Formal apology to Barbara Bowman

Barbara BowmanI made several mistakes on the Wednesday, 27th of December 2006. One of which included accusing Barb Bowman of receiving an Acer Ferrari 5000 laptop from Microsoft and AMD. Later, I recognized I had made a mistake.

It’s true, I misunderstood information and did not verify my facts. Barb Bowman did not receive her Ferrari laptop computer from Microsoft. She did however receive it from AMD, but in a separate deal unrelated to the Microsoft review PC program. The machine she did receive from Microsoft as part of the review program was the Velocity Micro Media Center, which she fully disclosed in her post.

Since, she has received numerous threatening emails and comments on her blog as a result of my inaccurate information. I have caused her grief and other intangible losses which I cannot restore. Therefore, I’d like to make a public apology to her to reach out to those who’s made accusations against her based on incorrect information.

On the topic of threatening emails, I’m also the lucky recipients of many. Apparently, I’ve compromised my editorial integrity and objectivity, which I’ve never felt I had. You should probably stop reading this blog now.

24 insightful thoughts

  1. Apparently, I’ve compromised my editorial integrity and objectivity, which I’ve never felt I had. You should probably stop reading this blog now.

    Thats bull!

    I’ve always been a fan of how you write on this blog (your editorial style and sarcastic comments here and there) and you have never once compromised it.

    I didn’t take your Ferrari post in the sense that many people did – thinking you were taking a stab at Microsoft and the bloggers who received it but more as you just having your take on it like you do everything.

    I’ll keep reading as Long as you keep writing.

    Happy New Year too.

  2. Long, don’t worry bud, you keep blogging the way you blog and don’t look back. I’m told my mistakes I’ve made over at my own blog have compromised my own editorial integrity and objectivity as well (aka “Blog: compromised” LOL).

    I continue to get nasty comments, threatening emails as well. Don’t take it personally. I deserve the nasty comments and threatening emails MORE than you do, so send them my way LOL. But is these comments and emails going to stop my blogging? Hell no. I blogged about Microsoft stuff before and continue to do so. We need to move forward and keep talking and blogging about what excites us. Whether its Vista or say Apple’s stock option problems ;-(

    By the way you have in fact had editorial integrity and objectivity my friend. You had it. You still have it. And I don’t believe you will ever lose it.

    – Brandon

  3. Long,

    Anyone that got pissed was a new visitor from Digg.com. The rest of us want you to stay the way you are.

    The public and complete apology on your blog shows the integrity that everyone says you lack. Shows that everyone that’s been giving you crap is an idiot.

    Put this behind you. And I’ll see you @ CES!

    -Robert

  4. Long, you are sounded disolusioned lately. Stop! You are too good at this blogging thing to let a couple of idiots get you down. Everybody gets free stuff, and readers know who to trust, especially as long as they are open and honest with everyone, including themselves. There are a lot of loud idiots on the net and in the blogosphere, but most of them aren’t your readers. Most of your readers just see the free laptop as validation of the fact that you are doing a great job, good enough that a PR firm noticed.

  5. NO way I am going to unsubscribe from you unethical biased blog 😀 just kidding don’t let people down. At least your open and frank on issues

  6. Long, stay the way you are… I agree with Robert McLaws the ones that are pissed off are the ones from digg your loyal readers don’t care that you got a freebie you deserve it keep up the good work! The reason I read blogs like yours, Barbs and mstech today because they are written by people with opinions and not News Editors

  7. Hey Long.
    Yours is one of the few blogs I read. Things can’t be too bad if people want to give you a $5000 computer.
    Keep on trucking…

  8. long i love your blog, just add whoever threatens you to the blocked list in your mail, its better to just ignore stupid people… i write a blog, pretty rushed and poorly written and im biased as hell to microsoft and i’ll admit it, but of course i get sony fans on my site emailing me and trashing my comments just for the hell of it… when did blogs stop being about personal opinions? if people want 100% accurate and “supposedly” unbiased opinions they should go to CNN or NBC or something… BLOGS NEWS Stations.

    Love your blog, as well as the other MS Enthusiast sites (we all know the tight nit group im talkin about ;)) can’t wait to see the CES coverage from the various groups wish i could have gone 🙁

  9. Hey Long, you have nothing to worry about!

    It was thanks to you the truth came out! It’s only those that were trying to be dishonest and lie to their readers (Mr Brandon LeBlanc) who are, understandably, getting most of the heat. And so they should. Do they think we are fools?

    I will keep reading your blog. No worries!

  10. Hey, how come Microsoft doesn’t give ME a lap top?

    All I do is blog great articles about Microsoft’s internal filings with the Federal Communications Commission (U.S.). My site discloses Microsoft policy objectives in 2007 around unlicensed devices, “white space,” set top box regulation, video franchising, the works.

    See http://www.lasarletter.net/drupal/node/261

    Plus lots of blogging about AT&T and Clear Channel. So where’s my DS-3 line? Where’s my weekend with the Dixie Chicks? I WANT A VOLVO!

    llfcc.net

  11. I heard that WalMart is having a post-xmas sale on surplus Editorial Integrity for only $19.95 – manual not included, so blame them if you can’t figure out how to use it, or try searching for the PDF on Google. Unfortunately Editorial Objectivity is an optional extra that is not a stocked item, have you tried looking on eBay? Aparently you can buy anything on there…

    As for those offending emails – there’s a hidden setting on your server, goto Control Panel – Spam Settings – tick “Automatically replace offending emails”, then click Yes to Reboot Server. Note that this actually deletes ALL incoming emails and replaces them with ads for Viagra. Offending emails or Viagra ads…i dunno…take your pick

  12. I have met “Barb”, exchanged email with her and watched her in action. From my experience with her, who cares if you made a mistake. She bullied my company to giving her evaluation hardware or else she’d make negative comments our products on her “Expert Zone” column.

    Meeting some of her MVP friends it seems that she’s a real pr!ck even in the ‘private’ newsgroups or whatever the MVP folks use to drink from the Microsoft firehose.

    Long you should shouldn’t have to appologize for things you say about a bully.

  13. I know I am rather late, but I reckon that Barbara lady doesn’t deserve any apologies whatsoever, especially off decent and civilized people such as yourself! 🙂

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