I'm not a great fan of when someone comes on here asking for advice and some people always ask them to try my product even if it isn't wants always required (i.e. modded 2496...)...
I want to be able to draw upon their expertise without their products unduly colouring the ZG forum.
That would cause a problem for me because I sell products that resolve many of the issues my expertise covers. For example if someone is asking about new speakers and it is clearly a room mode problem I would recommend bass traps or a modified DEQ (I usually try to offer alternatives to my own products too).
This could be seen as touting on a thread where no-one had asked about my products, but in many cases I see people being lead down the completely wrong path to resolve their problem. The number of times I have seen people buying new cables or swapping a CD player or amp when they have a room issue is crazy. Should I just let this happen, so as not to be seen as pushing my wares on someone who has not asked for them? What if they think they know what they need, but don't really?
To a degree I'm sure the same applies for many dealers, who would not stock and sell what they do, if they thought there was better to be had elsewhere. So now they just have to bite their tung if they sell a great new product that would suit someone on the forum.
How would it stand if someone was looking for new cables to resolve what is clearly (to me at least) a room issue, and I generally suggest 'digital room correction' instead of my modified DEQ?
To be honest, what I would like to see is a forum that is based on hard scientific understanding, with little else tolerated. I'm sick of seeing wishy-washy crap and snake-oil misleading and confusing people. The forum should attract experts in digital processing, analog electronics, acoustics, mechanical engineering, recording techniques, materials science etc, etc.. That would make it a unique and worthwhile place to post.

A church of truth and understanding.