It's not that bad here, but that probably varies regionally.
>There are numerous RD-related books published in England: novels
>based on the series, programme guides, behind-the-scenes accounts,
>and other tie-ins. These are almost impossible to find in the U.S.
>The same is true of the videocassettes of the show. So, one of the
>perennial Frequently Asked Questions is "Where can I find Red Dwarf
>merchandise?"
>
>As a result, I wasn't sure what to do when I recently received a note from
>a representative of http://www.alphabetstreet.com. The note suggested that
>I consider setting up an online bookshop connect to the FAQ. "As our
>affiliate you can earn an additional revenue from 5 to 15% for the books
>and CDs sold via the your site," the note said. "We do the mailing and
>everything else!"
>
>I was torn. On the one hand, it would probably be nice for RD fans to be
>able to click on a link in the FAQ and order RD books online. On the other
>hand, if I were receiving a commission on these sales, that would probably
>anger a lot of fans, and I could understand why they would feel this way.
>
>So far, I haven't done anything about it. But I'd love to hear what other
>FAQ maintainers think of this sort of thing. Mr. Al-Herbish has certainly
>made his feelings known, but what about the rest of you?
I'd put up the link, with a note saying that I get a cut from it. I'd also
add any other sources of stuff I found, whether or not they make me an
"affiliate". It's perfectly reasonable to get money from your work as a
FAQ maintainer, as long as people know about it. It's entirely another
thing to hold back information from a FAQ for financial reasons.
Anthony Argyriou
comp.graphics.apps.paint-shop-pro developer
http://www.alphageo.com/psp/faq.html
>
>>I don't know: I might be wrong. But really, if you're going to sell
>>something that you can promote anywhere near your FAQ, just pass the
>>FAQ onto someone else. Let's keep this by netters for netters.
>
>I agree that this is, at the very least, a gray area. But what if the
>items for sale are hard to find, and providing a way to order them is a
>service to readers of the FAQ? If the maintainer gets paid for the
>service, of course, that could be a conflict of interest.
>
>
>
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