Affiliate association aims and objectives

**lisaord** · 23-09-05

I normally use this website to check 'how good' a affiliate site is. It would nice to have a toolbar addition that shows how much you've earned that day.

**km8** · 23-09-05

Sorry to interrupt Qui Gon Jinn's flow!

I'd say that, before getting into the nitty-gritty of banners and funding, the association would need some power. ie, if an member-affiliate has a grievance which is verified/substantiated by an association-approved panel/arbitrator/committee, the association should be able to negotiate for the affiliate for a fair outcome, failing which, the association should be able and prepared to issue a binding instruction to it's members to withdraw support from the merchant/network concerned. I know, that's the equivalent of a union and strike action.

Sure, the object, as with all unions, would be to resolve issues before that stage was reached, but the power needs to be there for the association to have real influence with merchants and networks.

The potential *loss* of that support would also be a real incentive for member affiliates to stay within the association rules.

I'm all for education/raising standards and ethics, etc, but as has been said ad nauseam, an association will need teeth available, should it need to use them, to change anything or to deliver tangible benefits to anybody, whether merchant/network/affiliate.

Without that, I wouldn't be interested in what would effectively be a 'club' where the only penalty on anybody would be loss of membership of that club.

So my vote is, show me the teeth I'm buying - I can't say whether I want in until I see what teeth I'm buying-in to.

My suggested teeth are described above.