I am aware of what you are referring to however, I did not believe the individual was trying to commercially trying to enter the forum. The individual was trying to educate those of us who were not familar with wasabi.

I believe some are oversensitive and I appreciate those who help us that are not familiar with all that help us do better.

Roadfood Staff, thanks for your help

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Let me make a couple points here:

#1. Owners do occasionally submit reviews to Roadfood.com. That is why I approve everything that gets posted to the review section of the site. I like to believe I am 99% effective in removing the garbage (it is generally easy to spot)

#2. Roadfood.com is a labor of love for Jane, Michael and I. I put in thousands of hours here because I enjoy being surrounded by millions of other people who all share a similar passion. It’s that formula that will make us survive much longer then the other dot coms you have heard of.

#3. We try to filter out as much of the commercializing on the forums. Things slip through my scan, but the active posters keep us on top of things.

I genuinely believe Michael Stern and Rushmore does this as a labor of love. I have yet to see a commercial except for the sale of a cook book or two. It ain’t like they are getting rich off the sale of some books.

If I were them, I would take it commercial. They have enough readers that are focused on just a few subjects.

I personally do not see how they can afford to do it like they do!

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I love this, verbal vomiting at its finest. Being on the north side of 50 I am quite familiar with Upton Sinclair and the slaughter house industry. Lived in Chicago as a youngin and worked in a slaughter house in my teens in Ohio, and currently slaughter my own cattle, sheep and chickens, and any game meat or fish I hunt or catch for home consumption, did one a horse once, not mine one year, was feeling very French. It didn’t taste like chicken, nor snake. It had more of an elk or moose taste and consistency Won’t talk about monkeys, and rats and little tiny deer, others can if they wish I wouldn’t eat a hotdog or bologna for years. I do now. What we forgot can’t hurt us.

The other side of Upton Sinclair would be Ayn Rand. Give it another read.

As to the use of this site for commercial purposes, I reiterate, do you honestly believe that the STERNS built this site for we the consumer for any other reason then to ultimately get us to consume. Certainly they want to entertain and inform, and to allow us to broaden our experiences and horizons, but they also want us to use and consume their products. What a perfect gimmick, I’m proud of them, they have a great method for getting their message out in a fun informative way. While I don’t know what their sales figures are since the forum was created I would hazard a guess that they have increased. However that is their business not mine, unless of course they were a publicly held company and I owned shares in the company.

So in closing beware BIG BROTHER is watching, Farenheit 451 may not be a book you want to have in your house, that is if your house is made of straw or other flammable material. And is Soylent Green something we should worry about. ENJOY

quote:

Originally posted by CCJPO

How cool is this? A let’s make the bladder gladder contest. Either say what you mean or mean what you say. YUMBO, your post in question spoke directly about people shilling for their own products or company. It did not address any of the concerns in your follow up
posts as to being bombarded by unsolicited offers either telephonically or webly.
<snip>

Bridgett’s email was precedent setting because it was the first "commercial" email that I’ve seen on this forum. It was a soft sell or no sell, but commercial nonetheless. And so I am left wondering if there is a policy around people selling their products here. It’s a slippery slope between Bridgett’s post and exploitation of this forum. I’m inundated with people trying to sell me stuff, and I’d hate to see it start here.

I would also hate to see restauranteurs start pushing their own places on Roadfood, or signing up 30 of their friends to the Roadfood forum to talk about what a wonderful place they have.

As for your comments on the American Way, I don’t have a problem with business owners using all means necessary to get ahead. But sometimes unfettered commerce leads to exploitation. Go read Fast Food Nation or Upton Sinclair.

How cool is this? A let’s make the bladder gladder contest. Either say what you mean or mean what you say. YUMBO, your post in question spoke directly about people shilling for their own products or company. It did not address any of the concerns in your follow up
posts as to being bombarded by unsolicited offers either telephonically or webly.

As to any concerns as to the sanctity or security of the site, any savvy 16 year hacker wannabe can find a back door and/or break through any number of firewalls and scarf out information on the net. It is the nature of the information age. Any security system is obsolete about 2 minutes after it is developed and implented. People relish the challenge and if they can cut the mustard they will crack a system, then they just hope that someone doesn’t ketchup to them and put them on ice.

I won’t steak my bacon on it, but I guess I am going to get
skewered for my hotdogging on this site. Or at the very least get my rump roasted on a barbeque. But it has been a gas. ENJOY

— oops. the [tab] key doesn’t do what I expected

Anyway, can you tell us any more about the ‘common’ form of wasabi? and how does the real root compare in flavour. Can you cook with it? Or is it’s use limited to being freshly grated and served as a condiment?

Take Care
Tony

HOWEVER [:)], back to wasabi.

Bridgette, It had been my understanding that the powdered wasabi was a mix of horseradish (European? Norway?) and hot mustard (ie: the type found at chinese restraunts). I’ve never had ‘real’ wasabi root, but I enjoy the common stuff on a wide range of food.

quote:

Originally posted by CCJPO

I agree with SUNDANCER, why not?

Does anyone really believe that this site was built for purely altruistic reasons? Do you not believe that the STERN’S do not want people to
come to this site and then not buy their books, or read their articles, or come to their book signings. Look at the top of the web page what do you see? You see cookbooks for sale. Cookbooks that someone wants sold, so that someone can make a buck. Free enterprise in its purest form. The web is an effective, inexpensive way to reach a large audience for a minimum costs, at least as compared to other forms of advertising. It is all a matter of dollar cost averaging. How can I get the most bang for my buck, or in this case how can a reach the largest number of consumers for the fewest bucks. Historially it has been let’s give the JOHN’S something for free and then let’s stick em for a bundle. Think Roman BREAD and CIRCUS, medicine men shows, etc. The STERN’S are providing entertainment and information in hopes of creating a market. Nothing wrong with that, more power to them, I hope they make a fortune. It is the American way.

As to BRIDGETT’S putting her company’s website on the board. If you take a look at an entry dated 22April03, somebody with a handle of CCJPO responded to somebody named YUMBO on a CONDIMENT thread about WASABI, in an attempt to provide information to a large audience. CCJPO put out the "freshwasabi" web address for any one who wished to obtain real wasabi. So blame it on me. I have very broad shoulders.

I would be surprised if other people haven’t put their own restuarants or products on the ROADFOOD. If there is information that I don’t have, and don’t know where to get it I appreciate the input.

I make and market locally, a kller hot fudge sauce, the best garlic, hot pepper dill pickle you have ever had, and a eggnog at Christmas time that is guaranteed to make one never buy a grocery store brand ever again. These are seasonal products, would not ship well as there are no preservatives added. Well that is not exactly true as the eggnog is quite potent due to the amount and types of booze added, and I have been preserved quite early on a couple of Christmas mornings. If I could market them through ROADFOOD, I’d do it in a heart beat or a New York minute, or lickety split, I’d have a captive audience, presumably with some disposable income, who have an admitted affinity for good food and quality products, and don’t mid spending cold hard cash on quality. It is the AMERICAN WAY.

Hi CCPJO –

Please see my response to Paul. This discussion is starting to move into the political/idealogical realm, which is a place that I’d rather not go. I’d rather stick to food.

-Yumbo

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

quote:

Originally posted by yumbo

Sorry to be the grump, but I think there needs to be a policy against people pushing their own products on this forum.

-Yumbo

Why not? I appreciate the opportuity to hear about them. If I do not like it, I will not do it. As far as I know, this has been the only individual doing it in the years I have been here, so it is not invasive and quite frankly, I thought the persons thoughts were pretty good.

I am not a big wasabi fan, but I did learn something from the post.

This is sort of an educational forum and hopefully we can all profit from the advice, thoughts and experiences from the many folks that visit this site.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul –

I don’t have a problem with the post from Bridgett (or any other of the posts in this thread, for that matter), but I fear that we’re on a slippery slope. I am inundated with solicitations for everthing under the sun (phone calls for aluminum siding at dinner time, spam telling me that I need Viagra, etc etc ad nauseum), this is one of the few places where I can be me and not worry about someone I trust (i.e., the Sterns) adding my email to some list. I’m not internet savvy enough to know if the email addresses on this forum can be harvested by some commercial group (is it?).

My response is more to a percieved threat or fear than Bridgett’s post about wasabi.

Respectfully,

Yumbo

I agree with SUNDANCER, why not?

Does anyone really believe that this site was built for purely altruistic reasons? Do you not believe that the STERN’S do not want people to
come to this site and then not buy their books, or read their articles, or come to their book signings. Look at the top of the web page what do you see? You see cookbooks for sale. Cookbooks that someone wants sold, so that someone can make a buck. Free enterprise in its purest form. The web is an effective, inexpensive way to reach a large audience for a minimum costs, at least as compared to other forms of advertising. It is all a matter of dollar cost averaging. How can I get the most bang for my buck, or in this case how can a reach the largest number of consumers for the fewest bucks. Historially it has been let’s give the JOHN’S something for free and then let’s stick em for a bundle. Think Roman BREAD and CIRCUS, medicine men shows, etc. The STERN’S are providing entertainment and information in hopes of creating a market. Nothing wrong with that, more power to them, I hope they make a fortune. It is the American way.

As to BRIDGETT’S putting her company’s website on the board. If you take a look at an entry dated 22April03, somebody with a handle of CCJPO responded to somebody named YUMBO on a CONDIMENT thread about WASABI, in an attempt to provide information to a large audience. CCJPO put out the "freshwasabi" web address for any one who wished to obtain real wasabi. So blame it on me. I have very broad shoulders.

I would be surprised if other people haven’t put their own restuarants or products on the ROADFOOD. If there is information that I don’t have, and don’t know where to get it I appreciate the input.

I make and market locally, a kller hot fudge sauce, the best garlic, hot pepper dill pickle you have ever had, and a eggnog at Christmas time that is guaranteed to make one never buy a grocery store brand ever again. These are seasonal products, would not ship well as there are no preservatives added. Well that is not exactly true as the eggnog is quite potent due to the amount and types of booze added, and I have been preserved quite early on a couple of Christmas mornings. If I could market them through ROADFOOD, I’d do it in a heart beat or a New York minute, or lickety split, I’d have a captive audience, presumably with some disposable income, who have an admitted affinity for good food and quality products, and don’t mid spending cold hard cash on quality. It is the AMERICAN WAY.

quote:

Originally posted by yumbo

Sorry to be the grump, but I think there needs to be a policy against people pushing their own products on this forum.

-Yumbo

Why not? I appreciate the opportuity to hear about them. If I do not like it, I will not do it. As far as I know, this has been the only individual doing it in the years I have been here, so it is not invasive and quite frankly, I thought the persons thoughts were pretty good.

I am not a big wasabi fan, but I did learn something from the post.

This is sort of an educational forum and hopefully we can all profit from the advice, thoughts and experiences from the many folks that visit this site.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sorry to be the grump, but I think there needs to be a policy against people pushing their own products on this forum.

-Yumbo

LONESTAR

The answers are yes and yes. Although sometimes the cattle are also massaged with milk.