Editor’s Note: This article is in response to my competitor’s most recent personal attack on me on 12 MAY.
My poor, obsessed competitor can’t seem to help himself, and he is up to his old tricks again. After LightFair, he published yet another attack piece—one in a long line of petty, self-serving attempts to build himself up by trying to tear me down.
The Contrast Couldn’t Be More Clear
On Monday, 12 MAY, following LightFair, his headline was about your humble editor. Our headline? It focused on fixing LightFair and helping the event return to prominence for the good of the industry. In fact, EdisonReport published five articles that day—each one dedicated to LightFair and what the show could be again.
His latest tantrum? I think he wants credit for reporting the Acuity layoffs before I did. To clarify: we became aware of the layoffs in late April, but we had no confirmation—no names, no numbers. At LightFair, the scope became very clear, and it was a big story. Over 30 people were affected, including respected industry veterans. After our article was published, we learned of even more people who were let go.
And yet, he says “not one person” mentioned it to him at LightFair. That may be more telling than he realizes. Maybe people don’t open up to those they don’t trust.
What kind of fictional world does he live in where he thinks he’s qualified to speak on private conversations of which he was not a part? He has no idea who I spoke with at LightFair—yet he’s out there pretending to know what others didn’t tell me. That’s not just arrogant; it’s delusional.
We verified the facts and published responsibly. Many attendees at LightFair were discussing Acuity, and several expressed concern about their own job security. We stand by our reporting, 100%.
The Race To Be First Isn’t Journalism
His obsession with being “first” says everything. This industry deserves more than ego-driven gotchas and self-promotion. Meanwhile, for the past month—and especially in the days leading up to LightFair—we’ve been working with stakeholders across the industry to propose real solutions. We put forward bold ideas and asked for feedback from all sides. You can read those ideas here. That article has resonated with the lighting community, and we have had much feedback, which has been forwarded to LightFair management.
My competitor tried to hijack the conversation. He made the discussion about himself. Again.
Let’s not ignore the deeper issue here. For someone who preaches realism and fairness, his personal tone and choice of attacks portray something else entirely: insecurity. Why else would he spend nearly 1,000 words trying to dismiss our reporting, with graphics and paragraphs of spin, just to say our story wasn’t important?
Years of Escalation
For years, I’ve tried to ignore his bizarre behavior—raging emails, wild accusations, and demands. Eventually, I had legal counsel intervene. It stopped the harassing emails, but not the toxicity.
Enough is enough. From my perspective, this is bullying—plain and simple. My nature is to turn the other cheek, almost to a fault. But silence hasn’t worked. When he calls me out, I will respond. I will match his tactics with truth and I apologize to the industry for dragging them into his angry little world.
When Industry Feuds Go Too Far
That big smile he exudes at trade shows doesn’t align with his sometimes vitriolic writing. He reminds me of an ex-husband angry at his former spouse. That spouse moves on, finds happiness, and thrives—while the ex-husband clings to the drama, inserting himself wherever he can to cause chaos and remind everyone he’s still bitter.
We’re Building—Not Bickering
I’m proud of what we’ve built at EdisonReport, designing lighting (dl), and designing lighting global (dlg). We break real news and advocate for the industry with professionalism and respect.
At the EdisonReport, we don’t create graphics using our competitor’s name or logo to generate clicks, and we don’t scream for attention. We focus on making the industry better.
And despite his ongoing efforts to tear us down, your humble editor is still here—focused, advocating, and deeply grateful for the respect of my peers.
Looking Ahead
My competitor has increasingly turned his platform into a personal PR machine, shifting from journalism to judgment. And while he accuses others of spectacle, he is actually exposing his desperate need for attention. The irony? The more he tries to discredit us, the more his audience sees what he’s really about.
One day, I truly hope my competitor can let go of his anger. I hope he finds the peace and joy in his personal and professional life that I’ve been fortunate enough to find in mine.
Quite simply, I wish him well!
Go Deeper: When Journalism Goes Rogue
Competitor Plans 3rd Attack on EdisonReport