More Full Disclosure

A recent note from Julie Bort, who manages all things blog at Network World, included a Guidelines and Policies document I had to sign. Nothing unusual here; just a good reminder on what to say, what not to say, how to best say it, and a bit on ethics, the law, and otherwise good practice. This served as a reminder that I really should publish my own scaled-down version of this information from time to time, so here you go:

• Farpoint Group, my employer, is in the business of providing technology analysis, strategy development, product specification and design, and product marketing services, primarily to vendors of wireless and mobile technology products, across an very broad range of markets, applications, and geography. We also work with carriers and operators, end-users, and the financial community. With respect to the latter, we are not licensed to provide advice on or sell securities, and we do not.

• Farpoint Group works on a project basis. We have no retainer-based (ongoing) relationship with any client; all projects have a finite duration and, when they end, we have no relationship (beyond, we always hope, another happy and satisfied client) with the project’s sponsor. Most projects last a few weeks to a few months. We consider all client relationships confidential; we do not now, never have, and never will publish our client list.

• Farpoint Group owns no equity in any firm of any form involved in wireless and mobile anything. I also personally own no such securities, except perhaps through managed instruments like mutual funds, over which I have no influence or control.

• Farpoint Group publishes a wide variety of documents under our brand – White Papers, Technical Notes, Application Notes, columns, articles, and this blog. Sometimes we get paid for these; sometimes we don’t. Regardless, Farpoint Group retains editorial control over any self-published documents bearing our brand, with no exceptions. We will not make any particular statement in exchange for payment. Our published work is ultimately our own, and our opinion is not for sale.

• Farpoint Group, and me, personally, do not receive any compensation for producing this blog. Network World, as I understand it, receives compensation from advertisers, whose messages appear on the page with my work. However, no opinion expressed in this blog, or in anything else we publish, is ever influenced by a particular advertiser or sponsor. I am very proud to be associated with Network World, but their business relationships have never been a consideration in what I write – and they have never asked me to do otherwise.

• Occasionally, product vendors will send us products for review, and these reviews are occasionally published here and elsewhere, with acknowledgement as to the source of the product. Vendors regardless have no control, editorial or otherwise, over what is written about a particular product. All products used in production at Farpoint Group, without exception, are paid for and owned by the company. This includes all wireless LAN equipment, cell phones, wireless services, everything. This practice is not always common in the analyst business, but it is very important to me that we be independent. And, OK, sure, I’m biased, but those biases are mine alone. And what good would an unbiased analyst be, anyway?

• And, finally, and this should go without saying, but just to be clear, I would never knowingly publish anything that is false or misleading. I’ll acknowledge any mistakes brought to my attention. And I will always try to do better than whatever it was I did the day before regardless. We owe that to our clients, and our readers – and, after almost 20 years in business, I think we always get this right.

This is how I operate – no exceptions. If you have any questions though, or if anything above requires clarification, please let me know. The Web remains the Wild West of publishing, and, while it’s in everyone’s interest to make sure innovation isn’t stifled, it’s also vitally important that we remember that ethics is indeed the cornerstone of civilization itself.