after christmas sale
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
be less annoying
There are many things about the internet I find annoying. But there is one particular thing I find MOST annoying.
And that is the unfriendly and/or invasive business practices of many online retailers and web service companies.
If I walk into a brick n' mortars store to buy a candy bar or a bag of bolts, they don't typically ask me to sign up and become a member first before I can buy stuff. Well, there's Sam's Club and CostCo but those are the rare exceptions.
Internet operators, for some strange reason, somehow think it's perfectly fine to subject you to yet another painfully annoying sign-up form. Even if you are just buying some simple little thing.
Further, I've noticed the trend lately to put up a sign-up form or mailing list form as a front gateway. That is: you can't see ANY of their site unless you first give out your email address or contact info. What a load of crap.
What I find most offensive about the whole "sign-up" and "account" thing is the way that personal information eventually gets propagated without your express permission. Check it yourself. Google your name and see how your Amazon.com wishlists, random Facebook activity and other web activity is being automatically indexed and publicized on the web. Not cool. But it is business-as-usual for internet operators. At least on Forums you can use alias names. But on sites such as Amazon.com where the bank card you're paying with should exactly match your account name, an alias is not an option.
With the privacy rollbacks occurring on Facebook lately (and the extremely difficult methods they have for modifying those settings) it seems we're all becoming more aware of our personal info and how it's used. The extreme efficiency of Google's indexing system is adding to this awareness. It is only a matter of time before Google is sued over privacy issues, further defining their liability/responsibility in the matter, if any.
Applying my own personal experience into building the ebmerc store site, I absolutely refused to make any required login/sign-up forms.
When I began making a SAVE THIS SHOPPING SESSION function, I briefly considered adding a login to the site. I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Instead of a login, I made it so that the information (cart items, recently viewed items and pages) could be curled up into a bookmark on the Users browser... A very important distinction. If the info is inside a bookmark on your browser, you can delete it any time.
...and NOT on a database somewhere out in The Ether waiting to get Google-indexed at some time in the future. (Attention Amazon.com, are your ears burning? They should be, I'm talking about you.)
It's a simple little thing, but simple little things like that are an embodiment of my personal beliefs and opinions.
Just trying to make the shopping experience as pleasant as possible.
- andfriend
And that is the unfriendly and/or invasive business practices of many online retailers and web service companies.
If I walk into a brick n' mortars store to buy a candy bar or a bag of bolts, they don't typically ask me to sign up and become a member first before I can buy stuff. Well, there's Sam's Club and CostCo but those are the rare exceptions.
Internet operators, for some strange reason, somehow think it's perfectly fine to subject you to yet another painfully annoying sign-up form. Even if you are just buying some simple little thing.
Further, I've noticed the trend lately to put up a sign-up form or mailing list form as a front gateway. That is: you can't see ANY of their site unless you first give out your email address or contact info. What a load of crap.
What I find most offensive about the whole "sign-up" and "account" thing is the way that personal information eventually gets propagated without your express permission. Check it yourself. Google your name and see how your Amazon.com wishlists, random Facebook activity and other web activity is being automatically indexed and publicized on the web. Not cool. But it is business-as-usual for internet operators. At least on Forums you can use alias names. But on sites such as Amazon.com where the bank card you're paying with should exactly match your account name, an alias is not an option.
With the privacy rollbacks occurring on Facebook lately (and the extremely difficult methods they have for modifying those settings) it seems we're all becoming more aware of our personal info and how it's used. The extreme efficiency of Google's indexing system is adding to this awareness. It is only a matter of time before Google is sued over privacy issues, further defining their liability/responsibility in the matter, if any.
Applying my own personal experience into building the ebmerc store site, I absolutely refused to make any required login/sign-up forms.
When I began making a SAVE THIS SHOPPING SESSION function, I briefly considered adding a login to the site. I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Instead of a login, I made it so that the information (cart items, recently viewed items and pages) could be curled up into a bookmark on the Users browser... A very important distinction. If the info is inside a bookmark on your browser, you can delete it any time.
...and NOT on a database somewhere out in The Ether waiting to get Google-indexed at some time in the future. (Attention Amazon.com, are your ears burning? They should be, I'm talking about you.)
It's a simple little thing, but simple little things like that are an embodiment of my personal beliefs and opinions.
Just trying to make the shopping experience as pleasant as possible.
- andfriend
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Holiday delivery to Manhattan and Brooklyn
Holiday Hand Delivery has been activated.
Starting right now through midnight December 23, any orders to Brooklyn and Manhhattan addresses have the option to be hand delivered (which is recommended if you want it by Christmas) for a flat rate of $10.
Any size order... 10 dollars.
The 'Hand Delivery' checkbox option will appear in your cart after selecting NYC as your city/locale (as pictured below)
- andfriend
Starting right now through midnight December 23, any orders to Brooklyn and Manhhattan addresses have the option to be hand delivered (which is recommended if you want it by Christmas) for a flat rate of $10.
Any size order... 10 dollars.
The 'Hand Delivery' checkbox option will appear in your cart after selecting NYC as your city/locale (as pictured below)
- andfriend
Friday, December 11, 2009
the new SEARCH is here
posted by "andfriend"
There's a new search feature on the site.
I could claim to have slaved for days on this, but the truth is: I put it together in a few hours.
It works well enough. I'll tweak it further as needed - tagging the items better, &c.
the way it works is: You click "SEARCH"...
...a box appears, and you type in words,
then press ENTER / RETURN.
That's about it.
There's a new search feature on the site.
I could claim to have slaved for days on this, but the truth is: I put it together in a few hours.
It works well enough. I'll tweak it further as needed - tagging the items better, &c.
the way it works is: You click "SEARCH"...
...a box appears, and you type in words,
then press ENTER / RETURN.
That's about it.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
wire coat hangers
posted by "andfriend"
Salesmanship is not my thing. There are those who can "turn it on and off". You see them like a lion going into kill mode: going from grousing about something or other to an instant "game face" and easy going demeanor when a customer comes by. Only to drop back into grousing mode seconds later.
Thankfully, such schizo behavior (known in business circles as "professionalism") is sort of rare at the Brooklyn Flea. Most vendors at The Flea are crafts people, artisans and local retailers who are an easygoing bunch. You won't find many super-aggro D-bags there... just a bunch of cool people playing a fun game called Flea Market, and who have a more intimate connection with the things they sell. Whether it's something they made with their own hands or a finely curated collection of artifacts and objects that truly fascinate and inspire them - whatever it is, chances are it's close to them. It's in their blood.
That is probably why I had a good time at The Flea' Gifted Holiday Market yesterday. The Digital Harinezumi camera was very popular with the crowd. Being an INTENSE film/photo/video enthusiast for many years, I was all excited to talk about this tricky little toy camera - it's faux silent Super8 images, the tinier-than-your-pinky-nail usb adapter we bundle with it.... blah blah.
Yeah, I'm a nerd.
Digital Harinezumi
Usually its Mollie doing all the presenting with the array of tchotkes and stylish items she's curated.
I guess these events help to provide me with the opportunity to be a more socialized human being; a forum to share intensely personal interests.
If Flea vendors were merely salesmen or marketeers they would probably do better financially by selling for giant SatanCo conglomerates or peddling wire coat hangers wholesale. But we choose to engage in stuff beyond pure profit motive - playing with other edges, pursuing passions, choosing to share a piece of ourselves. Its a group of enthusiasts doing their thing.
Just about everyone at The Flea is getting their jones on.
Salesmanship is not my thing. There are those who can "turn it on and off". You see them like a lion going into kill mode: going from grousing about something or other to an instant "game face" and easy going demeanor when a customer comes by. Only to drop back into grousing mode seconds later.
Thankfully, such schizo behavior (known in business circles as "professionalism") is sort of rare at the Brooklyn Flea. Most vendors at The Flea are crafts people, artisans and local retailers who are an easygoing bunch. You won't find many super-aggro D-bags there... just a bunch of cool people playing a fun game called Flea Market, and who have a more intimate connection with the things they sell. Whether it's something they made with their own hands or a finely curated collection of artifacts and objects that truly fascinate and inspire them - whatever it is, chances are it's close to them. It's in their blood.
That is probably why I had a good time at The Flea' Gifted Holiday Market yesterday. The Digital Harinezumi camera was very popular with the crowd. Being an INTENSE film/photo/video enthusiast for many years, I was all excited to talk about this tricky little toy camera - it's faux silent Super8 images, the tinier-than-your-pinky-nail usb adapter we bundle with it.... blah blah.
Yeah, I'm a nerd.
Digital Harinezumi
Usually its Mollie doing all the presenting with the array of tchotkes and stylish items she's curated.
I guess these events help to provide me with the opportunity to be a more socialized human being; a forum to share intensely personal interests.
If Flea vendors were merely salesmen or marketeers they would probably do better financially by selling for giant SatanCo conglomerates or peddling wire coat hangers wholesale. But we choose to engage in stuff beyond pure profit motive - playing with other edges, pursuing passions, choosing to share a piece of ourselves. Its a group of enthusiasts doing their thing.
Just about everyone at The Flea is getting their jones on.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Yeah it's for sale
It's an actual cub scout shirt that was worn by these "men":
cub scout shirt
...and Yes, stuff is wrong with them.
(models: Gregory Barnett a.k.a. greggychrist and BryanX)
cub scout shirt
...and Yes, stuff is wrong with them.
(models: Gregory Barnett a.k.a. greggychrist and BryanX)
t minus 2 hours
Our final "hump" day at the Brooklyn Flea Gifted Holiday Market.
2 hours to go. A very good day.
In about a week and a half, I'll be enabling a $10-flat-rate local (Brooklyn and Manhattan) hand delivery option for those shoppers looking for last minute gifts in the days leading up to Christmas.
- "and friend"
2 hours to go. A very good day.
In about a week and a half, I'll be enabling a $10-flat-rate local (Brooklyn and Manhattan) hand delivery option for those shoppers looking for last minute gifts in the days leading up to Christmas.
- "and friend"
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
New items
Hanging out right now at the Brooklyn Flea Gifted Holiday Market in Manhattan with shiny new stuff
...and on the internet working - because I'm a workaholic. That's how I roll.
also, Mollie put some new shiny stuff in the online shop.
There's this great new thing the internet does: click on the pictures below, and stuff appears like magic. (i think wood elves are involved in the process.)
- andfriend
yee-haw industries letterpress
playforever toys
poketo
...and on the internet working - because I'm a workaholic. That's how I roll.
also, Mollie put some new shiny stuff in the online shop.
There's this great new thing the internet does: click on the pictures below, and stuff appears like magic. (i think wood elves are involved in the process.)
- andfriend
yee-haw industries letterpressplayforever toys
poketo
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