My apologies. I see where there was a grammatical inconsistancy that cause my thought to be taken out of context in the first paragraph. I could have done a better job to express that you never said you 'shouldn't be held to the same standards as your peers.' This is correct – you never said that. That is my opinion based on the information I had at the time of writing this article. It is merely my opinion that you 'feel' you shouldn't be held to those standards. Again it's an opinion based on statements you've given in the past. You are free to disagree with me.

You *are* a journalist when you take the step to review industry insiders and have access to things that most people don't for review purposes. As I have stated in my article, “It is a disgraceful fact that there are those that blur the lines.” You are attempting to do just that – blur the lines. You write for the Times, you're a journalist. It's as simple as that. I expect EVERY journalist to take their profession seriously and this includes you. (Please see the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Conduct line which states: “Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.” and “Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.”

I might be a small-time tech blogger and journalist, Mr. Pogue, but I can assure you that no one has ever called into question my integrity and ethical standards. I *am* transparent in my writing.

I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT. You, who value ethics, should be more careful about believing what the snarky bloggers write!

You are conflating two completely different issues, essentially stitching together a conversation out of two completely different dialogues.

ON ETHICS: I *absolutely* should be held to the same standards as my peers. ABSOLUTELY. I, too, have an ethics statement. It points out that I don’t accept ANYTHING of value from anyone I cover, not even a meal. It states that my investments are held in a blind trust. I return EVERYTHING I review. And I abide 100% by the Times’s ethical standards.

ON ‘I NEVER CALLED MYSELF A REPORTER”: This was taken out of context from an interview with Leo Laporte, in a conversation about my interviewing style. I had interviewed Steve Jobs. Leo thought I should have been tougher on him… “that’s your job as a journalist.” I replied that, IN THE SENSE OF writing news stories, tracking down sources, looking up documents, etc., I have never been a reporter, have never called myself a “journalist.”

That response was clearly not in regard to the ethics issue, and you’re doing your readers a huge disservice by mixing up the two!

ON DISCLOSING BOOKS: Again, you have it wrong. I have suggested disclosing my book projects in my Times column many times over the years. The editors have always declined, feeling that it would amount to a plug—an advertisement. They’re right, you know. I will be disclosing the books from now on, but it will have the perverse effect of BOOSTING my book sales.

—Pogue