[MLB-WIRELESS] [TIB] A new offer has been added to TIB - 18/03/2003

[paul van den bergen]

On Wed, 19 Mar 2003 09:08 am, Ryan Abbenhuys wrote:
> Basically retailers are in it to make money. So TIB is another way to
> advertise (find customers to profit from).
> So they're prices are going to be more because they are after a profit, by
> definition isn't that a retailer/business?

So? as long as it is cheap and bulk, I think it fits into the roel of the TIB!

> The TIB was designed for individuals looking to help themselves and others
> source hardware cheap, while not making a profit, simply covering their own
> costs to arrange it (time and labour).

I disagree. I believe the TIB was initially built to facilitate bulk purchase 
organisation and distribution... nothing at all about whether the offerer was 
a business or an individual....

OK, having said what it was, what is it now and what do we want it to become?  
It is Open Source, so it can evolve....

> >The wiki page (http://melbourne.wireless.org.au/wiki/?TheIncredibleBulk)
> >implies, to me, that wlan nerds like us should use the system to offer
> >bulk orders to decrease the prices. Even the name, "The Incredible
> >Bulk", doesn't say to me "Hello, I'm a free e-commerce system for
> >retailers of WLAN gear".

as long as it continues  to be useful, it is a good thing(TM).  focus on 
utility, not on political constraints...  

> >If retailers are to use the system, their offers should be flagged, and
> >they should pay for it, as Ryan suggested, since MW is acting as a sales
> >agent for their business! Then again, can a non-profit organisation do
> >that?

no paye!!! it won't get used and we the user will pay anyway!

sure, flag the offer type, let users decide...

some flags might be...

1.	individual, no warantee
2.	retailer, manufacturers warantee (bulk discount)
3.	retailer, waranteed, bulk discount.
4.	wholesaler.



> >
> >IMHO, where retailers are involved, they should become a Melbourne
> >Wireless discounter, so we can flash MW cards around and get stuff
> >cheap, and they can get their publicity ;) I don't think TIB should
> >become a mere sales tool for retailers..

Not going to happen. The TIB will be used however it is used.  Accept it that 
it is an open system.  The only way to combat abuse is via social methods 
(which may scale poorly) or accept the misuse as a new type of use and either 
redirect to a new tool or modify the existing tool to clarify and support the 
new type of use.

-- 
Dr Paul van den Bergen
Centre for Advanced Internet Architectures
caia.swin.edu.au
pvandenbergen at swin.edu.au
IM:bulwynkl2002
It's a book. Non-volatile storage media. Everyone should have one.

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