I feel ridiculous even typing this. But enough companies have written in, asking me to help them market their products to the Defense Department, that I feel obliged to respond. Here’s my answer, in a nutshell: no.
I received the latest come-on just a few days ago, from a company that claims to make radio frequency jammers.
…COMPANY is able to quickly produce most professional [customized] solutions for Every requirement of jammers, the best in the world, and most competitive in terms of price. The only issue is that currently we don’t have yet connections with the US Military.
Can you help us make the US Army immediately aware of our superior capabilities ? because we understand that there’s an immediate top-urgent requirement of Professional IED Jammers for the US Army troops in Iraq. Needless to say that if you help us in this matter you (or your organization) will be highly compensated for the same.
Your prompt response will be very appreciated. Thank you very much in advance…
Look, I’m a journalist. Not a deal maker. And not an arms broker. I’m happy to consider writing about your product, whatever it is. But I’m not about to start lobbying the government to take the technologies I cover. That would pretty much shred whatever last little bit of credibility I still have. How could I appear to be an objective observer if I’m pimping gear behind the scenes? So, please, do everyone a favor — no matter how revolutionary and awesome your new doodad is: back off.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Tell them to write to “Defense Review”. “Maybe” they would be happy to do it. :D
By the way, (well, maybe I won’t get my answer but anyways) is it E***** that sent the e-mail about it’s E*** jammers? I have a feeling that it could be them, trying to penetrate the market. It was displayed at ******** exhibition, and recently sold to ******.
Good Morning Noah,
Good for you Noah. With 537 willing agents available to “Cunningham” for a penitence to carry their water they don’t need anymore hands in the public till.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
If it’s good enough they should write DARPA. They are interested in those things. Contact info is on their website.
Are these NIGERIAN radio jammers that will make you 10 million dollars if only you send them $1000 as a show of trust?
P:
Nope, it was a different company.
nms
I agree there is no reason to use a neutral source to peddle or lobby products. If the product is as good as it is purported to be and they have some marketing skills, there should be no problem in raising some eyebrows at the appropriate agencies and/or departments responsible for acquisitions.
Journalism and reporting is just that and should never be used to propagate or endorse ANY product or cause. All sense of credibility evaporates immediately once that line has been crossed.
>Nope, it was a different company.
Hmm, if it isn’t E*****, I only could imagine ventures/small firms. Anyway’s, I think there is not much they could do with W****** and I** already being used (and E** by certain countries) while feedback should have make those two pretty reliable… unless… Instead of wasting time here also hoping Pentagon to buy them, I think they should have gone sell there products to foreign firms.
>Journalism and reporting is just that and should never be used to propagate or endorse ANY product
>or cause.
Well, would you be surprised to hear about various numbers of journalists and writers recieving money from foreign countries for their purpose? Even journalists are not all clean. There are people who do it for money instead of justice. That is realism. There were even bribed journalists back in WWII (China bribing western journalists to create anti-Japan tide), and far back in history a different form about a story of Dracula. There is probably no organization and group of people that will remain clean for ever, not even the journalists. If you go search, you might find a journailst availible to be bribed, writing articles on a major source for your own purpose.
That’s just sad. How the hell are you supposed to “make the Army aware” of their superior capabilities?? If they’re that superior, the Army should know about them by now. And if they’re not, begging a journalist to risk their own rep to promote them sure won’t help, or matter.
You’re a lot more polite than I could be, Noah, and I have to deal with them at the other end.
Keep up the good and impartial work.
And no sooner do I post this, but I get an email from some salesman asking if I’m in “the procurement department”.
Noah: Feel free to erase this. I’d have sent you the email I got but didn’t feel it merited the effort to delete it.
I lurk here to read about all the new and cool stuff happening in the military world. I also have a couple of friends in Iraq, so the news is interesting.
Having said that, I think that if [insert company name here] has a cool product/idea and they are willing to fly you out to demo it, go for it. Report on the product. What could be cooler ( time permitting ) then watching something get blown up on a test range?