Shells has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency. The commitment is sincere. The products remain opaque. Several readers have suggested that this creates a contradiction, but we ask them to distinguish between a business principle and the optical properties of a conch.
We believe customers deserve to know what they are looking at. Accordingly, when you look at a shell, we tell you it is a shell. We decline to manufacture a more exciting explanation simply because “shell” occupies less space in a presentation.
What we disclose
Our catalog displays a product name, a price, and a photograph. We regard this as a useful starting point. We have resisted the temptation to describe the photograph as a “visual evidence portal” because that would require a second page and probably a steering committee.
The photograph shows the exterior. The exterior is where the shell keeps most of its recognizable features. The interior may be inspected by turning the shell over, a process we are provisionally calling enhanced due diligence.
We provide full visibility of the shell's visible parts. This sentence has survived fourteen revisions.
What we do not infer
A glossy surface does not imply financial stability. An empty interior does not imply available office space. A naturally occurring spiral does not prove that your growth strategy is sustainable, although we understand why the branding department wanted to use it.
If a product is described as “open,” the description refers to an opening. It is not an invitation to inspect our accounts. If it is described as “closed,” the description refers to the photograph angle, not our attitude toward feedback.
Transparency without demolition
Breaking a shell in half may reveal more of its interior. It will also reveal why nobody asked you to perform the audit. We prefer questions, clear descriptions, and leaving the product in the same number of pieces.
This approach has caused some tension with the Department of Radical Openness, whose first proposal involved a hammer. The proposal was declined. The department now reviews windows.
Our reporting standard
We report what a statement says, and resist giving it credit for what a reader hoped it said. “Available for inspection” does not mean “has passed every inspection.” “Display quality” does not mean “investment grade.” “Carefully selected” does not identify the person doing the selecting, much less their qualifications.
Our transparency policy therefore ends with a modest promise: the wording will be available for you to read. It may be quite careful. You are invited to be equally careful in return.