Building a database

[Ramsey]

What I'd like to have happen is that we all use this forum to build a comprehensive database, that can be posted as its own separate webpage, possibly here at DU (Skinner write me that he supports the project idea.) Or possibly as a stand alone site. We could call it Starve the Beast, or Boycott Republicans.

Can we use this thread to start organizing the database. For example, how should it be organized? What information should be on it? What criteria should be used to recommend a company for inclusion on the boycott list, or on the recommended list?

I'd like to see the following information on the database:
1. Company name
2. Executives names and positions
3. Contact information (for informing them they are being boycotted)
4. Products manufactured
5. Dollar amount contributed to the GOP
6. Percent political contributions overall made to the GOP
7. Recommended for boycott: high, medium, low
8. Places products are sold
9. Alternate companies offering similar products that have
acceptable political contribution patterns.

Please add to this list!

There is a UK site called Boycott Bush that has information on the top 25 donors to the GOP and that we may use for reference as we organize our database.

There have been a few threads gathering information on this project, Starve the Beast, or Boycott Republicans. I'm glad to see this group formed. These posts all have information and links:

Boycott Republicans

Dem/Repug Owned Businesses

Starve the Beast

[sherilocks]

1. I like all the things on the list

But I would like to see a link where we can check out the information. I've seen a couple of incorrect posts about companies that I know either have a company policy of not giving or give money to Democrats or the information is very outdated. Most of the information is great and very useful, but I don't want to spin my wheels on bad data.

[crispini]

2. Viola!

It's underway!

http://www.globalblogs.com/progressivepages/index.html

[Lorien]

3. Excellent!

Is this the same endevor that Fudge Striped Cookays is involved with?

[crispini]

4. Yep. She da woman! :)

[Lorien]

5. Howzabout we post our local Dem/Repug businesses here

before submitting them to the database? Then there will be less of a possibilty of duplicates.

6. Building a database- An impossible task!

Talk about an impossible task. The internet is becoming one of the biggest industries in the world. Google when it first started out wanted to sell the entire Google database program to excite for $250,000.00. What I would do if I was you is try and make some sort of deal with Dmoz and use or adapt a progressive section into it.

Unless you have few million I would think it would be impossible to compete with the big dogs.

For example the Yahoo directory has an actual person review and write a title and description for each website it lists in its database that they call the Yahoo directory.

I think Looksmart as well has the same policy to list in its database. Looksmart has hundreds of editors that volunteer to consider what websites to include or not to include then the editor writes it. Think of the manpower alone and time it takes to find write and then promote the whole thing.

Check out this article as well it might be useful.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=189006

Americans Using Online Reputation Systems (AP) AP - A quarter of online Americans have taken advantage of one of the Internet's true powers: the ability to let users collectively decide whether to trust a product, service or individual.

NEW YORK Oct 22, 2004 — A quarter of online Americans have taken advantage of one of the Internet's true powers: the ability to let users collectively decide whether to trust a product, service or individual.

Such reputation systems are found on sites like eBay, where members rate fellow buyers and sellers, and Amazon.com, where customers review books and other items

[Sapphocrat]

7. Tsk...

Pessimist. :)

If everyone thought that way, the word "grassroots" would be laughed right out of the dictionary.

You haven't visited The Progressive Pages yet, have you?

There's a quote at the bottom of the Help page, from the last Republican I even half-respect:

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.

-- Abraham Lincoln

My daddy used to say something that has become my mantra: "Don't tell me something can't be done -- until you show me a better way."

Now, instead of crying about how "impossible" a task is, how about channeling all that negative energy into something positive -- and tell us what you know about YOUR local businesses?

Who knows? It might just WORK.

What a concept, eh?

8. Liberals have PR

It is not negative. If liberals take on tasks that cannot be done even better then those that are doing the same thing it is better not doing anything at all because it is bad PR for liberals to not be able to do something better then others. It is bad PR to be a failure when people have great expectations of you such as being a community of Progressives. As a liberal for me that has been a sort of trick of the trade.

I still stand by what I said. I even thought about it last night for a few hours. Think about it writing a database is nothing more then a list that starts with a few names then grows to many.

Yahoo started with just a few people wanting to create a database of a few names of the corporations that it liked to do business with.

If the database does not have unique content which is not just a copy paste from a DMoz section on progressive corporations and a copy paste of the Green pages at co-op whatever it's called people will then be upset because they will want to see fast well indexed unique index databases like Goggle, Dmoz, and Yahoo. I did some work as an editor for Looksmart by writing listings for Looksmart. It is very boring work to create a database even for just one listing.

Plus some people will be upset if they have a website and they don't get listed in the progressive database even if they have a more progressive business then one that is listed that means more bad PR.

A person has to be trained how to create the database. How to write the descriptions for the database that make it unique and a quality product. Each listing could take at least 30 minutes to write for each listing.

How many progressive websites are in the world? Perhaps I would guess 20 or 30 million, and they all don't say Progressive website in the logo but they are progressive.

Then to do it right you should have a group of people that are trained and approve the listings that go in the database from the editors of the listings for the database.

Then create manuals for how to write the listings for progressives and new editors.

It really is an impossible task unless you can find around 200 people on DU that want to be editors for the listings which quite frankly is very boring work with no pay as well and is even more bad PR.

Just have it like it is a section on DU where people can come to and can communicate with one another about how to do Economic Activism is all that is needed. Simply do that and help the new people that join, and the database will not even be needed because the other databases on the web will duplicate the Economic Activism sites that are listed here by people that own them and publish themselves to the DU Board.

[foreigncorrespondent]

9. Hello?

Sapphocrat is already building that database. It has been in the works now for just over a week.

Nothing on the site has been copy and pasted from any site. The work that has gone into "The Progressive Pages" have come from dedicated DUers and like minded induviduals who want to see something like this built. (Hell! I am not even American and I have been helping with it.)

All entries are original. I suggest in stead of being so negative about something so possitive, you take a look at the effort that is going into building this site, and maybe then you can seriously think about actually contributing to it, in the hopes of actually making it work.

10. Tough question

But I decline. I would not even be trying to help out a co-op if I was negative all of you that have flamed me are now on ignore. It is a waste of my time

I can assure you and everyone else that has unfairly flamed me I was someone that could of been a great asset. Me and my team would of helped you out for free, and some are my team are the best in the co-op industry.

Build your database I wish you all the best of luck.

[foreigncorrespondent]

11. Excuse me!!!

But I am pretty damn sure it is against DU rules to actually tell someone you put them on ignore.

If you think that is a flame then you truly have no idea what a flame from this Aussie is all about.

I never flamed you. What I did do was explain to you that Sapph is currently building that database with the help of many people. You are the one who has shown much negativity in this thread, and I was trying to explain to you, that negativity doesn't help the cause any. So in stead of being negative, try something possitive and help to make it successful.

Sheesh!

[kayell]

12. You mean you and your MLM team? Of the so called progressive MLM

for which you have STILL not provided any actual evidence of true progressiveness other than your sales pitch? That team? Why are you even on this board if all you have to offer is negativity and self-serving sales pitches? :grr:

Please add me to you list ASAP, I will be happy to be in good company.

------

And by the way, why are you comparing a relatively simple database to something as massive as Google or Yahoo? This is a very deceptive arguement tactic.

[foreigncorrespondent]

13. Kayell, your a real sweetheart!

:hug:

[kayell]

15. Thank you. I'm not sure I would have described my post as .. um...

sweet. But I'm ok with the results. :hug:

14. Ok you and DU on ignore

Ok you and all of DU are now on ignore.I renounce my membership to DU.

I wish you all the best of luck on your new Economic activism very good work

God Bless

Hello DU,

Subject: Cancel membership

Please cancel my membership. I wish to renounce my membership. If possible please delete all my articles.My username is Titian

Philip Shore
mailto:[e-mail]

[Ready4Change]

16. NOT impossible.

Titians view that this is impossible is based on the (untrue) idea that to succeed it must do "better" than Yahoo, Google or eBay? Nonsense.

You just want the means to organize the opinions of somewhat like minded individuals. You can easily organize those opinions via a web app database. Defining and limiting access to like minded individuals is tougher, but as seen here on DU, mostly doable. And it doesn't have to serve the whole world, just those who are interested.

So go for it.

(BTW, I've worked with computers, including programming databases, since 1990. I repeat: GO FOR IT.)

:yourock:

[fudge stripe cookays]

17. And I write technical documents for a living.

Some of them based on databases.

Titian, I'm glad you've taken your negative attitude and pessimism and left.

If you think all we're capable of is copying and pasting, then I'm glad you're gone so I won't get banned responding to your BS.

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[fudge stripe cookays]

18. "Titian"/"Phil Shore" is now trying to ruin

our reputation on Smirking Chimp. Evidently, our standards are not up to his. I know just as many people on this site want to know where NOT to shop as where TO shop.

Just FYI. http://www.smirkingchimp.com/viewtopic.php?topic=48998&forum=4

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