Newcomers: Get Lost!

There is nothing for sale at the Antiques Mining Company site. Actually, I've enjoyed many of Judith Katz-Schwartz's articles. What's so 'shameless' about her pointing people in the direction of her site? And no one's forcing you to take that link, after all.

Josie - if you are this firm in your belief that Judith is blatantly violating the principles of this newsgroup, please also avoid all references here that point someone to ANY website. Especially something that may have a banner ad. And never go to Yahoo! or AltaVista.

Kris (Who is like Diogenes...but searching to find ANY website that does not have one tiny indication that whoever prepared it could - gasp! - profit from it in some manner

Kris; I generally respect your opinion and your well thought out arguments, but in this regard you are being sophistic. There is a big difference between somebody visiting a website with an advertising banner and somebody visiting a page were somebodys paycheck is automatically escalated based on the 'hit' alone. Surely you see the the direct cause and effect. If anything this is even more bothersome than the commercial ad where if I don't like the product I have the option of not buying it. In this case Judith gets paid just by me clicking my mouse. I stand by 'shameless.' -Judith can jump in here anytime.

(but left out my comment)

Gee, packrat

We all started somewhere, and the way people treat newcomers will be the way newcomers treat YOU and the customers in the future

OK Kris, I am glad to see that you finally admit that Judith is using the newsgroup for financial gain. Now, why is she allowed to use it for that purpose when others are not??

Obviously the last vestiges of your dying argument is to accuse me of having some personal 'grudge.' I thought you would have been above it. I don't know Judith other than that she seems to be well respected and is very knowledgeable, and I don't care a wit about the Mining Company. I make a VERY respectable living doing what I do best (and it has nothing to do with antiques) and wish the same for others. HOWEVER, 'personally' I hoped that this newsgroup was about 'collecting.' I love collecting. I love antiques. What I don't love is constantly being panhandled by every dealer or self proclaimed antiques expert. I hoped that this newsgroup was a sanctuary from the business of antiques and more about the antiques themselves.

Judith may be a terrific person and probably is, but in this case what she is doing is just plain WRONG and it's as simple as THAT.

P.S. (sophistry-a piece of plausible but false reasoning) You see-no insult at all.

This topic has really taken off.I am the person that wrote the original letter to Judith and would like to say that she took the time to answer all of my questions. Did she profit from taking the time to answer my questions?? I doubt it !! Did it take her time that she otherwise could have used to be making money??I would think so!!.Anyway Thanks Judith.

and now back to our previously scheduled thread

Here's another URL for you r.a. readers, where you will find that all the URLs posted in This Newsgroup do wind up somewhere where they will do the posters (hidden advertisers!) the most good:
http://www.ar.com/ger/rec.antiques.html

So who is NOT advertising now.. ?

Isabelle B.