Editing Incubator escapee wiki:Help desk/Archive 1 (section)

== Posting Commercial Links on Wikipedia ==

I am a member of various affiliate schemes, e.g. Amazon, Tradedoubler etc, and would be interested in adding information to the Wikipedia in order to benefit commercially.  For example, if there was discussion about a particular film, then I could post an external link from Wikipedia under my affiliate scheme to Amazon.  I feel this could be mutually beneficial, but would like to know people's opinions about this before I start doing so.

:For books, always post at least one [[ISBN]] if you can. Not only does it make it easier to track down the book, but the ISBN is automatically linked to a page that lets people shop for it at the site of their choice. So people can read the description, and buy it if they like from the seller they like. We're giving them choices, and not advertising any seller in particular. [[User:Raul654|&rarr;Raul654]] 22:41, Apr 19, 2004 (UTC)

:That's a big no no. If you want to make some money for yourself, set up your own website. [[User:Dori|Dori]] | [[User talk:Dori|Talk]] 00:49, Apr 18, 2004 (UTC)

::(credit is due, btw, to the original poster - thanks for asking first) Dammit, we used to have a link to a policy answering this exact question (on the [[Wikipedia:Village Pump|Village Pump]], I think) so we should show it's not just Dori and I being petulant. -- [[User:Finlay McWalter|Finlay McWalter]] | [[User talk:Finlay McWalter | Talk]] 00:52, 18 Apr 2004 (UTC)

:::Number 18 on [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not]]. [[User:Dori|Dori]] | [[User talk:Dori|Talk]] 01:16, Apr 18, 2004 (UTC)

::::Besides being generally discouraged, I believe it would be ineffective. It's my understanding that the [[Wikimedia]] Foundation briefly tried the Amazon affiliate program to evaluate its fundraising potential, and that it was discontinued because virtually no revenue was generated. --[[User:Michael Snow|Michael Snow]] 23:51, 19 Apr 2004 (UTC)

:::::The isbn pages suggest the amazon affinity program is still in place - hit this: {{ISBN|0061075620}} and then the first "find this book" link in the "Individual online booksellers" section. If it was discontinued, where is the (very little) money going? -- [[User:Finlay McWalter|Finlay McWalter]] | [[User talk:Finlay McWalter | Talk]] 00:22, 20 Apr 2004 (UTC)

::::::My understanding was based on [http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2004-January/013940.html this post] by Jimbo to the mailing list. It's possible that the information at the page you mention was not updated. That's all I know. --[[User:Michael Snow|Michael Snow]] 03:06, 20 Apr 2004 (UTC)