We do what we do because all consumers need a website like this. We all know that feeling you get when you’ve just bought a shiny new gadget. Far too often, you yank it out of the box, plug it in…and then you find that it really just isn’t what you expected. Perhaps you realized too late that you could have paid much less for a superior product, maybe nobody told you that the associated app isn’t available for iOS, or maybe because “indestructible” actually meant “unless you use it”…in any case, this kind of thing can ruin your mood for an entire day.
Our mission is to always be fair and objective. Advertising is so pervasive in our lives, especially online, that it has become essential to have an unbiased reference for the things you need to buy. For this reason, we don’t solicit or accept “samples” of the products we review. Nor, in fact, do we buy them retail; at the end of the day, this only yields one, subjective opinion. Bench-testing is certainly important to us, but it also has its limitations.
To overcome this aspect of evaluating products, we work more like a review aggregator. This means that we combine as many different and diverse customer experiences into our reviews as we can – not everyone’s expectations, budget, and circumstances are the same, so we’re careful to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach when talking about what you need. Of course, we also reach out to experts – hair stylists, plumbers, chefs, doctors, whoever we need – to gain deeper insights where appropriate, but our preference is still talking about how real, ordinary people use these products in their daily lives.
We are always frank about the good and the bad points of everything we review. If there is anything on the market today which doesn’t have at least a few drawbacks, we have yet to find it, at least at an affordable price. For some people, in some situations, these pain points might be irrelevant, but they will be dealbreakers for others. In either case, our goal is to enable you to make the best purchasing decision possible, so we’ll never gloss over the negative, even when it’s a product we love in every other way.
We do make a commission from any product you purchase through this website. The amounts are not huge, though, and certainly don’t influence our opinions. Remember: we have absolutely no relationship with any of the manufacturers. If something isn’t up to scratch, it’s really easy for us to find something better. If any supposed feature doesn’t add value to your experience, we’ll certainly tell you so. Mostly, we run this site because we believe that good design and craftsmanship should be rewarded, and bad, overpriced products called out for what they are. In the long run, this can only make the world a better place.
The advice we give is based on both real-world experience and professional opinion. Even though we like to think we know more than the average person about the subjects we write on, we will be the first to admit it when there’s something we’re not sure of. For this reason, every blog article we write is meticulously researched and often contributed to by experts in the field. So, if you see a statement you don’t agree with somewhere on this website, chances are that we have a good reason for saying exactly that. We’d still like to hear from you, though, so by all means reach out through the contact page.
Our Team
Besides the main team listed below, All The Stuff is frequently using the services of product specialists, marketing managers, and industry experts. We also have a small but engaged group of contributors and part-time workers – thank you Andrew Raines, Carmen Fernandez, Patrick Barnhart, and Alex Perkins.
Victor Owens, our chief editor, has owned a dry cleaning business, traded in zebra skins, worked as an electrical engineer, chef, and earthworm farmer, has written five books, and still isn’t quite sure what to do with his life. For now, he lives in a Latin American surfing town and maintains a science blog.
Amy-Lynn Denham uses her life experience and training in psychology to write and coach new freelancers to successful and fulfilling careers. For fun, she likes to spend time in the outdoors, advocate for awareness of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and play board games with her family.
Jessica Peters knows everything there is to know about the dark arts of fashion, styling, and beauty. When not busy at the salon, she’s happy to share this expertise with the rest of us, as well as tips on eating well and maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
Maureen Miller helps us out by writing about everything related to health, home, and family. Her energy levels are off the charts and her writing gig here is just one of no less than 14 jobs that she juggles simultaneously. Good for us, too, as you just can’t be around her for more than one or two days. You’d die.
Robert Brown is our go-to guy for anything technical, and will even help you build a PC at the drop of a hat. He’s currently close to completing a VR-related PhD. His poisons are many, including reading science fiction and sometimes trying to write it. Unsuccessfully. His dream is to be a Martian colonist or to be a robot. Whichever comes first.
Otwin Buchener has something over a decade of experience as a software engineer for (mainly) AtoS, but recently decided that designing and operating websites is more fun than coding. He’s managing the somewhat divergent troupe around here, but tends to just let everyone get on with their jobs.
Every website also needs a Sherilyn Powell, even if she doesn’t like to hog the spotlight all that much (that’s why she isn’t on the picture). No matter how hard we try, a few typos and grammatical errors always manage to sneak in. Sherilyn catches these for us, and is also the patron saint of puppies (on a strictly part-time basis).
Mika is Good Dog of Otwin. Good dog Mika loves walkies, throw ball, and dogs that are good boys. No like when people sad, will put head on lap until not sad. Sorry bad typing, has paws; very many kisses, Mika good dog.
