Comments on: Sales Thru OnLine Communities http://wheatcarr.com/it-is-all-just-business/sales-thru-online-communities.php A YARNandTHREAD Blog-A-Venture Fri, 18 May 2012 16:12:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: wheat http://wheatcarr.com/it-is-all-just-business/sales-thru-online-communities.php/comment-page-1#comment-8972 wheat Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:32:42 +0000 http://wheatcarr.com/?p=485#comment-8972 There was no attempt to be coy, there are a number of on line communities for just about every interest in the known universe. So let's not limit the discussion to any one group site or domain. As to how it will impact Self Publishing authors, well the point I hoped to make was that we need to find additional ways to add eggs to our baskets. There was no attempt to be coy, there are a number
of on line communities for just about every interest in the known universe.

So let’s not limit the discussion to any one group
site or domain.

As to how it will impact Self Publishing authors,
well the point I hoped to make was that we
need to find additional ways to
add eggs to our baskets.

]]> By: Ann http://wheatcarr.com/it-is-all-just-business/sales-thru-online-communities.php/comment-page-1#comment-8970 Ann Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:32 +0000 http://wheatcarr.com/?p=485#comment-8970 I don't think you've supported your underlying assumption that blocking access to Ravelry (let's not be coy) at work will lead to significant numbers of people not using the site at all. These customers are already comfortable with online distribution and online communities -- I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that the vast majority of them have access at home or elsewhere. At any rate, is the need to have multiple distribution channels really so new? Not everyone is on Ravelry or is comfortable with using their patterns. And about the "bandwidth theft" argument that people so readily buy into, actual studies don't seem to support the usual line about employee productivity: http://hrcafe.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/04/employee-productivity-web-surfers-get-more-done-study-says.html If you think about it, web surfing is just the latest way employees take a quick break to refocus. There's the old water cooler, the break room, the smoke break, etc. Pretending that human beings in most cases can be productive every minute of the day is a ridiculous fantasy. Are they going to install chips in our heads to alert management when we simply zone out for a few minutes, think about dinner, or an argument with the spouse? Of course, this doesn't matter to your main argument. If employers block access to sites like Ravelry, they block it. But again, I'm going to need a stronger argument to prove that this will have a measurable impact on small indie designers. I don’t think you’ve supported your underlying assumption that blocking access to Ravelry (let’s not be coy) at work will lead to significant numbers of people not using the site at all. These customers are already comfortable with online distribution and online communities — I’m gonna go out on a limb here and assume that the vast majority of them have access at home or elsewhere. At any rate, is the need to have multiple distribution channels really so new? Not everyone is on Ravelry or is comfortable with using their patterns.

And about the “bandwidth theft” argument that people so readily buy into, actual studies don’t seem to support the usual line about employee productivity:
http://hrcafe.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/04/employee-productivity-web-surfers-get-more-done-study-says.html

If you think about it, web surfing is just the latest way employees take a quick break to refocus. There’s the old water cooler, the break room, the smoke break, etc. Pretending that human beings in most cases can be productive every minute of the day is a ridiculous fantasy. Are they going to install chips in our heads to alert management when we simply zone out for a few minutes, think about dinner, or an argument with the spouse?

Of course, this doesn’t matter to your main argument. If employers block access to sites like Ravelry, they block it. But again, I’m going to need a stronger argument to prove that this will have a measurable impact on small indie designers.

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