First, thanks to Raphmeister for his original post. I found it informative and thought-provoking. Whether I agree with all of it is not the point.
Second, like Raphmeister, I do feel a sense of cynicism about the fuzzy line between reporting and advertising that seems to be characteristic of much horological journalism.
Third, I consider this site to be an antidote for the cynicism as I have consistently found our community to be committed to watches rather than marketing. Is there "cheerleading" going on here? I would say there is not. There is often a very high level of enthusiasm, but that is as it should be. I believe it is all genuine. We would not be here if we didn't love watches.
Finally with reference to the first point, I hope that the group's reactions will encourage Raphmeister to be more careful about the personal implications of his comments but that they will not discourage Raphmeister from continuing to post his interesting opinions.