Idaho Falls Magazine “Professionals” Are Paid Advertisers
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A buddy recently suggested I look at the spring 2006 issue of our wonderful Idaho Falls magazine, saying they had a new “Professional Insight” section that may appeal to me. Apparently this “Professional Insight” is supposedly a set of ten professionals who will write monthly articles for the Idaho Falls magazine website. I was encouraged to inquire about one of the remaining vacancies in this set, since I have some consumer technology expertise, and most of their panel was crowded with doctors.
Apparently one must agree to purchase five (5) months of full-page advertising in the Idaho Falls magazine to be allowed to write these professionally insightful articles. The “full package” was quoted at about $6,500. That’s why they want a professional different than the ones already there, but likely will take anyone who pays the price.
Oh. Never mind.
I suppose I was naive in considering the Idaho Falls magazine to be a somewhat journalistic endeavor. I realize now it’s pretty much an ad-mart. Maybe some of their articles are truly researched and written without any money changing place. However, I have noticed several of their articles have been written by or about a company that advertises also. Unfortunately, this casts a shadow of doubt across all of the magazine’s articles.
Hey, they are not a charity, you know. Nobody else is doing anything better. Could I do better? Probably not. It just feels like when you find out Santa, I suppose. The bloom is off that rose.
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Comments
As I recall, when Harris Publishing wanted their panel of 10 experts in various professions, someone I know called about being an expert in his area of expertise. It was my understanding that each of the 10 members of the experts had to pay something like $1,500, and/or agree to advertise in each addition of Idaho Falls Magazine for a certain amount of time.
If I’m confused about that, maybe someone more familiar with the exact guidelines at Idaho Falls Magazine could correct anything I’ve written that is wrong. I certainly won’t be offended.
As I recall, it was about the same time when Harris Publishing asked for the professionals in Idaho Falls Magazine, that the new magazine about Idaho Falls was unofficially announced. I wonder if that was by coincidence or not? I don’t know. Maybe the two magazines serve different audiences.
Well, it will be interesting to see what comments are left here. Idaho Falls Magazine now has Forums where one can post, I guess. I don’t know much about it. Maybe someone from Harris Publishing could enlighten us of how their online information strives to be different or similar to IdahoFallz.Com
I disagree with Joe’s analysis of Idaho Falls magazine’s journalistic integrity. They consistently publish outstanding features on our community and I believe their hearts are in the right place.
I do, however, have a problem with the way their “Professional Insight” is portrayed, or disguised, rather. I understand that it’s not unusual for any magazine to solicit paid editorial content. But without some kind of disclaimer, the reader is led to believe that these “experts” are offering their opinions out of the goodness of their hearts and for the benefit of the public. On the contrary, they simply have bigger advertising budgets.
With that said, it’s not inherently wrong to practice business this way, but the readers need to know that the information, however interesting or useful it may be, is paid advertising.
In addition, their “Professional Insight” is only one element of their advertising efforts. There seems to be no connection between their other advertising and the rest of the magazine.
Ok4Now: What “new magazine about Idaho Falls” are you referring to? I also don’t quite understand the correlation you’re suggesting.
I hope you’re not talking about the Mainstreet (and Ammon) magazines, which are based in Provo, UT. What do they know about our community? And talk about paid content. It’s basically 90% advertising masquerading as business profiles, with a community calendar thrown in for good measure. It’s obvious they’re trying to copycat the success of Idaho Falls magazine, but there really is no comparison.
I think Ok4Now was referring to the Cicerone corporation’s new magazine “Prospectus”, which is supposed to be published once annually.
http://www.ciceronecorp.com/prospectus.php
In fact, I thought it was to be published this fall, so it is late? Has anyone seen it yet?
I appreciate your comments.
One thing I find inconsistent, though, is that you defend the magazine’s journalistic integrity and then agree they are not properly letting readers know that some of their articles only exist because of large advertising commitments. You do not think that compromises their journalistic integrity?
This is a big thing in the tech industry. When you see “news” reports that spotlight a single or few technology items, those are actually paid advertisements. They look like news, and the broadcast media love to air them as filler, but they are simply advertisements without the disclaimers.
I also think the magazine publishes a slick product, but I do not consider them journalists or embodying journalistic integrity. They compromised their journalistic integrity with the “professional insight” series.
Joe, my criticism of their journalistic integrity was limited to the Professional Insight series. Or more specifically, their failure to disclose that it is strictly the opinions of privileged, paying advertisers.
As far as I know, the Professional Insight series exists only online, aside from the promo ads printed in the magazine.
So I disagree with your suggestion that the rest of their publication is somehow spoiled because of this oversight.
I’ll remind you and others that despite all their advertising efforts to support this FREE community magazine, it failed to turn a profit until just recently. The first 5 years resulted in a net loss. That kind of commitment to our little burg speaks volumes about their integrity, much louder than do their flaws, which are few and far between.
I think the Professional Insight series does only exist online, however those heaviest of advertisers also get regular articles features in the print magazine also.
I guessed in another thread that the magazine was about 80% ads, and someone challenged me to check my math.
So I grabbed the current copy today (Sept/Oct 2006), opened an Excel sheet, created a column with an auto-numbering sequence to correspond with this issue’s 96 pages, and created a column to quickly enter the percentage of ads on any page.
I only took a couple minutes to flip through all the pages. I then did an average of the column and discovered I was way off, the magazine was 46.35% advertisements. I did not count, however, the coupon insert nor the Mountain View Hospital insert.
I also did not count the EIRMC supplement, because it appears to be an article. If it was a paid supplement, the percentage changes to 51.56%.
I must apologize, I was way off on my guesstimate of 80% ads.
I noticed most of the articles were tied to advertisers, though. Three of the five working moms features had their businesses advertised. Valencia Villa, Staker Floral, Rosemark WomenCare Specialists, News 3, Debra Gorin M.D. P.C., EIRMC, Glanzer Chiropractic, Eastern Idaho Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Chartered, Laura Mason with Northstar Healthcare, Dr. Thurman with Idaho Falls Plastic Surgery and Hand Center, and Summit Orthopaedics all had paid advertisements, and all were able to publish articles by or about their employees.
This also casts into doubt whether the eatery reviews are paid or not.
I recall Dan Rather being rushed out after decades of impeccable service because of a single (albeit stupid) mistake. His journalistic integrity was shredded for that one incident. Idaho Falls magazine has only operated five years, and most of their content is tainted by advertising influence. They have not yet earned journalistic integrity.
You know, they make a pretty magazine that makes our area look nice. It’s a free country and they can do whatever they want, needing permission to do anything least of all from me. But a journalistic publication they are not.
Nevermind,
I was indeed referring to Prospectus magazine. I couldn’t think of the name while I was posting, so I thank Joe for the link.
I find a couple of your comments interesting in that I wonder your source. And, you are NOT accurate about a couple of things in your 11/28 (4:19 p.m.) post.
First, as you suggest, you don’t know about Professional Insights. It is printed in the magazine. Do you read it?
Secondly, your statement, “I’ll remind you and others that despite all their advertising efforts to support this FREE community magazine, it failed to turn a profit until just recently. The first 5 years resulted in a net loss. That kind of commitment to our little burg speaks volumes about their integrity, much louder than do their flaws, which are few and far between. ”
I sure hope you are an official spokesperson for Harris Publishing. I’d like a refund for my LAST THREE YEARS OF SUBSCRIPTION to this FREE Magazine. It is NOT FREE to all who receive it.
Please check your facts more carefully. I fail to understand some of your reasoning, when you are so inaccurate about these two facts.
If you don’t work for Harris Publishing, then give them a call or e-mail them and ask how many people receive this magazine by Subscriptioin and how much it is annually. Also, ask if you can see a copy, because clearly you haven’t reviewed the professional series in the publication.
I like the magazine and think it does a lot of good. Harris Publishing has many publications focusing on different segments of their market. The travel and hotel guides that are placed locally obviously benefit those new to the area. Despite me liking the magazine overall, that doesn’t mean I necessarily disagree with Joe’s assessment of how much the advertising customers are highlighted in the articles.
In the last edition five prominent women were featured. How about featuring five women mostly unknown to the public in an issue? How about a working mom who works two jobs to support her family; a married female college student who is balancing her studies with her husband, kids and other commitments; a woman who does housekeeping or another job many do not want to do; a female who is religious leader (either head of the congregation, or head of an organization in the church) and a female; and a female who has a relative with chronic illness that must be addressed daily while this women attends to her other work/duties? None of these women would be likely to advertise in this magazine. Reading their real stories would mean more to me in my paid subscription.
It is ok with me if Harris Publishing, in Idaho Falls Magazine wants to feature the most articles on those who advertise with them. I just want them to declare it.
Wow, I thought my involvement with this discussion had reached a point where it was safe to agree to disagree.
Ok4Now:
I can’t think of a single organization—including Harris Publishing—that would allow me to serve as their official spokesperson.
And I have read every single issue of Idaho Falls magazine since the first issue.
I never said I didn’t know *about* the Professional Insights. Re-read my comment. I maintain that it exists only online. The ad on page 70-71 (Sept./Oct. 2006) reads, “These 10 professionals will post advice and information monthly on the Idaho Falls magazine website.”
I am unclear which “professional series” you are suggesting I read. You are mistaken if you perceived the medical section in the last issue as part of the Professional Insight series.
I called and spoke directly with the sales rep for the magazine, who confirmed as much. Some of the Professional Insight businesses were asked to participate as guest columnists, as a courtesy to the magazine. Who else would you suggest? The magazine already has an established relationship with them. They seem to have been the clear choice.
Furthermore, if you’ve been paying to receive the magazine by mail, then either you live outside of Bonneville, Bingham, or Jefferson counties (to which the magazine is mailed free of charge), or you didn’t read the subscription card and sent them money anyway.
Again, I refer you to the magazine…I assure you, I am not making this up.
If you do in fact live within those counties and are paying for the magazine, I suggest you call them so they can correct the error.
The sales rep also offered the following:
Of the 15,000 copies they print…
7,000 are mailed out for FREE, (except the paid subscribers)*
8,000 are distributed on magazine racks around town. Again, for FREE.
*About 20 people in total, pay for the magazine.
Those are the facts. Checked and double-checked. What more do you want?
Lastly, those are all good story ideas. You should send them to the editor.
Kudos to the Idaho Falls Magazine for the Idaho Falls police photos they published. They took some really large high quality photos and added a little interview bit, about like a quote to them.
It made the cops look good, like the stars they are, and it was nice to see a proactive positive media approach rather than the negative cop stories we are used to seeing.
I think editor, Steve Smede, has made a tremendous amount of positive changes at Idaho Falls Magazine, since he returned to direct it. That’s not to say Jason Harris or others were doing a poor job.
With the increased number of pages, the better articles - IMO, and the increased frequency of the publications, I think it is a better magazine.
That one editorial, about the man on 17th Street, who greeted each day from his wheelchair and then one day wasn’t in his wheelchair this year, I thought was very powerful.
Just my opinion, but I think I.F. Magazine has addressed some tougher issues and produced a better product.
Joe, I thought it was novel idea as well, to show the different officers and tell some about them.
Good work I.F. Magazine and employees who may not get named as often, but are a key to making that magazine what it is now. ![]()
I am really impressed with the look of the Idaho Falls magazine. I have been reading it for several years now, but can’t believe what has happened in the last year with the size and quality of articles.
It is amazing to me that they can mail that to my home free. How do they do that and cover the expenses? Anyone have any clue.
Thanks for the nice comments. We mail the magazine to about 9,100 homes, and 5,900 copies are placed on racks around Idaho Falls at no charge. As you might expect, our major revenue stream is display advertising. Ad revenues pay for printing, mailing and staff salaries (meaning whatever’s left over after we pay off our fat-cat editor). At last count there were about 60 subscribers that pay $12.95 for a two-year subscription (12 issues) for those living outside Bonneville, Bingham and Jefferson counties.
Thanks again for you comments and continued interest in the magazine. As always, we are eager to hear from you with any ideas, complaints or kudos.
A little shout out to Joe and all of the regulars—I think it’s quite exciting what’s happening here on the IFz forums. The topics are fascinating and the views reflect a good cross-section of the community, be they liberal or conservative, young or old, spiritual or secular (and of course there is always the occasional conspiracy theory to spice things up!).
You collectively provide a valuable service to the community, and the name of that service is dialogue. Even at its most contentious, an open forum for citizen viewpoints is a good, healthy thing for a community to have. Keep it up!
Regards,
Steve S.
Got the copy of the March/April 2008 issue of Idaho Falls Magazine in the mail today. I had a chance to read the story “Back from the Brink” about the local woman that talked about her story of addiction to crystal meth.
After seeing all the ads recently on TV about the Idaho Meth Project, I didn’t really know if it affected us in eastern Idaho. This truly brings a face to the problem.
Great story Steve Smede.
Those ads are so completely blown out of proportion it’s not even funny. They make it seem like if you try it even once you’ll end up all scabbed up and stealing from a little old lady in the laundramat. It’s so completely false it’s really quite amusing. Once again the government using their scare tatics and propoganda to put fear into the lives of Americans. “Not even once”….yeah, whatever! They claim if you try it once you’ll be hooked for life. That’s so far from the truth. It’s like any other drug or alcohol or prescription drugs or cigarettes or caffeine. SOME people become addicts but most do not. SOME people become alcoholics, but MOST do not. Some people get hooked on pain killers, but MOST DO NOT!
But like anything else, they pick the absolute worst case scenario to advertise in their campaign and instill fear into everyone.
Not that I’m condoning it’s use, but they make it out to be SO much worse than it really is.
Wow, didn’t expect that response! I guess I view it more as a scare tactic more than anything else. I would rather my child feel that if they try meth just once, life would be like this. I have no first hand experience of what meth does towards adiction, but after seeing what Rebecca has been through, I don’t want to experience this.
The statistics show that 1 in 5 teens sees little to no risk in trying meth once or twice, and many see benefits to using meth. That is scary when I read what Rebecca went through.
So in my humble opinion, I’d rather my children are scared away from the prospects of ever trying this drug.
I actually agree with that observation, #15, and I wonder about the teenagers who see the ads, do they see through the overkill? Hopefully they don’t blow it off because of obvious overkill.
I tell my teenagers that since it’s illegal, it’s not worth the risk. Then, I tell them that usually it makes you feel great in the beginning, otherwise, why would folks keep using it?
But the longer larger picture is that it insidiously takes over your life, because you begin to need to use it instead of choose to use it, and the monetary and physical effects can be devastating to you and your family. I try to be realistic to them so they know that I disapprove but understand why some folks start into the habit.
The first two I raised do not use as adults, which is a blessing. Now I’m hoping the next 3 will do likewise.
Recent posts strike me as a conversation between Liberals.
Here’s how it goes.
A) “Gee, do you think meth is dangerous??
B) “Well I don’t know–it’s mostly gubmint, ya know?”
C) “Ya, the gubmint always tried to scare us–must be gubmint.”
Well, folks, METH IS DEATH. If you buy into the ridiculous idiocy that Meth is ANYTHING less than DEATH–YOU are IDIOTS!
FRICKING IDIOTS! And let me be the first to tell you to your FACE!
Get online and find out all of the battery acid ingredients and ridiculous other toxic spew that goes into meth. If you think it’s anything less than that, it simply shows your own supreme ignorance.
If any of you had any real idea what dealing with METH is all about, your posts would not be so totally wayward.
Let’s put it this way, if and when you get as close to Meth as you think you can be, you are already DOOMED.
This isn’t speculation. This is fact.
Hey, you might hate me for this message–go ahead and DAMN the messenger–but the bottom line is METH IS DEATH.
Cheers, Monte.
Monte, I agree, meth is horrible. I knew a man who used it, his life continues to be miserable, and he will always have that monkey on his back.
However, I also know several people who tried meth, but did not continue to use it (except one who did use it several more times) and their lives are just fine today (and they don’t use anything else now).
I grew up believing that “speed kills.” That was the message we got in the 60s. I do not use illegal drugs, nor do I drink alcohol or smoke tobacco, which are legal at my age. As I said, I was honest with my children and none of them use drugs even as adults.
But as a libertarian (not a liberal in this area) I believe that we legislate with good intent but the results are not always effective. And there will be some savvy kids who see their friends who use, and those friends do not (now) look like the ad campaign users who drool with open sores on their faces. So, those kids will think it’s just a scare tactic that they are way too smart and too cool to fall for.
And that’s too bad. It could have been done with a bit more honesty, but maybe honesty is too difficult to pull off in a 30 second commercial.
So, Monte, it appears that you have very high emotions in this area, compared to others you have commented on. You’re usually not so caustic. I hope that you can see that when we say the ads seem to be very extreme, that we are not condoning the use of the drug, just afraid that the youth today will not be as likely to believe the ads.
I think the concern is that the ad campaign won’t be effective, that kids will eventually observe peers taking it without those consequences.
But hasn’t the same campaign been super-successful in Montana?
How else besides showing the consequences of taking drugs are we to discourage teens from trying drugs? The drug war is a joke because the supply cannot be cut off.
Would you rather fight the supply or the demand?
Great comment Joe. My understanding is that the Montana Meth Project was very successful and this is the same project that the Idaho Meth Project was taken from.
I truly believe educating our youth, and adults, can keep the demand down and save someone’s life. Rebecca in the IFmag story talked about hitting rock bottom, and her rock bottom was after 25 years of substance abuse and she is only 40 years old. She wished her rock bottom had been after the first night of drinking with the “hang-over” but it wasn’t. It took her being on the brink of death from her Meth addiction, before she hit rock bottom.
Some people may think the ads are overboard. However, I believe they are on point for several reasons: #1) Meth is not even close to pot or even cocaine. It is highly addictive and leads to physical, mental, emotional, and other problems on a severe scale; #2) Kids are exposed to so much new technology and information that it seems necessary to get their attention through shocking ads.
People in Idaho Falls have no real idea about the severity of the meth problem around here. It is prevalent and causing alot of problems in other areas: thefts, forgeries, sexual assaults, etc….
Advertising in this area has to be more than Ward and June Cleaver sitting down with “The Beaver” and telling him to just say no–it has to show him why to say no and not even start. These ads are a great way to start the discussion among not only teens, but other adults as well.
I think that just as with the concept of paying a student a scholarship for not using drugs, those who are not predisposed will respond, those who are likely to use will probably use anyway.
If that’s the reason that usage is down (and has it stayed down?) among Montana citizens, then I guess it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try it here.
I agree with Joe, we want to decrease the demand, because we’re not decreasing the supply even though we have been at war for decades in this area.
And the mandatory minimum prison/jail sentences don’t seem to be creating a deterrent, either.
I don’t know how young we start teaching this here (I think DARE is 6th grade) but I think it could be moved up to earlier years in a concerted effort to ensure the anti drug sentiment is effective. I don’t want to wait until they’re teenagers and their minds are semi-made up before we have real discussions with them.
I’ve heard some radio ads that I thought were more effective than the TV ads. But I’m not a teenager, so who knows?
You’re never going to stop the demand. Period! It’s always going to be there, whether you see it or not. Like Nemisis, I’ve known numerous people over the years that have tried it a few times, including myself and like I said in my earlier post, it all depends upon the person. The people I knew that tried it, just couldn’t see doing it all the time and getting “addicted” the way the govt says you will after just once. The fact is, the majority of people that do try it, never get addicted to it. But they don’t want you to know that. They’d rather talk about the 2% that does and show you ridiculous pictures and scare you into thinking this is what you’ll look like and become if “you try it once”. It’s jut like anything else. I know people that smoke cigarettes “on occasion”, not everyday and there are those that smoke like feins every 20 minutes. Cigarettes have just as many chemicals, if not more in them, than meth does. Yet it’s legal.
Not that I’m proud of it, but I’ve “tried” pretty much every illegal substance out there and I’m perfectly fine today. I didn’t get hooked and I didn’t become a criminal. I didn’t tear up my face to look like I had leaporcy. It was a phase in my life during college where we partied in a controlled environment and had a good time. Every one of my friends grew up to be successful and have wonderful lives and be productive members of society.
The fact is, the DARE program doesn’t work. JUST SAY NO doesn’t work. The war on drugs doesn’t work and it never will. There will always be a demand for illegal substances, just like there will always be a demand for caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol.
I know first hand all about the “dangers of drugs”. I’ve been there and experienced it. It’s completely blown out of proportion. Those of you that have never tried an illegal substance have no room to talk, since you’re only getting your information from what “others” tell you. Scare tactics….that’s all it is. Sure, we don’t want our children to get hooked on drugs and become meth heads or alcoholics, but I’m telling you right now, you won’t stop them from “experimenting”, no matter how many shock films you show them, or how many family meetings you have, or how often you take them to bible study.
I came from a very religious family and went to church three times a week for 17 years. Had bible study every other night. But when I got to college, it was time to enjoy my freedom and experience life. Which I did! And I wouldn’t change a thing.
Today I have an awesome career and incredible family and wonderful friends, and all that “just say no” crap didn’t mean a damn thing to me.
There are extremes in EVERYTHING. We’ve got soldiers coming home from Iraq that are alcoholics and hooked on morphine and completely messed up. But we’ve also got some that have been through hell and come out unscathed and are now productive members of society.
Just because something effects one person this way, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to effect everyone that way.
I’ve seen the anti drug ads from the 70’s up to today and they haven’t worked. Period. But the message is always the same. The war on drugs has been a complete waste of money from day one and will continue to be a waste of money.
So, continue to talk to your kids about the dangers of drugs, but don’t blow things our of proportion and treat them like their idiots. Our kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. And if their going to experiment, there’s nothing you can do about it but hope for the best. More than likely they’ll be just fine.
You’ll always hear about the “Rebeccas” of the world, but what you won’t hear about is the thousands of other people just like her that had no problems whatsoever.
So you can keep believing the ads & propaganda you see. But I know better.
That’s great 007, you are a reformed drug/alcohol user. Congragulations. You are one tough cookie. However, words communicated to other kids and other adults do matter….whether it’s just say no, or don’t try it even once….the imagery of these ads gets people talking at all levels. That is what the campaign has done for Montana. It has opened up discussion of this topic among users and non-users about the effects of this drug.
I don’t know if you ever experimented with meth….it wasn’t around until the mid 1990s in this area, but it is much different than coke, or pot. You don’t have to be a user to appreciate how dangerous it is. If you spend time talking to addicts or dealing with them in professional situations you can see the results up close. Can you imagine putting battery acid or red devil lye into your body? Take a look at the brain CAT scans of users. It literally deteriorates your brain cells. Literally, brain lobes are eaten away. The other item at work here is that even if you quit using today and stay clean 3 years, if you go back to use, you leave off where you started–the cell damage does not repair from use of meth. You are stuck with the results of your choices.
Meth is not like the other drugs you experimented with and overcame. Your experiences show you were able to overcome. However, meth is an entirely new ballgame with different effects and results that need to be taken seriously and not eagerly dismissed as being blown out of proportion.
Trust me, it was around this area well before the 1990’s. Just because you didn’t hear about it, doesn’t mean it wasn’t around. I experiemented with it in the earlier 80’s and it was very easy to obtain in the mid-west. I’m certainly not discounting the dangers of it when used in massive amounts, like everything else it should be used in moderation, but cigarettes have just as many toxic chemicals in them, yet their legal. German troops used this product in WWII to help them stay alert, so it’s been around for quite some time. Just because you’ve dealt with addicts that have gone off the deep end, doesn’t mean that happens to everyone that trys it. I know from personal experience that the campaign “not even once” is a crock and is just scare tatics used, just like all the films they showed us in high school in the 70’s regarding the effects of acid, pot & alcohol. All propaganda!
I think there’s a “downside” to pretty much everything in life. Sure this stuff ruins some peoples lives, but often times it doesn’t. There’s a stigma attached with drug use and for those people like Mike that look down on folks just because they experimented during college is wrong in my opinion. Yet the same could be said with overeating, addiction to sex, prescription medication etc etc. I grew up in South Florida in the 70s & 80s when cocaine was everywhere and offered to eveyone and people from all walks of life were enjoying it. It’s still pretty prevelant to this day down there although not quite as much. Just as many terrible chemicals are put into this product than meth, yet meth is the new campaign out there so thats why eveyone is talking about it. I’ve seen people get completely messed up from doing too much ecstasy, yet when done in moderation, it’s completely harmless. Same can be said about anything.
I appreciate 007 sharing their experience with us and I don’t think its right to look down on somebody for sharing their views and personal experiences. I had my fair share of fun in college myself so i know where 007 is coming from. Some people just have addictive personalities and it’s ashame they get hooked on drugs or alcohol. Others can do it casually and lead productive lives. I’ve seen it happen for years with people from every walk of life.
I also find it quite interesting how people that have no personal experience in this area, always seem to be the experts on such matters.
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