Dear Friends--

Why is it ok to discuss  Av*nt,  M*d*l* or *gn*ll Products  as long as
discussants "obscure" the names slightly? Who are we fooling except
ourselves?

I can understand that we don't people advertising or trashing products
on Lactnet, but if we are going to discuss products, why not call a
spade a spade?

Also, why is it ok to talk about the Haberman Feeder or the SNS (both
brand names) but not ok to discuss these pumps by name?

As someone trained as an economist, it seems very peculiar to me that we
seem comfortable calling products by name only when the company has a
virtual monopoly in a particular type of device.  Are we afraid of
acknowledging and supporting competition in the breastfeeding devices
industry?  If there were more competition among the manufacturers of
these products, we and our clients would all benefit from it.

I am not proposing that we become a forum for product discussions.  I am
only saying that the current practice on Lactnet, as I observe it,
doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Warmly--
Judy Gelman, IBCLC
Washington, DC