"Links policy" means what to us regulars here??

[anamardoll]

Koland, I appreciate you posting all those links up there. Thank you.

Unfortunately -- for me -- I don't WANT to go to 5+ sites daily to look for free/bargain books. And like others on this thread, I don't really want to subscribe to 5+ MR threads to see them either.

I liked... you know... just skimming the forum topics. And I didn't care (and never will) if the people posting the links got 4% on my purchases for the day or 100% on my purchases for the day. More power to them.

I'm not happy with this policy. I know that people usually don't like it when things change, but I know my own mind well enough to know that this isn't something I'm going to get used to. Beyond anything else, if both Koland and Arcadata and DiapDealer and KennyC all link to the same book in each of their hypothetical affiliate threads, I don't want to have to decide who to "tip".

I want it the way it used to be: first come, first serve; one deal per thread; and affiliate links to tip the poster. I miss it.

[sakura-panda]

I think I won't be downloading as many freebies as I used to. I don't want to page through long threads either and enjoyed skimming thread titles for ones that said "Free".

I know there are other sources, but I never bothered to seek them out because I don't really *need* them -- I just couldn't pass up checking the ones posted so conveniently here.

I liked reading the comments that sometimes came with the books, especially when they were re-offered as free and I had missed the earlier round. Sometimes I'd forget to get a book but a comment would bump it back up and I'd remember to get it then.

I'm going to miss the old way.

[Catlady]

What bothers me is that the "problem"--nondisclosure--could have been easily addressed with an added sentence in each freebie post, causing perhaps some slight inconvenience to the poster, but letting the rest of us continue without disruption. If the poster forgot the disclosure, the post could be edited to add it.

Now, the entire community is disrupted, the people who post freebies are marginalized and vilified, and we are all inconvenienced--including the moderators, who now have to police the non-"Affiliate Links" threads more closely looking for forbidden affiliate tags. All for what purpose? Why was the most onerous solution chosen?

[luqmaninbmore]

Originally Posted by Catlady

What bothers me is that the "problem"--nondisclosure--could have been easily addressed with an added sentence in each freebie post, causing perhaps some slight inconvenience to the poster, but letting the rest of us continue without disruption. If the poster forgot the disclosure, the post could be edited to add it.

Now, the entire community is disrupted, the people who post freebies are marginalized and vilified, and we are all inconvenienced--including the moderators, who now have to police the non-"Affiliate Links" threads more closely looking for forbidden affiliate tags. All for what purpose? Why was the most onerous solution chosen?

Very good question. Well, powers-that-be?

[tubemonkey]

I never knew people were making money off these links. Live and learn.

[anamardoll]

Can I just put a permanent "+1" post after all of Catlady's posts on this topic?

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by petercreasey

I don't want to go all (or any) of the long listings of bargains and freebies.

Well, you did ask what people could "do to stay "in the loop" with attractive offerings?"

Now, if you'd rather not avail yourself of them that's quite up to you, but the resources are out there for anyone willing to take advantage of them instead of relying on the kindness of strangers, which quite frankly, works out especially badly for a Sony user since most of the Sony-available freebies don't get posted/updated here anyway regardless of what thread they might end up in.

Anyway, it's rather baffling how a lot of posters seem to think that without the prospect of being able to affiliate-link, the supply of freebies which get posted on MR will suddenly dry up and blow away because of lack of financial incentive and we're all doomed, DOOMED to seeing the Deals dry up like tumbleweeds and blow away.

Arcadata is still taking the time to post Kindle freebies sans affiliate, and even should s/he get sick of it and stick to bargains-only, in the past and even now, MR has had plenty of unaffiliated posters who've shared freebie/coupon alerts without even the prospect of maybe making 4 cents on the dollar if they're lucky.

Hell, the Threads Started By search run on my profile will literally dredge up the fact that 99 and 44/100ths of all the threads I've started, ever, on MR are for free books right here in the Deals forum, and I wasn't certainly getting any compensation beyond maybe a little break in my insomnia-boredom from posting those half-to-a-dozen new FT Press/Christian fiction freebies in a row most Monday mornings for months on end.

And Susan Crealock who's been here even longer used to find and post many more of the Big 4 store freebies and still manages to post a lot of smaller press/bookstore finds for everyone, with no greater compensation than maybe having you visit her nicely-maintained permafreebie Free Online Novels blog via the link in her sig.

You should all go give her karma right now.

[anamardoll]

ATDrake, it's not that I don't think there won't be any deals anymore, it's that I liked being able to browse the forum by title instead of having to read a bunch of threads to see if there are any good deals.

The old method was a glance-and-done. If I saw a title or author I wanted, I picked it up. The new method requires a lot more labor intensive search.

I'm not trying to complain, but just pointing out that I watched the forums for SPECIFIC freebies, not just FREE. And the new method has gone from a 30 second check for me to 10-20 minutes of digging. And that's a shame.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I'm not trying to complain, but just pointing out that I watched the forums for SPECIFIC freebies, not just FREE. And the new method has gone from a 30 second check for me to 10-20 minutes of digging. And that's a shame.

But… the freebies are still being posted by Title and Store (maybe author & genre). It was that way long before the affiliate links and it's not likely to change.

Admittedly the bargains are being posted more in megathreads now, but the freebies haven't changed their listing style.

[anamardoll]

Also, I'm not comfortable with the measuring-stick of who is using affiliate links and who isn't. I don't care IF people use affiliate links, but I don't see it as... a point of honor or morality if someone chooses not to.

I'm not saying that's what you mean by pointing out your threads aren't affiliate linked, but just to say that I"m not comfortable with this situation. Catlady calls it the "marginalizing" of the affiliate posters and I kind of agree. I'm just not at all comfortable with these lists of who does and doesn't use affiliate links and who does and doesn't deserve karma.

I give people karma if they post a book I like and want. Not because of whether or not they use an affiliate link.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

But… the freebies are still being posted by Title and Store (maybe author & genre). It was that way long before the affiliate links and it's not likely to change.

Admittedly the bargains are being posted more in megathreads now, but the freebies haven't changed their listing style.

I'm referring to everything as freebies. Bargains. Whatever. My point is that I used the forum to pick up books I was looking for at the magic "under $5" price.

So the listing style has changed for *me*.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

ATDrake, it's not that I don't think there won't be any deals anymore, it's that I liked being able to browse the forum by title instead of having to read a bunch of threads to see if there are any good deals.

The old method was a glance-and-done. If I saw a title or author I wanted, I picked it up. The new method requires a lot more labor intensive search.

I'm not trying to complain, but just pointing out that I watched the forums for SPECIFIC freebies, not just FREE. And the new method has gone from a 30 second check for me to 10-20 minutes of digging. And that's a shame.

I completely agree.

All they had to do was have affiliates label themselves as such, and those who don't want to click the link could move on. The rest of us, who honestly don't care, won't have to spend extra time to go digging.

I don't think this policy was well thought out, and is a complete over reaction to a very simple problem with a very, very simple solution.

[rhadin]

I must have missed this change in policy. What is the new policy and/or were can I find it?

[anamardoll]

Here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=151082

[sufue]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

I completely agree.

All they had to do was have affiliates label themselves as such, and those who don't want to click the link could move on. The rest of us, who honestly don't care, won't have to spend extra time to go digging.

I don't think this policy was well thought out, and is a complete over reaction to a very simple problem with a very, very simple solution.

I agree. I've been doing most of my commenting on the other thread (the one attached to the sticky), but thought I'd just stick my 2 cents in here too...I hope the moderators consider changing to the "old way with a disclosure right up front".