with a consumer.

Anyway, maybe this weekend or something Greg and I will work something out.

Regards,
Tom Barr