Speculation is speculation. I went to great pains to mention that it was a question/concern. I also provided enough proof to at least justify said speculation (i.e. it wasn't totally idle).
I disagree that is is, within its self, a bad thing to do. We should hold people in the public eye to account, in particular when we spot what might be potential conflicts of interests.
No, you made a declarative statement at the very beginning of your comment that 'This is a rather subtle advert.' By doing so, you're poisoning the well for any questions that you pose afterwards. Your theory about the product image turned out to be wrong, and saying that you're just asking questions when you've previously stated opinions as fact is not really convincing.
I don't even like Jeff Atwood much, but I advise that you let this one go and next times ask questions before shooting.
I disagree that is is, within its self, a bad thing to do. We should hold people in the public eye to account, in particular when we spot what might be potential conflicts of interests.