RE: UKNM: CommerceNet?

[Steve Johnston]

> -----Original Message-----

>

From: Clay Shirky [clayshirky [dot] com (mailto:clayshirky [dot] com)]

> Has anyone else here heard of this plan for an "Ecommerce

> Accreditation Scheme"? I got this mail on Friday:


> Anybody know anything about this "scheme"? Or CommerceNet? And is this

> as much of a bald-faced grab to badger merchants into paying in for a

> worthless kite mark as it seems?

> 

> -clay 


Having come from the organisation (http://www.imrg.org/) that pioneered

the notion of 'e-commerce best practice' in the UK (circa 1997), I know

a bit about these things, and I think you are probably right. A cursory

glance at the CommerceNet web sites does not volunteer info on the

project in question so its hard to be certain. What I do know - from my

own experience - is that 'kitemarks' without huge awareness budgets are

destined to failure anyway. Look how hard TRUSTe has had to work. 


Generally, CommerceNet are a disparate group of domestic

mutual-interest-consortium franchises across Europe working under the

loose patronage of the original US consortium - mostly technology

focused, but trying to broaden its influence. OK if you like that sort

of thing.  I'm sure there is at least one subscriber from the UK

franchise on this list, so this reply is bound to coincide with a

'corporate' response.


Still the best 'best practice' code available is the IMRG's at

http://www.imrg.org/hallmark/default.htm Nothing to do with the fact

that I worked on it, of course. There are no costs associated with using

the code (so long as you don't want to wear the IMRG's 'kitemark'), its

mostly just evolved common sense anyway .


Steve Johnston

steve [dot] johnstonentranet [dot] co [dot] uk

Mobile +44 (0)7901 853273

Office +44 (0)1491 878787 

********************

UKNM is sponsored by Excite UK, visit us at http://www.excite.co.uk.

Email Khalil Ibrahimi

khalilexcitecorp [dot] com (mailto:khalilexcitecorp [dot] com)

 to advertise on Excite.

********************

Change your UKNM subscription use http://www.chinwag.com/uknm.html