The Big Shill......

[Tom Ellis <tomsmics@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It's good to see harp-L is back, and that many of the familiar names have
reappeared to share information with all of us.  

It's also not surprising to find that some have not, and may never return.
Before the digest went silent months ago many of us who are active in the
harmonica community, and have been for over a decade, were beginning to
tire of the presence of people who shamelessly used the digest as nothing
more than a chance to shill for their products, retail stores, etc.  For
the last year of the digest's previous life this became more and more
prevalent, and we tuned out rather than face the constant bombardment of
hype and hucksterism, much of it woefully untrue or based on inexperienced
opinion, that seemed to be one of the constants every day.  From what I've
seen over the last few weeks, and after the recent post from Rick Beall,
it's worse now than it ever was.

The list is a terrific way to share information and opinion, and I for one
am always interested to read about new products, amp techniques, new
recordings, and of course all the chatter about playing, technique, etc.
But if the list continues to show signs of what it has become--nothing more
than an advertising vehicle for some members--it will take on fewer
members, lose the respect of many here now, and degenerate into nothing
more than disguised SPAM.  Tom Ellis/Tom's Mics