Carsten Cumbrowski over at ReveNews has a VERY long in-depth post to try to start an affiliate marketing Association. Here's a snippet
The New Affiliate Marketing Organization Initiative
"Affiliate Marketing needs representation again in form of a non profit organization. IMA, AMA and IAB does not help us, they are too broad.
Search Marketing has SEMPO and SMA-NA. Affiliate Marketing used to have iAfma. I know that I am not alone with this Idea nor the one who had it. People are thinking about it for several years now, but nothing was done.
Affiliate Marketing outgrew its humble beginning are became more professional, but has not what any other professional Industry has, at least one neutral focal point to learn more about the industry and explain what it is and what it is not. Benefits and Issues."
Read the rest here, then come back and share your thoughts
http://www.revenews.com/carstencumbrowski/2006/10/affiliate_marketing_organizati.html
The New Affiliate Marketing Organization Initiative
"Affiliate Marketing needs representation again in form of a non profit organization. IMA, AMA and IAB does not help us, they are too broad.
Search Marketing has SEMPO and SMA-NA. Affiliate Marketing used to have iAfma. I know that I am not alone with this Idea nor the one who had it. People are thinking about it for several years now, but nothing was done.
Affiliate Marketing outgrew its humble beginning are became more professional, but has not what any other professional Industry has, at least one neutral focal point to learn more about the industry and explain what it is and what it is not. Benefits and Issues."
Read the rest here, then come back and share your thoughts
http://www.revenews.com/carstencumbrowski/2006/10/affiliate_marketing_organizati.html
) by having a professional organization people can be referred to if they want to learn more about what we do. For another, I think its a great way to get the word out to future affiliate marketers while they are in college. Prof. organizations are a great way to transition the college set to a career, and I want to meet the college kid who doesn't want to do work in their pajamas (plus we could use those techies - they are perfect for this job: web savvy and tech geeky if thats a word) Plus, affiliate marketers as a whole are really passionate about what we do (ok - a generalization but those who aren't wouldn't join the association anyway so boo to them) and that's a great base of members who are eager to share, network, and serve an organization. I don't want this post to get too long but I'm already excited at the idea of it - except perhaps membership fees but it beats the fancy schmancy ebooks the "experts" are always coming out with. Seriously - who wants to spend hundreds of bucks on an e-book??? But that's a topic for another post... 
