Book and DVD Store - Amazon.

[admin]

Thank you for that good advice Barbara 

On reflection I've removed two earlier posts before Barbara's from this topic. The first was Henrietta's response to my comments and the second was my own reaction to that. My excuse is that I'd just come home after a pleasant curry and several beers (not always the best time to formulate a response, I known).

Henrietta - I have better things to do than trade insults with you and if you wish to continue you will have to do so privately. Feel free to email me at the usual address.

Apologies to anyone else who saw the posts before they were removed.

[Barbara]

Now, now - I think this correspondence should end there!! 
Anyway, I enjoy this forum and think it is a very useful local amenity, and I appreciate all the hard work that goes into running it.
(Mines a pint, Mark!)
Barbara

[admin]

... and how many posts do I need to do to become a Senior Member?

100 posts to become a "Full Member" and 250 a "Senior Member". These are standard board settings and I haven't seen any reason to fiddle with them. Thanks for your supportive comments 

[Water Rat]

... and how many posts do I need to do to become a Senior Member?

[Water Rat]

Plus you seem to have offered an excellent local service to the community - local and ex-pat - for a goodly number of years without becoming a millionaire.

And I declare my interest in the site by admitting to winning the calendar in the Millennium quiz 

Keep up the valued work.

[alan@marple]

I don't see a problem here, I find Amazon very convenient and provides a good service and great savings

[Mike in Marple]

As a local business owner, I've received nothing but positive and considerate support from Mark.

His 'claim' to support local businesses is well-founded.

[admin]

Explain?

In 1999, yes 11 years ago, I set up an Amazon Associates page on the main site. It featured (and still does) a number of local books. Some that were available on Amazon and others that were available from the authors or local groups. The books by local authors were added at the authors' request to publicise their efforts.

If you haven't seen it, go to the main site using this link www.marple-uk.com/Marple.htm and then follow the link entitled "Book and DVD Store" in the right-hand column.

Most of these books have not been available for many years but I have never bothered updating the page. Now the majority (all but one when I tested this morning) are no longer available except perhaps second hand.

The income from this in the last eleven years has been minuscule at best and nonexistent for as long as I can remember and quite frankly I had forgotten about it. It is certainly now no more than a piece of web site history - an experiment that didn't go anywhere.

The reason that it has not thrived is because I have not embraced the Amazon way. I have not publicised or pushed it on the site, I have not attempted to expand the range of products or use any of the modern features that are available to Amazon Associates.

The very fact that someone has “discovered” it after have a “good dig around” when it has been there for more than a decade, I believe supports what I'm saying.

I think under the circumstances to use words like “disturbed me”, "got into bed with” and “put its money where its mouth is” in this provocative way is just ever so slightly over the top. I think I have been putting my money where my mouth is for a long time and am rather offended by the tone of this message.

[alan@marple]

Explain please

[My login is Henrietta]

    I was having a good dig around on the Website this am and discovered something which disturbed me. I realise that the website has to find its funding where it can but I was not impressed to see that it appears to have got into bed with Amazon.

The last time I looked Marple had its own very good independent book shop providing an excellent service.

The Website claims to support local businesses but by getting involved with the Amazon.co.uk Associates Programme it appears not to be putting it's money where its mouth it. Amazon undercuts high street prices and has been responsible for the demise of many small bookshops who are unable to compete.

(If anyone has raised this issue already I apologise. I don't have as much time as I would like to spend on here.)