03-08-2008, 05:02 AM
When Punaweb was started we created pages for business listings for Puna businesses under the home page title "Shopping in Puna". I offer free listings to any Puna business. The intention was to charge some fees on a rising scale for businesses outside of Puna.
Ideally I would like to offer support to those entrepreneurs who work out of their homes and simply can't afford the Yellow Pages or display advertising. Some I have talked to appreciated this service. Some have told me that they are too busy with work and don't particularly need more exposure. Always a mix.
Fact is I have not had the time or energy to keep up with it. There is a constant flow of businesses opening and closing, people arriving and leaving. Punaweb either needs some volunteer web masters or some dependable funding source.
To add a function such as members posting 'business card' listings and keep it strictly Puna is difficult. Internet is world wide. Not easy to separate actual Puna residents from anyone else. Takes time and money to even try.
It is not a bad suggestion but I have a couple other problems with the proposal.
One is the act of someone promoting someone else's business for them. As I mentioned earlier sometimes a person doesn't really want more calls than they can handle.
Two is it also opens the door to dis-recommending someone which could take the form of a member posting a business listing for someone they like and later asking me to remove the endorsement because they change their mind.
Three is configuring all business information into one thread. Not practical in my POV. Restaurants and architects and carpenters and sales people.
My preference at this time is for business people to present themselves to Punaweb for promotion. I do not object to members sharing any experiences they have (good or bad) as long as they don;t make a career out of it but until I can establish the funding for constantly editing the business listings (it costs me money to add or subtract businesses) and periodically canvassing the district for new businesses I can't keep up with the system now in place. It is woefully out of date.
There is a person in Puna, Michael Vo, who is wanting to set up a site for Puna business and is offering free single web pages to any Puna business. Perhaps it might be prudent for Punaweb to support that effort in some way.
Punaweb moderator
Ideally I would like to offer support to those entrepreneurs who work out of their homes and simply can't afford the Yellow Pages or display advertising. Some I have talked to appreciated this service. Some have told me that they are too busy with work and don't particularly need more exposure. Always a mix.
Fact is I have not had the time or energy to keep up with it. There is a constant flow of businesses opening and closing, people arriving and leaving. Punaweb either needs some volunteer web masters or some dependable funding source.
To add a function such as members posting 'business card' listings and keep it strictly Puna is difficult. Internet is world wide. Not easy to separate actual Puna residents from anyone else. Takes time and money to even try.
It is not a bad suggestion but I have a couple other problems with the proposal.
One is the act of someone promoting someone else's business for them. As I mentioned earlier sometimes a person doesn't really want more calls than they can handle.
Two is it also opens the door to dis-recommending someone which could take the form of a member posting a business listing for someone they like and later asking me to remove the endorsement because they change their mind.
Three is configuring all business information into one thread. Not practical in my POV. Restaurants and architects and carpenters and sales people.
My preference at this time is for business people to present themselves to Punaweb for promotion. I do not object to members sharing any experiences they have (good or bad) as long as they don;t make a career out of it but until I can establish the funding for constantly editing the business listings (it costs me money to add or subtract businesses) and periodically canvassing the district for new businesses I can't keep up with the system now in place. It is woefully out of date.
There is a person in Puna, Michael Vo, who is wanting to set up a site for Puna business and is offering free single web pages to any Puna business. Perhaps it might be prudent for Punaweb to support that effort in some way.
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Punaweb moderator