Reverend said:
ByteMe, you're essentially talking about a lot of "if" scenarios.
I don't particularly care about other websites and what folks think of them. But you said that "even the holy B3D has some bias". I'd like you to back that up. Read all our reviews/articles/etc. Pick up anything we wrote that you regard as us having "bias". Be specific.
All the while knowing we get all these video cards/hardware/whathaveyous for "free".
If you can do this, hence proving your understanding/definition of what "bias" is or how it can happen, then you've made your point. If you can't, then all that you've offered are nothing but baseless speculations or just a whole lot of beer-talk.
Remember, I don't care about other sites, just ours.
First off my discussion about bias is not directed at B3D, but at the industry in general. The principle applies to everything in life.
Some of you think I immediatly lable anyone that has ever taken a card as extremely biased. I have never said this.
My arguement is very simple... You can not accept any gift regardless of value without the appearance of bias. It is a VERY simple conflict of interest, and thus easily made into black and white issue.
I would also say that anyone that does take a card is in fact biased. This bias could be very small but it is still there.
bi·as P Pronunciation Key (bs)
n.
A line going diagonally across the grain of fabric: Cut the cloth on the bias.
A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.
An unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice.
A statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some outcomes over others.
Sports.
A weight or irregularity in a ball that causes it to swerve, as in lawn bowling.
The tendency of such a ball to swerve.
The fixed voltage applied to an electrode.
Do you see anywhere in the definition where it states how much of an preference it takes to make a bias? NO.
Now the question is how much of a bias is acceptable? I would suggest the goal should be ZERO. Since real life does not work this way a zero bias is just a goal.
So then my next question would be why accept ANY influence for a bias by taking a card? The "weaker" people will argue that this is what some have to do to survive/make it. Bull pucky, that is just a coop-out.
Another thing is a slight bias is not always such an evil thing. But then this goes back to the question on just how much bias is acceptable.
Reverend, the reason a bias is bad is because of the difficulity it can be for everyone else to detect. And do you really want me go search through the forumns to find every little hint of a bias? I would find many, but all of them would be arguable and fairly petty.
SO, why take the chance of even just the APPEARANCE of bias (or even a slight bias) by accepting the cards?