Views from Medina Road
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Cost Benefits
To respond to the commenters...
Yes, when you link to Amazon via Locus, I do get credit for all the purchases you make on that visit. I get a quarterly report listing in exhaustive detail everything purchased via the locusmag.com links (including videos, garden equipment, etc.; lots of stuff that isn't linked directly). I do certainly appreciate those purchases. Much revenue? It amounts to $200-$400 per quarter, i.e. every three months. A nice check (or gift certificate, now) when it comes, enough to cover some of what I spend on books, but hardly rent money (or mortgage payment).
I find wipeovers annoying too, but I'm not going to rule anything out. What if 20th Century Fox offers big bucks to promote their latest flick? And big bucks for Locus Online would be a miniscule drop in their bucket. Let's put it another way: increased ad revenue will finance additional content on Locus Online, mainly reviews and essays. What kind of ads are visitors willing to endure to pay for that content?
Meanwhile, after my irate post last month concerning viruses and worms, I was amused to see this piece today in Slate.
Yes, when you link to Amazon via Locus, I do get credit for all the purchases you make on that visit. I get a quarterly report listing in exhaustive detail everything purchased via the locusmag.com links (including videos, garden equipment, etc.; lots of stuff that isn't linked directly). I do certainly appreciate those purchases. Much revenue? It amounts to $200-$400 per quarter, i.e. every three months. A nice check (or gift certificate, now) when it comes, enough to cover some of what I spend on books, but hardly rent money (or mortgage payment).
I find wipeovers annoying too, but I'm not going to rule anything out. What if 20th Century Fox offers big bucks to promote their latest flick? And big bucks for Locus Online would be a miniscule drop in their bucket. Let's put it another way: increased ad revenue will finance additional content on Locus Online, mainly reviews and essays. What kind of ads are visitors willing to endure to pay for that content?
Meanwhile, after my irate post last month concerning viruses and worms, I was amused to see this piece today in Slate.
Comments:
I find it ironic that Slate, the online magazine owned by Microsoft would be advocating the execution of worm writers... Wouldn't it make more sense to have strict liability laws that hold MS$ and other companies responsible for the security flaws that plague their products.
The article says that a government's job is to provide protections that can't be purchased in the market place... Protections from unfair and competitive monopolies come to mind. Consumer protection laws that hold companies liable for the flaws in their products. Now THAT is some government protection I'd like to see.
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The article says that a government's job is to provide protections that can't be purchased in the market place... Protections from unfair and competitive monopolies come to mind. Consumer protection laws that hold companies liable for the flaws in their products. Now THAT is some government protection I'd like to see.
# posted by 
: 9:34 PM
: 9:34 PM
Still in progress:
Mark R. Kelly
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The opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of Mark R. Kelly, and do not reflect the editorial position of Locus Magazine.
The opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of Mark R. Kelly, and do not reflect the editorial position of Locus Magazine.
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