Even a creature from outer space should know you can't buy a good review on HEXUS

From: Tarinder
Sent: 24 October 2006 13:37
To: 'Mat Bettinson'; 'Jackie Seear'
Cc: 'David Ross'; 'Paul Dutton'
Subject: Alienware G80-based system for review at HEXUS.net

Hi all,

As you know, G80 is pretty much upon us.

We’re very keen to showcase the power of the card(s) with a turnkey system from Alienware.

We’d love to have a SKU which we can review and activate on launch day, to coincide with NVIDIA’s release.

I anticipate that a G80-based Alienware machine will have massive review impact.

Can you help?


Kindest regards,

Tarinder Sandhu
Reviews editor
HEXUS.net

From: Mat Bettinson
Sent: 25 October 2006 10:08
To: Tarinder
Cc: 'Jackie Seear'; 'David Ross [HEXUS.net]'; 'Paul Dutton'
Subject: Re: Alienware G80-based system for review at HEXUS.net

From: PD [HEXUS.net]
Sent: 25 October 2006 19:26
To: 'Mat Bettinson'
Cc: 'Tarinder'; 'Jackie Seear'; 'David Ross'
Subject: Re: Alienware G80-based system for review at HEXUS.net

you thought it judicious to make a communication over MSN Messenger to my co-director David Ross, in which you effectively stated - and the record shows in no uncertain terms - that because HEXUS had published the honest, unfavourable truth about one ‘Alienware’ product, that ‘Alienware’ would not be sending HEXUS any products for future technical editorial evaluations…

… the only inference which can be made from this is that ‘Alienware’ will only submit products to publications which will write nice things about ‘Alienware’.

a position further undeniably confirmed by your puerile email, which i’m responding to.

as you presumably know, following your initial discussion with David, i did telephone your mobile with a view to endeavouring to discuss the precarious position you have placed your employers in, but you chose not to answer and nor did i receive a call in return.

i’m of the view that it would be manifest to any right thinking person that you have behaved like a moron, and i would be surprised if at least someone senior in the company you work for wasn’t a right thinking person, and, further, thought - that in the position in which you seem to have managed to manoeuvre yourself into - you are little more than a foolish liability.

some of the primary raisons d’être of HEXUS are to truthfully inform, expertly help and consistently entertain our readership

presently i feel that HEXUS would be remiss in not publishing all correspondence in this matter; this, exclusively, for the purpose of warning our readership that anything they read about ‘Alienware’ following HEXUS’ authoritative, honest, expert and insightful article on the ‘Alienware Area-51 7500’ should be taken in the context exposed by your communications.

you should not contact anyone at HEXUS again. no reply is necessary, or wanted.

if, with a view to asking HEXUS to reconsider its position, a senior person within your employers’ organisation wishes to communicate with HEXUS, then feel free to pass this correspondence to them, and write only directly to me, ideally with their direct contact telephone number.

Paul Dutton
director - communications & strategy
HEXUS limited

From: Mat Bettinson
Sent: 26 October 2006 10:35
To: PD
Cc: 'Tarinder'; 'Jackie Seear'; 'David Ross [HEXUS.net]'
Subject: Re: Alienware G80-based system for review at HEXUS.net

"… the only inference which can be made from this is that ‘Alienware’ will only submit products to publications which will write nice things about ‘Alienware’."

That's was and remains Alienware's global marketing strategy from the beginning. We're hardly alone. [My emboldening - Bob Crabtree]

Your main point appears to be that it was my idea that Alienware never sends Hexus another product and you're aggrieved that I would mention that to David Ross.

That's not entirely the case. David knows only too well the constraints under which I (and Jackie) work and we have a pretty full and frank discussion of those terms from time to time.

I'd be deeply surprised if he held your view on that point. At the time he was quite clear "well that's an editorial" thing. I said fair cop guv, it's just I know you and I want your view on how to proceed. I certainly made it clear I was under executive instruction.

I had to spend days drawing up a report post that review, justifying why I authorised that hardware to be sent to Hexus at all.

They were quite adamant they would never have done so. At an executive level. Post Stefan's departure I am the only person within the company that knows the value of Hexus in any terms. Furthermore it was my insistence that while the review was hardly ideal, given various Alienware failings, Hexus hadn't been entirely unfair. If there's a plot-line of idealism from your crusader-for-truth journalistic idealism through to a corporate spin machine, I would have put me rather closer to to the left. I think any dealings any of you have had with me previously would back that up.

> as you presumably know, following your initial discussion with David, i did telephone your mobile with a view to endeavouring to discuss the precarious position you have placed your employers in, but you chose not to answer and nor did i receive a call in return.

I wouldn't 'choose' not to answer your call. I'm baffled how I placed my employers in a precarious position. I don't get this stuff at ALL I'm afraid.

Anyway, I think this has turned into a little hysterical brinkmanship unnecessarily. I don't know you or Tarinder very well, and if you've taken such offense to reply in such a way to my previous 'purile' email, then I'd mark that one up to my error. I thought the sort of whimsical non-nonsence discussion I have had from time to time with David Ross was appropriate.

Eg, you could have just said 'piss off'.

Now, can we calm down a little?