Ring doorbells are hard to recommend, but security updates have changed our buying advice

Commentary: We have to look beyond the hardware to determine whether to recommend a product or not.

I'm a product reviewer. And whether I'm testing out a thermostat, a spin bike or a security camera, I'm full of questions -- and those questions always start with the hardware. CNET has published countless articles detailing exactly how we test products, but here are some general thoughts that immediately 

come to my mind as a smart home gadget tester:

1. What's the installation like? Was it easy or hard? Why specifically?

2. Is the app streamlined or clunky? Does it enhance (or at least not impede) using this product? How?

3. Is the device well designed? Will it likely hold up over time? Are any parts fiddly?

4. Does the product itself do what it claims to do? Were there any surprises? What, exactly?

5. How does this model compare to others from competitors? Is this the "best" one? 

6. Does it work with other smart home products, including voice assistants? Are the integrations helpful? 

Of course, the questions shift depending on the exact product, but you get the idea. I receive a product, try out the product -- and then tell you all about it.

With privacy and security issues now the norm in consumer tech, there are new considerations. What happens, for instance, when a product performs well, but you have a hard time recommending it because of genuine concern about a company's policies? 

Smart home device maker Ring has been one of my biggest challenges as a product reviewer to date. It certainly isn't alone: Facebook, I'm looking at you. But testing Ring doorbells and security cameras have raised so many additional questions for me about a reviewer's role in recommending -- or not recommending -- a product.