Interesting read... and interesting to see how DB's OP turned into a "what XS should do".

I know for myself I include a company logo/banner in articles regardless of whether I received a sample gratis or spent lab money to buy the sample. Just using components from a company in a worklog/thread is marketing and advertising. With ads, most of us have become blind to ads and banners from our normal surfing anyhow.

I see a larger question though... Why is there all this drama and politics taking center stage in our hobby rather than pushing the limits of builds, systems and design?