Feature	MODx	Wordpress	Winner
Blogging	very simple blog using Ditto, limited functionality	State-of-the-art, built-in comments, archives, categories, tagging, and much more	WP
Templating	Extremely strong and flexible - almost infinite, MODx beats any system I've used in this.	very flexible, somewhat more work due to need to accommodate bloggish structure	MODx for speed of building, but WP has edge in tons of free themes!
Custom fields in content	the TV (template variable) makes this incredibly flexible, almost any type of content can be stuck anywhere.	Custom fields available. Some php coding required. Widgets can sometimes be used for this.	MODx
Editing	Tiny, FCK, others available	Tiny, FCK, others available. This implementation is prettier, and more plugins available.
Plugin variety and quantity	very good	enormous, many many developers, pre-built stuff for almost anything.	WP
Permissions	good, using document groups and more by using ManagerManager plugin	very good, very granular if using plugins. Caveat that many plugins are only available to super admin.	WP
Document structure	uses flexible folders paradigm	Pages used for static pages that go in menu, Posts for bloggish "latest news" content
Updating system	pretty easy, download/upload	extremely easy: now WP itself, themes, and plugins all updateable and searchable through admin!	WP, with caveat that plugins are a bit more sensitive to WP upgrades
Photo handling	Maxigallery is very flexible, some work to set up and more to template.	many plugins from super easy Auto Thickbox plugin to enormous NextGen gallery.	WP
Multimedia handling	some plugins available, some work to set up	many plugins for audio, video, etc.	WP
Ecommerce	some plugins, can set up manually with Ditto for small site, Foxy Cart for more functionality	various plugins, nothing bulletproof. WP-Ecommerce has a lot of features.
SEO	can be done with TV's per page	good plugins available	WP
Security	updates usually available pretty quickly if problem found.	issues updates fast, but WP is much more popular, so it's a much bigger target.	MODx
Content management	extremely flexible	can be used as CMS, somewhat limited due to bloggish structure	MODx
Moving sites	very easy	somewhat less easy due to fewer relative file paths	MODx

Spam emails are annoying enough, but then he started to phone me.  I finally managed to speak to him and told him that I didn’t want phone calls.  He fought me a bit – you know how salespeople can get  – but he finally relented.  Problem solved, or so I thought.

Just today I got an email from a fellow, let’s call him “T”, who was supposedly my new “Sales Engineer”.   I simply deleted it.  To a very small degree, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt.  Big mistake.  After getting the email today, I noticed that I had a voicemail.  It was the very same “T”, who lead his pitch with “I know you don’t want be called, but your email bounced..”  That’s all I would listen to before deleting it, and I was very angry by this time.

This type of outmoded, moronic high-pressure sales technique is something I’ve written about elsewhere in this blog.   You can almost hear some clueless sales manager hounding these newbie salespeople saying “don’t take no for an answer, keep calling again and again, it’s a number’s game, sell, sell, sell, if you don’t meet these numbers you’re fired!!!!”  Or maybe T himself is an imbecile, maybe having read the book “Keep Calling, Whining, Hounding, Spamming, and Not Listening, Until You Make The Sale!”  He’s the type of guy phone number blocking was invented for.

Nowadays, when you go to business school,  it’s well-known that the old foot-in-the-door technique no longer works.  They have you establish a relationship with a potential client based on respect – that way, you have a chance to have a lifelong client.  Sweetwater did not get this memo.  I had no idea that buying something from them would get me a stalker who would not be removable with an Exocet missile.

I tried to deal with the company rationally and politely, giving them another chance for my business.  At this point I’ll simple delete my account with them.  There are other good alternatives for music gear, such as Zzounds, AMS, Musician’s Friend, and many more.  I normally wouldn’t do any pimping for those other companies, but Sweetwater is striving to alienate me as much as possible, so that’s what they get.

Sweetwater Sales: FAIL

Update: One day after writing this article, I receive a note from a manager at Sweetwater.  He was very contrite, and assured me that I would not be receiving unwanted phone calls.  He added that it was not Sweetwater’s intention to treat customers this way.  I applaud him for being helpful, and I will now be willing to consider Sweetwater again when shopping for music gear.  I’m reasonably confident that I won’t be getting the foot-in-the-door treatment anymore – we’ll see.

On a side note, it’s great to see that my blog is highly visible.  Nowadays publishing on the web has become the most effective way to get results from customer service problems. I’m fortunate to have this resource – the technologically-challenged will often not have as good a result going through traditional channels, and I would say that this applies generally, not specifically to this company.

Though I do express my opinions pretty clearly, I don’t usually write something that’s this nasty.  But when a problem keeps recurring, I might lose it! Fortunately, this rant ended up having a happy ending!

Gibson has been a venerated guitar brand for many years.  I have played great Gibson guitars in the past, but I’ve never been able to own one.  My only real beef with them is that their prices are astronomical, so when I was playing electric guitar for a living, even if I wanted one, no way.   But frankly, I do like to see companies called out when they treat their employees like dirt.  Before the web, companies could happily keep all this secret.  And yes, obviously this is one side of the story, but the overwhelmingly negative reactions are pretty compelling to me.

By the way, it was fascinating that the company that famously breaks guitars has a ranking on Glass Door almost as bad as Gibson’s.  To enjoy some dirty details and get your daily dose of schadenfreude, check out this page at GlassDoor.com.   Or just enjoy some choice titles by people reviewing the company:

• “failure on all fronts”
• “sick culture that stifles the company”
• “Nero fiddles (or picks) while Rome burns”
• “Don’t think your experience will be different”
• “So much potential, but stuck in a stagnant state of fear and intimidation”
• “Corporate management exemplifies best efforts at mediocrity”
• “Just don’t work there unless you have no other choice, and even then, always be looking for any other job”
• “Worst Corporate Culture Ever…and That’s Being Kind”
• “Mommy Dearest? Oh, Just Gibson Guitar”
• “It would be the best place ever if HJ wasn’t there”
• “Get your Prozac ready”
• “STAY FAR AWAY FROM GIBSON!”
• “Run as fast as you can…in the opposite direction”
• “Only take a job here if you have nothing to lose”

And obviously someone will chime in and say, “my experience was fine”, or “these are all crybabies”, or “they should be happy they have any job” as if that should refute everything other people have said.  Uh huh.