Tech: Finding Mudcat's Amazon links

Subject: Tech: Finding Mudcat's Amazon links
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 03:48 PM

As it's a time of year when people do a lot of ordering from Amazon (as well as other places), thought a thread on this might not go amiss...

Am about to go buy at Amazon, and wanted to be sure I went through Mudcat. Looked for a link: checked "Quick Links", "Links" and (just on the off chance) "Record Shop" and "Auction"; also checked the FAQ, but my machine wouldn't load the whole thread (tried twice and gave up).

Then did a search (also looked through all my old posts (the titles), 'cos I thought I'd posted/asked an Amazon-links question some years ago, but couldn't find it), and did eventually find links (several; the most recent posted in 2006: http://amazon.mudcat.org), but noticed that the link seemed to change from time to time. (It's possible I've missed a more recent one, but I have tried...)

STOP PRESS!
Have just discovered/vaguely remembered there was definitely something to click on at the top of the home page -- It's the Mudcat (banjo & catfish) logo -- just above the box that says "ORDER Mudcat CDs".

If you click on that, and scroll down a bit (although it is possible, depending on your browser settings, to not notice that there is more info (below the details for Camsco Music and Max, and links to T-shirt info, Advertising Opportunities and Blue Plate Special CDs), you will find the various Amazon links:

US: http://amazon.mudcat.org

UK: http://amazonUK.mudcat.org

FR: http://amazonUK.mudcat.org

CA: http://amazonUK.mudcat.org

Anyway, even though I did eventually find what I was looking for, and it was easy to get to, it was not really easy to find, unless you already know (and, if your memory is anything like mine, even if you do did already know!), and I suspect that lots of busy (especially at this time of year) folks may not be willing to spend more than a minute or two trying to track down a link, so:

I'd like to suggest that Mudcat's Amazon links be more prominent -- at least at this time of year (if not all year round).

My apologies if I've missed something obvious -- but I figure the easier we make it for people to help Mudcat, the more likely it is to happen...

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding Mudcat's Amazon links
From: maeve
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 04:12 PM

The most recent thread on the subject prior to this one was way back in November 2011
...not so long ago! There are several others that can be found using the Filter on the home page.

It is good to remind folks where to find the links. I, too, would like these links and those for the two different Mudcat CD projects to be more easily found.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding Mudcat's Amazon links
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 09:01 PM

Hey, this is a good opportunity for me to extol the wonders of our Filter. If one puts Amazon in the filter box on the Forum Menu page and sets the age back to "forever," the threads on amazon.mudcat.org will come right up. The Filter is the absolute best way to find things here by thread name.

In our QuickLinks dropdown menu on most Mudcat pages, there's a link to the Old Advanced Forum Search, which will give you access to most of our search engines - including search engines that will search by message title or poster name. There are a couple more old search engnes in the FAQ that still work. Our main "supersearch" engine is very good, but it depends on an index that has to be updated. If you are looking for something posted after the last update, Supersearch won't find it.

The Filter is the Mudcat search engine that I use most often. It's fastest, and most the time does exactly what I need.



-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding Mudcat's Amazon links
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 02:36 PM

Maeve -- Thanks for digging up that 'ancient' thread for me (I knew I'd seen something...)

Joe -- Thanks for the tip on using the Filter; I confess I've only ever used it for deciding how many days back to go (which means, I guess, that I prolly haven't used it, full stop.) I had no real idea of how to use it; didn't read the FAQ thoroughly enough... sorry!

FWIW, I think clicking on the Mudcat logo might have occurred to me sooner if the words below it were (back to) "Help Mudcat" rather than "Buy Mudcat CDs" -- but perhaps then it makes it more difficult for folks who are looking for that link (although there is a "Quick Link" to that).

I don't wish to burden Max, but I wonder how much of a hassle it would be to add a link (to the "Quick Links" list) for the Amazon URLs/links...

Note: This is not a complaint; I'm just sort of thinking "out loud" about ways to make this potential revenue stream that bit more obvious to 'Catters -- particularly newer ones (and memory-impaired older ones like me!).

Thanks again.