History shows again and again how nature points up the folly of men

[rolanni]

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on the Ipad question! While in theory it would be very cool to be able to walk around with my entire library, all of my contacts, and every song I’ve ever heard in my life, one does need to wonder what will happen if the infrastructure that allows one to access those things either vanishes or becomes too expensive to buy into.

I think I’ll hold the square I’m on at the moment, since I don’t find it necessary to only listen to “my” music, and I don’t mind schlepping CDs for long drives.

Speaking of infrastructures vanishing and stuff like that — we all know people who use brick-n-mortar bookstores as their personal catalog. Which is to say, they go into the bookstore, handle the stock, read half a book or half a series or whatever it is that they feel is “enough” to convince them to buy. They then make a note of that books/series/whatever, go home or pull out their cell, and proceed to buy the book from Amazon.

As if, yanno, the bookstore they’re not buying stuff from is there as a service, and doesn’t actually need sales in order to stay in business.

So, anyway, Amazon has heard of this, and, Mr. Bezos not being a man who has ever been shy of placing his own profit above EVERYTHING else, has decided to reward this behavior by paying people five entire bucks to go into a bookstore, scan a book, and buy it on Amazon.

Here’s the article

Here’s a petition, in case this makes you just a little cranky.

And now, having bought Necessary Stuff at drugstore.com; and crashed the Petco website — I have work to do!

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[aspidites.livejournal.com]

Deplorable, and just the sort of bullying I expect from Amazon, but I note the (up to) $5 bounty is only good on up to three items on a single day (December 10), and it doesn't appear books are one of the items it applies to. The text on the page for the app on Amazon says, "Get a 5% discount (up to $5) on select items in electronics, toys, sports, music, and DVDs, just by checking a price. Redeem this offer up to (3) times - a savings of up to $15." So not quite yet the end of the retail store as we know it.

last word on ipod etc

[(Anonymous)]

Because I totally understand not wanting to be beholden to a possibly ephemeral structure...
I still have my cds, a cd player, my computer loaded with said cds and my nano...options, options :)
And damn, is Amazon as nuts as paypal? Though sometimes, sadly, my bookstore (being B&N) does not even think of having the books I want... and Amazon it usually is. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a mutual balance of some sort?
Nanette

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

As if I neeeded another reason not to buy from Spamazon...

Thank you

[(Anonymous)]

I didn't know about the petition.
I've already ranted about the policy on FB - I'm off to spread the
word about the petition.
Thank you -
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks

Amazon as research catalog

[(Anonymous)]

Well, sometimes I do the opposite & use Amazon to research a book (or CD or DVD), to check reviews & the synopsis -- and then buy it locally.
Especially since I've learned about some of Amazon's practices.

(Go Constellation Books in Reisterstown -- my local bookstore, that will order whatever I want.)

Barbara Karpel

Re: Amazon as research catalog

[(Anonymous)]

I do this too. Not usually to buy local, but often for more info on a book I'm thinking of ordering from another branch of our library system. Because the library's electronic catalog is ... spotty ... on the information it has beyond title, author, pub date, and locations.

Re: Amazon as research catalog

[otterb.livejournal.com]

Oops, just posted a reply here that was anonymous by accident.

[elektra.livejournal.com]

What a wonderfully appropriate subject line. And you're listening to my favorite band, too.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Well, the behavior of Amazon is the reason I bought my new e-reader from B&N -- it is not proprietary. I have loaded books I bought from Baen on it, and they look wonderful. Amazon readers lock you into Amazon purchases. the new B&N nook tablet does the movie/music/game/book thing of The Expensive Brand for a couple of hundred dollars AND takes uploads of lots of document and book formats. So you can carry it into the mortar store, see a book, then buy it on the store wifi. I much prefer that -- it will keep my B&N open and enable me to keep buying Baen, as I have since 1991.

Amazon

[claire774.livejournal.com]

That definitely is not fair at all. People should figure out that they need to buy at their local bookstore or they won't have said local bookstore any more. My town doesn't have a local bookstore other than a religious bookstore. No local bookstore for one and a half hours from here. So we don't have the experience of going in to a bookstore. Looking at the books and finding, perhaps, a new treasure.
C.

Re: Amazon

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

The best independent book retailer in KC shut down YEARS ago. A couple of great used bookstores closed in the last 10 years, The best used store now is a chain. The best retailer now is B&N -- it does not donate to the GOP, part of its "best". Of course the Death of Malls took out a couple of independents, too. It's pretty much a wasteland.

Re: Amazon

[claire774.livejournal.com]

As I 've posted. There is a B&N an hour and a half away. It's very new. Also the staff is very new. St. George UT is not known to be a big intellectual center either. I don't think there's anyone in the store who actually knows anything about books unfortunately.
C.

FYI - there's an OccupyAmazon on Facebook and Twitter

[(Anonymous)]

Basically it encourages people to shop local on the day the river-empire
starts its latest skirmish.

I have a funny feeling this affects more than just books - since
the river-empire sells other products too, they could put other
sorts of businesses out of whack too.
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks

Amazon bookstore actions

[(Anonymous)]

My husband is a small bookstore owner who is dependant on the internet and local traffic to remain in business. He is a seller on Amazon, as they are the big gorilla of internet booksellers. The fact that they are willing to encourage customers to bypass my husbands bookstore, at the expense of the small sellers, is very disappointing -- to the tune of going out of business and eliminating a few more American jobs, as well as decreasing driving times and energy expenditure. Such is life (sometimes, it sucks)
Jean Eelma

Amazon, BN and others

[(Anonymous)]

I've wondered about this.
I'll admit that I buy a lot of books from BN.com as "She who should be obeyed" doesn't like the "dead tree copies" pilling up. (donated 300 to the local nursing home, now that I have them on my reader)

Do the authors get the same percentage of the sales as they do when people buy the "real" books?

Just asking"
G. L. Heaton
gheaton4ATcomcastDOTnet

Re: Amazon, BN and others

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

I think Baen gives a bigger royalty for e-copies -- the costs are so much lower that they can afford it.