''Threads like these'' are actually helpful. Why don't you take your complaints up with the company's producing all these terrible products rather than trying to lynch those using them. You and most of the regulars here exhibit 0 empathy, new growers who swim through a sea of ''Advice from professionals'' are obviously going to get bitten by a shark at some point. Yet, you think posting here, to people who can actually review products while not being profit driven is a bad idea?.
Do explain how else a person is to understand or educate himself on such topics with no prior experience on where to track that ''credible'' information down. Simply understanding how a plant works is not going to cut it. Nowhere in my educational back ground was I shown that topping a plant of upto 70% is actually beneficial. If I were to go back some years and echo your attitude then a lot of what you currently do would have me deem you an idiot.
Let me give you an example. Link me all the logistics, equipment and techniques involved in climbing a multi pitch trad of your choice. I will jump down your throat when you inevitably show some poor information. And in all fairness what I've asked you to search will be far easier to get right than trying to understand the cluster fuck of professional liars and armature do wrongs involved in growing. I can't trust the professionals but I can't ask the amateurs?.. a dog chasing his tail.