Please elaborate so I can ensure I'm reflecting more trustworthy information. Not sure what else I can do other than literally work my full time job in the specialty industry, disallow affiliate links, etc.

The new burr will be capable of both. I'm hoping to get it soon. But, seems people here may not give a hoot what I have to say about them ha!

Lance for me it's about showing and not saying. So when one state one isn't affiliated one also needs to prove it by simply providing evidence of such statements on the table. There way to many examples of "influencers" stating such and it later shows up not to be entirely true.

Youtubers and influencers are generally massively funded by sponsors, advertisements. They get free products where some are send in for free for review. Youtubers rarely pay up front and history has shown that very easily to screw with opinions etc. for example not telling when something less flattering shows up in testing because the reviewer then risk being excluded or downplaying the severity of said issue or makings the product better then it is.

There good reason why I generally don't trust YouTubers/influencers all that much. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy their content, watch it or appreciate it, but that I'm always sceptical especially when it comes to products reviews.

My remarks regarding April and Hoffmann was more in regards to them both getting good results at competitions and are well regarded in the coffee industry, also you know what "style" these represent so everything can be put into that context.

Also I have nothing against your personality, I don't know you so why should I?

malling wrote:Lance for me it's about showing and not saying. So when one state one isn't affiliated one also needs to prove it by simply providing evidence of such statements on the table. There way to many examples of "influencers" stating such and it later shows up not to be entirely true.

Youtubers and influencers are generally massively funded by sponsors, advertisements. They get free products where some are send in for free for review. Youtubers rarely pay up front and history has shown that very easily to screw with opinions etc. for example not telling when something less flattering shows up in testing because the reviewer then risk being excluded or downplaying the severity of said issue or makings the product better then it is.

There good reason why I generally don't trust YouTubers/influencers all that much. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy their content, watch it or appreciate it, but that I'm always sceptical especially when it comes to products reviews.

My remarks regarding April and Hoffmann was more in regards to them both getting good results at competitions and are well regarded in the coffee industry, also you know what "style" these represent so everything can be put into that context.

Also I have nothing against your personality, I don't know you so why should I?

To be fair though, how does anyone reasonably provide proof to support a negative statement - i.e. that he is NOT being financed by affiliations? Surely even a blogger isnt expected to have to publicly post his income tax returns in order to be taken seriously?

It occurs to me that one way that influencers can provide more credibility is to adopt a business model like how hoffman uses his patreon account. If he is paid and sponsored to buy equipment for his reviews by his audience, then his interests are now objectively aligned wirh those of his audience and he is less dependent on sponsorships by manufacturers.

Lancehedrick wrote:This crushes fuji and xeoleo 78mm.

Hi, Lance. Since I very much enjoy coffee from my Fuji (and Apex before that), this kind of hyperbole gets my attention. Please clarify! I'm skeptical because (a) I don't get the astrigency you mention you experienced with the Fuji you borrowed in your ghost burr video a while back and (b) AFAIK you don't have the Fuji on the counter next to your Sculptor for side-by-side taste tests. My perception is that you leap to judgment. Then again, I've held off on comparing my Fuji and Apex for almost two years for various reasons, so maybe I'm just overly cautious.

Primacog wrote:To be fair though, how does anyone reasonably provide proof to support a negative statement - i.e. that he is NOT being financed by affiliations? Surely even a blogger isnt expected to have to publicly post his income tax returns in order to be taken seriously?

It occurs to me that one way that influencers can provide more credibility is to adopt a business model like how hoffman uses his patreon account. If he is paid and sponsored to buy equipment for his reviews by his audience, then his interests are now objectively aligned wirh those of his audience and he is less dependent on sponsorships by manufacturers.

This will be my last remark regarding this, as we are getting way out of subject.

Yes publishing accounts is really one of the only good way to show it etc. more and more companies are actually starting to do so and we are seeing a more and more open approach to this and many other aspects of running a business. That said I don't demand it of anyone, just pointing out that is what it requires before I'll fully trust them.

A mid way is as you write to introduce a business model like that of Hoffmann in regards to reviewing products where it's funded by patreon subscribers, removing the manufacturer out of the equation and the affiliation with those. It's not entirely without issue either. But it dos help in regards to the problem I described above.