November 20, 2003

• The guy doesn't put a lot of faith in reviews. I often check out a movie's rating and comments on IMDb before seeing it, or (more occasionally) look at a book review before buying. He says: "Rarely does a book with consistently mediocre customer reviews post good sales, and vice-versa." Well, duh. If it's consistent, chances are the book really does suck. But that's completely off topic. It does sound like the poor guy was harassed on amazon by a host of people - maybe one reviewer started it then got his friends to join in. In that case, what can amazon do? They can limit reviewers to one review per IP address, or require a more in-depth registration so that any abuse can be traced easily. But when you have a score or more of people getting onto the bandwagon, it seems to me amazon are powerless to stop it, aside from deleting the reviews as they did. But who's to say some author who wrote a terrible book and gets bad reviews won't go to amazon and say, "look! I'm being harassed!" and get their bad reviews deleted too?
• I agree with you in principle, but I also think that Amazon has a large enough customer base and can offer enough insentives to get people to register before they can comment. That's what they do at imdb too. That would make it easier to track abuse. I'm not saying it's fool-proof, but it might be something. What I found really interesting, though, was thinking about how the marketplace is changing in the face of technology and monoliths like Walmart that are such huge parts of the distribution chain that their policies are having a real impact on what sells and what doesn't. I wonder where their responsibility (and liability) should start.
• I'm just concerned that any author who's unhappy with his or her influx of poor reviews could claim someone's trolling their book's webpage. I suppose in most cases it's obviously vindictive, as in this case, but I'd like to have more faith in the honour-based review system than that. That said, there's no reason not to force amazon reviewers to register, especially since you have to do so to buy books anyway. Technology is really altering the way we shop: I was so impressed when I was pregnant that I could go online and build a baby registry and people could go to the Babies R' Us and look up what I wanted. I don't know much about the monolithic store concept since I lived in Santa Cruz, where even a new Borders on the main street kicked up a tremendous fuss as well as a wave of vandalism on the store itself. But it bothers me that huge stores like Walmart and Starbucks can come in and wipe out locally-based competition.
• I am a book reviewer working for a large Sydney newspaper. The email address on my user page is real. Write to me there and we'll arrange a way to get the cash transferred.
• I am a book reviewer working for a large Sydney newspaper. The email address on my user page is real. Write to me there and we'll arrange a way to get the cash transferred. Eh? The what with the who now?
• I wrote the piece for Amazon. I think you all bring up good points. I have heard from a dozen writers since my piece was posted who all had similar experiences. So I guess it's a lot more common than I had realized. A few writers said that people with competing non-fiction books just bombarded their books with negative reviews. The easiest way to know it is a campaign is that not all that many people post reviews, let a lone one-star ones. So when they come in in droves and they are all one star it's pretty much a dead-giveway. Although, my tormentor figured this out and posted two two-star reviews one day. When they were not whacked, he went back to the one stars.
• It's a mixed blessing that the consumer can influence the market now in ways other than simply demanding the supply. Mixed because, apparently, a single consumer can skew demand by abusing the available technology. Nemo, thanks for posting. Has amazon said anything about tighter controls for reviewers? Side note: I did a quick google for controls on amazon reviewers and the first link that came up was a review site called Stupid Amazon Reviewers Suck.
• Nemo - did you ever confirm the identity of your bad reviewer?
• So, Kimberly, all becomes clear now re my comment upthread? It's a sinister plan to get more members and take their cash. Oh, and everything I wrote up there is true. I have my price. (Got a pony to feed and clothe.)
• Wait... you got a pony? I thought we were still waiting for them to be handed out!
• Yes, I got a pony. But, sadly, still no email from Mathowie.
• I never handed out no ponies!
• Mine arrived in a big brown paper bag with no return address. I wonder who sent it?
• It's a Trojan Horse! (er, pony. Trojan Pony.)
• Tracicle is waffling here. Obviously some kind of equine favoritism is going on around here! If we had a MonkeyTalk I'd call you out and say horrible things about your ponisanship and question the very tenants of MoFi — even though I'm not aware of any tenants of MoFi — and threaten to leave in a huff. Instead, I'll keep my dignity and say... Awwww, mannnnnn, I want a pony tooooooo! *hands in pockets, head hanging, kicking foot in dirt*
• I'd prefer to know my pony was coming... I mean, I haven't even gone out and gotten the litterbox yet.
• To answer your questions, I am still not sure who my nemesis was. But there is a guy out there whom Amazon recently busted who fits the profile. He is this weirdo who self-published a novel, then went around Amazon doing two things a) trashing well-reviewed books by new writers and b) praising bestsellers, claiming that the book in question was the best thing he had read since...his own book. And it worked. People began ordering this allegedly horrendous book. Anyway, he might have been my stalker. I'll never know. I'm just relieved the posts have stopped. Meanwhile, the mainstream reviews have been incredible.... As for Amazon implementing tighter controls, I doubt it. I've heard that for all the headaches it brings them,, they've actualy considered getting rid of the customer reviews altogether.
• /looks around furtively thebone? Are you in here, man?
• Right behind you.
• *passes the_bone a chloroform rag*
• This is weird ... the woman in the next apartment is weeping. I can hear her through the wall.
• Oh dear. I hope she's all right, Koko.
• Well, she's stopped crying. Probably cried herself to sleep, the poor dear.
• Toothache?
• That's my name, don't wear it out.
• My neighbor is deaf. Okay, she's not completely deaf, she just blasts her music/tv so loudly that I can hear it in my place. She's pleasant enough - when I ask her to turn it down she does, just not enough! AAAARGH! And it's nearly impossible to get her attention to ask her to turn it down since she's in the next building over. *wishes for old neighbors back*
• SPEEEEAAAK UP!
• Or maybe not.
• o_b I think you should get her some music for a holiday gift--all of your favorites!