Graham Jellys "Column" on RIBINT

[Chris]

Is it me or is it just one big self promotion?

I just read the 2nd one in this months edition and he goes on about Ply decks

and how they are dangerous if you drill a hole in them and the ply gets wet

(well don't drill a fecking hole then )

[PeterM]

Have to agree - it does read like a long advert for 'his' boats. I could probably get the sales blurb free from Scorpion rather than pay for it in the mag.

[Mollers]

I've just had a look at the Scorp website. Those guys seriously need to get some fresh design blood onboard. Those colours etc are so gawdy and dated I expected to see Crockett and Tubbs on there somewhere.
Just my opinion.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Mollers

I've just had a look at the Scorp website. Those guys seriously need to get some fresh design blood onboard. Those colours etc are so gawdy and dated I expected to see Crockett and Tubbs on there somewhere.
Just my opinion.

Look out - attacking Scorpions seems to be taken rather personally by some people - like Skoda and Lada owners of old............

[Bigfoot]

Originally Posted by Chris

Is it me or is it just one big self promotion?

From my experience, pretty much anyone who is a columnist is only doing it for self-promotion, apart from Robert Fisk of course!!!

[willk]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot

apart from Robert Fisk of course!!!

.... of course. Has he written an article on George Galloway yet, that would be a classic tongue twister!

oops, politics. sry.

[bogib]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Look out - attacking Scorpions seems to be taken rather personally by some people - like Skoda and Lada owners of old............

Scorpion = LADA (Niva)

Bogi

[willk]

Originally Posted by bogib

Scorpion = LADA (Niva)

Bogi

Hey lad! There's a (big) Lada Niva Club in Iceland, and I've just passed them your address. Prepare for the sound of tinny engines and squealing narrow tyres,

[bogib]

Originally Posted by willk

Hey lad! There's a (big) Lada Niva Club in Iceland, and I've just passed them your address. Prepare for the sound of tinny engines and squealing narrow tyres,

I know, Lada used to be big name over here and actually well respected in many ways not like in the rest of the continent.... same goes to Trabant.... as you know there is one in the family never owned Lada nor have I owed Scorpion.... and do not intend to do

Bogi

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Chris

Is it me or is it just one big self promotion?

A very blatant promotion this month. And some not so well considered arguments too.

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by jwalker

A very blatant promotion this month. And some not so well considered arguments too.

So what name does he post on here under

[Tony]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Look out - attacking Scorpions seems to be taken rather personally by some people - like Skoda and Lada owners of old............

"LOL"

[Roy Smith]

You can knock him
but i don't know of any body else that as singlehandedly built a brand like Scorpion in the rib market. As for the web site, i had a look at osprey.com web site not much to shout about there, having meet the man many times you could say he was a bit over the top some times, but how many world records do they hold how many scorpions completed round Britain race. i am not sticking up for him,just asking that you don't do the normal British thing of knocking people who are successful, because some times it just sounds like jealousy.

[Poly]

i don't know of any body else that as singlehandedly built a brand like Scorpion in the rib market.

depenlds what you actually mean by that - but I would have thought Tom McLaughin would be up there as a company with one man at the top building highly bespoke, quality ribs where people pay a premium for the brand. I dare say there are probably others.

i am not sticking up for him,

odd way of going about it.

just asking that you don't do the normal British thing of knocking people who are successful,

don't think anyone was slagging scorpion or Mr Jelly actually. Although he might want to think about being a bit more open minded. The question is really over the editorial independence of RI.

[Roy Smith]

That what i mean you are just too happy to jump on the case
how about something like, he can afford to be a bit of twat
as he as a track record of building good ribs, any way since when did anybody pass up the chance to promote their product when given the chance.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Roy Smith

That what i mean you are just too happy to jump on the case

no I pay good money for my copy of rib international - I expect reasonable, fair and unbiased editorial - not someone preaching that most ribs are badly designed for having wooden decks - unlike his.

he can afford to be a bit of twat
as he as a track record of building good ribs,

no one is disputing his entitlement to be a twat or saying is boats aren't good

any way since when did anybody pass up the chance to promote their product when given the chance.

I don't blame him, although the smarter choice would be to be a little less obvious! I do think its HMS' job to edit the column (or send it back for revision) if its got too much of a "slant" on it.

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot

From my experience, pretty much anyone who is a columnist is only doing it for self-promotion, apart from Robert Fisk of course!!!

I am going to assume that you haven't read my column or articles in Sports Boat and Rib, or anything else that I have written on here or Boatmad - I take my position as a manufacturer and a journalist seriously and whilst I make use of my commercial membership on here and my advertising on Boatmad to do a little self promotion when I feel it's appropriate, I have never criticised another manufacturer or their methods despite having seen plenty of examples that would warrant a good slagging off!

I am of course excluding from the above statement any response to a posting by Manos in the bad old days!

[prairie tuber]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Look out - attacking Scorpions seems to be taken rather personally by some people - like Skoda and Lada owners of old............

Back in the day when I was a starving student, the first car I ever bought was a 15 year old Plymouth Valiant Duster with a rusty frame. I drove it over all sorts of boulder strewn forestry roads for about 5 years before selling it to a Skoda dealer for something like $ 500. I felt it would benefit them to be able to offer something a little more upscale, but that dealership vanished within a year.

I guess they couldn't get a steady enough supply of 20 year old Dodges to supplement their sales volume.

[PeterM]

I dont think anyone has the 'right' to be a prat - I've never met him , never spoken to him so cant say if he is or isn't .

Yes he is clearly very good at designing & building very good boats , but as has been said the column does read very much like a scorpion ad.

Yes all boats are built differantly, all have design oddities , but the impression in what I think should be an independant mag is that it is very heavily biased towards 'bigging up ' scorpion & very subtly putting other boats down.

Other writer for the mag have commercial operations - as do some on here - & yes while no-one really minds a bit of self publicity for thier product / company done in a 'nice' way there is aline which is easy to cross - after which it gets a bit too much.

I still think no one has the right to be a prat !

[prairie tuber]

We live in a free society and therefore have the right to be a prat, even if it is a very dumb thing to do.