I’m sometimes asked if I ghost write under other names or post comments anonymously about Groupon. I do not. Everything I’ve written about Groupon and the daily deals space has been posted under my name.

I do, however, answer a lot of calls from other reporters about Groupon and the daily deals space. I help them to understand how the space operates and to interpret financial statements. I also help make introductions to other sources they might want to contact or businesses they might want to interview. I sometimes advise reporters on what questions they should ask.

In many cases, I’m quoted by name. But in a lot of cases, my comments are paraphrased, summarized or woven into the structure or theme of the story. This is at the discretion of the reporter; I do not ask for my comments to be on background.