What is a "Product"?

[DavidB]

Over the past few days I have had some very interesting discussions with a number of good folks on the issue of "products". To one brand owner I had this to say:

The issue of who makes what for whom means very little to me. In this business, we all get chemicals and stuff from shared sources. A chemical does not make a product. A product is:

1. A company and their support
2. Packaging
3. Literature
4. The stuff in the package

I recently revisited this definition of "a product" in my own business.

So, what does this have to do with Autopia.org? A lot, I hope!

Products should be evaluated based on the merit of the "whole product"... not just what is inside the bottle. This should be very clear to people when they see how our Autopia Review system is setup.

It's natural for people to want to compare products and align themselves with a brand. If you like the products you use, for whatever reason, that’s great. Keep liking them and use them in good health.

If you feel that you need to prove something by publicly uncovering the great mysteries of “who manufacturers what for whom,” Autopia.org is probably not the right community for you.

Likewise, if you feel you need to publicly defend a product each and every time someone makes a critical remark,” Autopia.org is probably not the right community for you.

Autopia.org is an open community for the discussion of car detailing and detailing products. To the extent members follow our basic rules, we will not censor or control discussions. Selling, politics, religion, sex, personal attacks, bad language, yadda, yadda, yadda… are the typical things that get people in trouble.

I think the now-famous quote “It’s only wax!” pretty much sums it up. Let’s lighten up and have fun.

db