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To repeat an earlier comment of mine, the problem wasn't the metric itself; the problem was where it was put. That filing is not the place for companies to put free-form propaganda. If we permit that, we'll never see an honest filing ever again. If Groupon wants to push that metric, let them do it in a more appropriate forum.

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I'm afraid that doesn't fly. If a company wants to use any kind of non-GAAP financial measures in their marketing to investors they have to be disclosed and explained in the prospectus by law. That's how the prospectus works: it has to include everything you use in the marketing materials. If you think it's invalid it doesn't matter, but if the metric itself is fine it must go in the prospectus.

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