Amazon is nobody's friend

Crusader · 09-20-2011, 02:37 AM

This is a very interesting article with regards to Amazon and their business practices.

http://www.hellnotes.com/amazon-is-n...0KuLrg.twitter

Some interesting points are made and there are connections I didn't know about.

JeremyR · 09-20-2011, 02:39 AM

I love the irony of there being a great big ad for his books on Amazon right on top...

Also don't agree with his idea that Agency pricing is a good thing.

phenomshel · 09-20-2011, 02:54 AM

I am not a big fan of Amazon. But *not* for many of the reasons in that article, LOL! The only reason I agreed with the author on was their tying your ebook purchases to them (unless you want to do the workarounds mentioned). However, I'm even LESS a fan of publishers than I am of Amazon, and therefore, wish Amazon had succeeded in their quest to make $9.99 the "default" price for new release ebooks. I hate the Agency model, and hope the suits against it succeed and force the publishers to back down, or at least relax the terms so that retailers can offer sales and point systems for discounts on Agency titles. And one thing I think Amazon has done right is striving to get more titles into ebook format. Even if it's azw, it's better than not being available at all.

I'm not a business expert, and my opinions stated above may be childish, reprehensible, and any number of other negative things to some people. Well, it is what I said, my opinion, and I don't really care to get into any arguments about it. If you don't agree with me, that's fine, I don't really expect anyone to, but trying to change my mind will be pointless. Just fair warning.

EowynCarter · 09-20-2011, 03:04 AM

* shrugs * No company is anybody's friend.

Ron. · 09-20-2011, 03:06 AM

I agree with this part

Quote:

or whether you think I’m a complete crack-pot, touchy-feely, post-hippie loser who doesn’t understand the realities of business in the 21st century

Crusader · 09-20-2011, 03:07 AM

I also don't agree with many points the author makes. What was interesting to me was the buying of competitors and running them as pseudo competitors. Amazon has offered to buy The Book Depository recently, which is one of their largest competitors in online book sales.

speakingtohe · 09-20-2011, 03:15 AM

Amazon is big business that grew from obscurity like Walmart, Microsoft, Apple, MacDonald's, Starbucks etc.

They aren't inherently evil and don't seem to want to take over world government.

The onus is on the consumer to decide whether to support local businesses or smaller, individually owned businesses etc. over convenience and/or cost.

Helen

OtterBooks · 09-20-2011, 03:22 AM

Amazon is my fwend.

Sweetpea · 09-20-2011, 03:32 AM

Amazon is like most huge companies: they want to make a profit. And what's wrong with that? If they overstep a line, they'll be hit hard (just look at microsoft, who used its money and power to completely disintegrate its first browser competitor, and got slammed down hard for that...)

About formats, wasn't there a problem with the Ibook formats? that can only be read on Apple devices? Or the B&N Epubs that can only be read on a B&N reader?

While the writer of that piece does have a few points, I think that any company that would find itself in the place of Amazon would do the same. Sadly but true, that's the way our current economic system works...

HappyMartin · 09-20-2011, 04:02 AM

Well its a business, what are you hoping for?

I am constantly amused at people extolling the virtues of capitalism and then getting all hurt and offended at the day to day reality of the system as it works.

What do we want Amazon to do? Apologize for getting so big and promise to stay nice and little? Let all the little guys have a chance? Not make anymore money?

wyndslash · 09-20-2011, 04:09 AM

i always expect the worst from businesses. that way, when they do something that we think is good or has a good side effect, then i'm happy, lol.

DiapDealer · 09-20-2011, 05:38 AM

Chocolate isn't my friend either. Not gonna stop me from eating it.

EowynCarter · 09-20-2011, 05:45 AM

Quote:

The reason that I’m finally being truly critical about Amazon is two-fold. First, at this moment a huge number of book buyers are facing a choice. All the former Borders customers out there have to decide where they are going to get their books now that Borders is closed. There are three choices: 1) Barnes and Noble. 2) Amazon. 3) An independent bookstore.

Sure, Barnes and Noble and Amazon are the only choices worthy of note

Kobo or sony would provide for most books anyone might want, and no buying a new reader required...

xg4bx · 09-20-2011, 06:55 AM

i'm just a lowly consumer but amazon has never done me wrong, there really arent many businesses that i can say that about. unless they start treating customers like garbage, i hope they keep doing what theyre doing.

DMB · 09-20-2011, 06:59 AM

One of the reasons why I bought a Kindle once I'd decided to get an ereader was because it was an Amazon product. Of course Amazon isn't my friend, but it provides useful services.

When I moved to a non-anglophone country in the 1980s, I wanted to be able to go on buying English books. At that time I had an account with Blackwells, whom I had known since my undergraduate days as the bookshop for Oxford university (They are also academic publishers). I sent cheques and orders to Blackwells and eventually got back parcels of books. When I was in England I sometimes went into Blackwells in Oxford and looked at books or paid money into my account. Eventually, Blackwells decided to go onto the internet and they made a real mess of it (I expect by now they have it sorted out, but that was then, sometime in the 1990s). I got very fed up and decided to try Amazon. There was no comparison. Amazon were smooth and efficient and I have found them to be very reliable. I would say that OTW the Amazon experience is good for customers.

I would prefer not to be locked in with the Kindle, but on the plus side, I don't think the ebook market would be booming the way it is without Amazon's intervention. The Kindle effect is huge. Since I acquired mine in August last year, many more back titles have been added and it seems more and more common for newly published books to be available in e-format as well as dt-format.

That may well be due to Amazon's finding ebook business easier that dt. But whatever the reason, it benefits ebook readers, even ones who read only in ePub.

09-20-2011, 02:37 AM	#1
Crusader Space Cadet Posts: 1,180 Karma: 4030536 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: South Africa Device: Sony PRS-T1, Cybook Opus, Kobo Glo	Amazon is nobody's friend This is a very interesting article with regards to Amazon and their business practices. http://www.hellnotes.com/amazon-is-n...0KuLrg.twitter Some interesting points are made and there are connections I didn't know about.

09-20-2011, 02:39 AM	#2
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	I love the irony of there being a great big ad for his books on Amazon right on top... Also don't agree with his idea that Agency pricing is a good thing. Last edited by JeremyR; 09-20-2011 at 02:42 AM.

09-20-2011, 03:04 AM	#4
EowynCarter Wizard Posts: 4,334 Karma: 4000000 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Paris Device: Cybooks; Sony PRS-T1	* shrugs * No company is anybody's friend. Last edited by EowynCarter; 09-20-2011 at 08:34 AM.

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09-20-2011, 02:54 AM	#3
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	I am not a big fan of Amazon. But not for many of the reasons in that article, LOL! The only reason I agreed with the author on was their tying your ebook purchases to them (unless you want to do the workarounds mentioned). However, I'm even LESS a fan of publishers than I am of Amazon, and therefore, wish Amazon had succeeded in their quest to make $9.99 the "default" price for new release ebooks. I hate the Agency model, and hope the suits against it succeed and force the publishers to back down, or at least relax the terms so that retailers can offer sales and point systems for discounts on Agency titles. And one thing I think Amazon has done right is striving to get more titles into ebook format. Even if it's azw, it's better than not being available at all. I'm not a business expert, and my opinions stated above may be childish, reprehensible, and any number of other negative things to some people. Well, it is what I said, my opinion, and I don't really care to get into any arguments about it. If you don't agree with me, that's fine, I don't really expect anyone to, but trying to change my mind will be pointless. Just fair warning.

09-20-2011, 03:07 AM	#6
Crusader Space Cadet Posts: 1,180 Karma: 4030536 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: South Africa Device: Sony PRS-T1, Cybook Opus, Kobo Glo	I also don't agree with many points the author makes. What was interesting to me was the buying of competitors and running them as pseudo competitors. Amazon has offered to buy The Book Depository recently, which is one of their largest competitors in online book sales.

09-20-2011, 03:15 AM	#7
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	Amazon is big business that grew from obscurity like Walmart, Microsoft, Apple, MacDonald's, Starbucks etc. They aren't inherently evil and don't seem to want to take over world government. The onus is on the consumer to decide whether to support local businesses or smaller, individually owned businesses etc. over convenience and/or cost. Helen

09-20-2011, 03:22 AM	#8
OtterBooks Wizard Posts: 1,262 Karma: 2979086 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 4, iPad Mini/Retina	Amazon is my fwend.

09-20-2011, 03:32 AM	#9
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	Amazon is like most huge companies: they want to make a profit. And what's wrong with that? If they overstep a line, they'll be hit hard (just look at microsoft, who used its money and power to completely disintegrate its first browser competitor, and got slammed down hard for that...) About formats, wasn't there a problem with the Ibook formats? that can only be read on Apple devices? Or the B&N Epubs that can only be read on a B&N reader? While the writer of that piece does have a few points, I think that any company that would find itself in the place of Amazon would do the same. Sadly but true, that's the way our current economic system works...

09-20-2011, 04:02 AM	#10
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	Well its a business, what are you hoping for? I am constantly amused at people extolling the virtues of capitalism and then getting all hurt and offended at the day to day reality of the system as it works. What do we want Amazon to do? Apologize for getting so big and promise to stay nice and little? Let all the little guys have a chance? Not make anymore money?

09-20-2011, 04:09 AM	#11
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	i always expect the worst from businesses. that way, when they do something that we think is good or has a good side effect, then i'm happy, lol.

09-20-2011, 05:38 AM	#12
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,598 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Chocolate isn't my friend either. Not gonna stop me from eating it.

09-20-2011, 06:55 AM	#14
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	i'm just a lowly consumer but amazon has never done me wrong, there really arent many businesses that i can say that about. unless they start treating customers like garbage, i hope they keep doing what theyre doing.

09-20-2011, 06:59 AM	#15
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	One of the reasons why I bought a Kindle once I'd decided to get an ereader was because it was an Amazon product. Of course Amazon isn't my friend, but it provides useful services. When I moved to a non-anglophone country in the 1980s, I wanted to be able to go on buying English books. At that time I had an account with Blackwells, whom I had known since my undergraduate days as the bookshop for Oxford university (They are also academic publishers). I sent cheques and orders to Blackwells and eventually got back parcels of books. When I was in England I sometimes went into Blackwells in Oxford and looked at books or paid money into my account. Eventually, Blackwells decided to go onto the internet and they made a real mess of it (I expect by now they have it sorted out, but that was then, sometime in the 1990s). I got very fed up and decided to try Amazon. There was no comparison. Amazon were smooth and efficient and I have found them to be very reliable. I would say that OTW the Amazon experience is good for customers. I would prefer not to be locked in with the Kindle, but on the plus side, I don't think the ebook market would be booming the way it is without Amazon's intervention. The Kindle effect is huge. Since I acquired mine in August last year, many more back titles have been added and it seems more and more common for newly published books to be available in e-format as well as dt-format. That may well be due to Amazon's finding ebook business easier that dt. But whatever the reason, it benefits ebook readers, even ones who read only in ePub.

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