I must beg to differ. I have taken PB mag for around 8 years now and find it to be an outstanding, helpful magazine. I have ordered and used products over the years from advertisers in the magazine. I have found the various articles very helpful - I was a total novice and through PB mag, Bob and Mark's excellent books, and this site, I have taken a lake from a poorly producing, over populated waterhole to an outstanding fishery. I too appreciate the pro's help and certainly it is good when Bob and Mark chip in, but just to have a site to ask questions and bounce ideas off of others of similar interest is invaluable. Personal attacks on the owners is really not warranted - if I were a pro writing an article for a magazine, I think I would find out first if I was going to be compensated and then decide if I wished to contribute or not. Be careful here that you get what you ask for - ie. no magazine nor website at all for pond owners. And I must add that most pond owners are here for good, practical advice in layman's terms - they are interested in one thing - how to manage and enjoy a small body of water. So having all of the scientific back up is not always necessary - So as for me ..... I will continue to subscribe to the magazine, buy the products advertised in it, enjoy this FREE site, and enjoy my pond!