For some years I have maintained a website with links to Amazon.com which generates a few hundred dollars a year, or about enough to pay for my dial-up connection.

My question: I see that perlmonks.org encourages members to link to fatbrain.com. Am I allowed to place on my perlmonks bio page links to Amazon.com instead?

I would prefer to deal with Amazon because I know that I will clear the minimum needed to get a quarterly check. If my Fatbrain links only generate a buck or two each quarter then I doubt that I will ever see the money.

  • Comment on Are Links to Non-Fatbrain Book Sites Allowed?

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Re: Are Links to Non-Fatbrain Book Sites Allowed?
by Corion (Patriarch) on Jan 29, 2001 at 04:34 UTC

    Amazon is in general frowned upon here because of their ridiculous One-Click-Shopping-Patent. This should not keep you from posting links to Amazon on your homenode though - but you might want to consider asking vroom about his FatBrain account instead if you want to generate some income for him instead.

    I don't know how he finances Perl Monks, but I imagine that some money will always be welcomed by him, as he's just a lowly student :-).

      I agree with Corion. I know of no policy against any links for books, but I use vroom's out of courtesy. In my opinion use whatever you'd like, I'd perfer to support vroom & PM. I also bought a t-shirt. 8)

      =Blue
      ...you might be eaten by a grue...

Re: Are Links to Non-Fatbrain Book Sites Allowed?
by $code or die (Deacon) on Jan 29, 2001 at 04:55 UTC
    I've posted links before to fatbrain because it is who vroom uses in Buy Stuff. In fact, all the links I've posted use vroom's account (without his permission, but I'm sure he won't complain!). In the long run, I hope it contibutes in some way to this great site.

    Freedom of speech and all that: it's up to you. Personally, I think that most visitors here will make up their own mind where they buy from and may not click on the links at all. Any stats on this?

    $code or die
    Using perl at
    The Spiders Web
      I was under the impression that perlmonks is owned by slashdot which is owned by some corporation. I love both sites, but see no need to subsidize them by doing more than looking at their banner ads (which I am happy to do.)

      Am I wrong? Is perlmonks independently owned and operated by Mr. Vroom?

        Slashdot *was* owned by Blockstackers, Intergalactic, which more-or-less owns the Everything Development Company.

        When Andover.Net bought Slashdot from BSI, part of that money went into founding EDC.

        EDC owns Perl Monks, and vroom is an employee, charged with running PM as well as programming on the Engine.

        While the previous owners of Slashdot currently hold a financial stake in EDC, there is no formal relationship between Slashdot as it exists now and EDC or Perl Monks.

        In practice, at least one person makes money from both. On separate checks.

        I'm sure you could click on the link down at the bottom and read all of the wonderful information about The Everything Development Co.. This would then reveal that they make their money from supporting customers who would choose to purchase their wonderful everything engine. Seeing as how the number of sites running everything seems to be limited to those actually run by the everything group, they are probably not enjoying much financial success. (note: I don't know this as I am not associated with them.) Everything is only associated with /. in the sense that my site is associated with my friend's web site. In other words, they're independent of each other, but happen to be run by real life friends.

        Update: I have left my wording intact, but realized how it was slightly misleading to sierrathedog04. What I meant to state is that the Everything guys make their money not from sales of their engine per se, but that the engine is kind of like the product being sold. Think about it in the sense that if I told you I'd give you a car and I would service it for you for $10,000 dollars a year. (yeah, I'm steep, but I'm giving you a car. :). But maybe, you're a stuffed up sod, who can't possibly fathom getting the car for free, so you think to yourself, "I'll pay this gentleman $10K for this car, and he'll take care of any problems I have for a whole year." And that's what I meant by selling the engine. You get free service in return, and when you want to soup up your car, your requests for that turbo charged nitrous fuel intake are kindly filled faster than some shmoe who took the car without buying any service.

        ALL HAIL BRAK!!!

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Re: Are Links to Non-Fatbrain Book Sites Allowed?
by clemburg (Curate) on Jan 29, 2001 at 14:44 UTC

    I just mostly use fatbrain links because I find the information they provide on the books to be more valuable than the information at other sites. No hidden agenda here, at least not for me. Just use any link you have, I say.

    Christian Lemburg
    Brainbench MVP for Perl
    http://www.brainbench.com