Analyst firms and analyst publications are a related business area where some folks might be surprised at the processes and procedures that are used to construc

Analyst firms and analyst publications are a related business area where some folks might be surprised at the processes and procedures that are used to construct the papers and recommendations. The analyst data collection process can involve some very bizarre fill-in-the-spreadsheet questionnaires that are distributed to vendors by the firms, and there are sponsored technical reports and sponsored product reviews widely available, to what could be termed a product push poll. More than a little of what's printed in various publications and that's available at various web sites is little more than analyst- or vendor-provided text, too. Reworked press releases. Informed and impartial product reviews are expensive. Which means they're comparatively scarce at the "free web site" product tier. Corruption? No. It's a (sausage-making) business. Look for the disclosure statements where required, and generally follow the money. If you're not paying, then you're the product, after all. It's all sausage.