I am not an ethicist, as John apparently is. However I truly do not
see any problem with any supplier (hobbiest or commercial) posting a
list response to a request for a Healey part with a message to the
effect that "we've got 'em". I have never seen BCS, for example,
quote either a part number or a price, just a "we've got 'em". And to
me, knowing that there is a source for a Healey part is a valuable
piece of information.
It is all very well to send people to the monster list, but the
monster list had a whole lot of out of date info the last time I
checked it (the long gone Austin Healey Store in LA, for example, from
which BCS bought most of the stock). The monster list is a useful
source of info but I wouldn't want to have it be my only source. Just
wading through all the MG and Triumph specialists to find Healey stuff
is a challenge.
People just getting into this hobby will benefit from more accessible
info. People who already know what BCS has can hit the delete key
without reading.
Obviously this is just my opinion, but I couldn't let matters rest
without speaking up.
-Roland Wilhelmy
BN1 #724
On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 19:17:14 -0500, you wrote:
::Personnally, I have always wondered why some vendors--who participate on the
::list--don't hawk their stuff and others do.
::
::The rules are pretty clear. Any description of a part number and a price on
::an e-mail shotgunned to the list does constitute advertising.
::
::Understand, gentlemen, that the manager of this list gets NO reimbursement
::for any of the activities on this list. And that includes financial
::transactions that occur as a result of list postings. This list should not
::be a vehicle for profit unless that profit is shared with the list manager.
::
::I guess one could argue that because the entity in question--BCS--provides
::enough gratis advice that they, too, should receive some element of
::compensation. That would be up to them to decide. But the underlying
::premise that advertising one's products and business on someone else's
::resource without fair compensation to the manager of that resource, is not
::the most fair practice.
::
::God bless those who volunteer their efforts to contributing to this list.
::God bless more those who contribute without expecting financial advantage.
::
::I think the best option is for listers to keep posting requests and having
::vendors respond directly to the requestor off the list.
::
::Now, what constitues a vendor?
::
::Just my .02
::
::John Rued
::Ethicist
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