There are so many enthusiast sites, and as a result, so many opinions and recommendations. A handful are managing to pull away from the crowd and become viable businesses. As this happens, the stakes go up for both the publishers of these sites, and the companies that benefit from being on these sites in advertising banners, in reviews, or just general news exposure. Benchmarks and reviews are probably going to be the litmus test of success for these sites. It's going to be interesting to watch the way each site positions itself for greater glory. The reactions to the testing on Tom's Hardware were just one example of how heated the competition is.

Now, before any of you write in, I neither care, nor do I endorse anyone's benchmarks. It's just not that important to me. I have been on the other side of the business, and know how to manipulate benchmarks for the gain of a product so, in general, benchmarks can be good references, but none, and I mean none, are infallible.

My issue is with the fact that many sites chose to jump on the vitriol bandwagon, sometimes by just pointing out the dissent of some other site. You wouldn't, or shouldn't, see that kind of thing in the printed media world. Now that enthusiast sites are becoming businesses, it's time for some measure of control, or self-regulation. It would be a service to the readership of these sites. Otherwise, maybe the E! Channel is the model for the 3D! Channel of the future. All we need now is a few photogenic hosts, and a license to print whatever the manufacturer says is worth printing.