[Foundation-l] Fwd: [Citizendium-l] Shop online, support Citizendium

[Erik Moeller]

On 5/15/07, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> So why are we leaving this money on the table again?

I think the current ISBN search interface is unlikely to ever generate
significant revenue. I had to edit my Monobook.js to even make
Amazon.com the default redirect (which I do because of the reviews,
not the purchasing option).

But a nice AJAX interface that, among other things, makes it trivial
to purchase books (or see reviews) from your preferred seller with a
single click could be worth building, as soon as we have the developer
resources to devote to it. With some clever UI design, users would be
able to change their settings easily, and the defaults could be based
on the most common preferences. Why AJAX? Because not all ISBNs are
valid, and it may be necessary to perform an on-the-fly database
lookup.

Generally speaking, affiliate programs that are
- connected to _useful_ features
- not exclusive
- not specific to a single product, website or service
- made transparent to the reader
- with reader preferences defining visibility

seem like a reasonable source of funds.
-- 
Peace & Love,
Erik

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