Okay so I'm strange...
Apr. 13th, 2009 07:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabidsamfanAmazon Rank
My flist is full of indignation, still, and I'm not awake enough to go look at the newspapers or news blogs, but I thought I'd take a minute to tell you that unlike most folks I'm not indignant that Amazon is deranking certain* books because they're "adult".
I'm indignant that Amazon is deranking ANY books at all.
Blocking deranked books from the front page search is merely icing on the Stupid.
You see, once you've skewed the statistic named "Amazon Rank" by redefining the universe it contains and describes, that statistic becomes corrupted and useless. And when you use a corrupted statistic to make decisions you make bad decisions.
In the past, I've gone to Amazon to learn more about books I'd like to buy for the library where I work, and one of the things I've done, when comparing titles because my budget won't buy everything, is look at the popularity as measured by Amazon rank. That's gone.
And since the front page search won't even bring up some titles, I won't find out more info on those books anyway -- not because I'm not sophisticated enough to use the advanced search, but because, like most people, I'm in too much of a hurry to think of it.
Powells.com is pretty nice, in case you're wondering.
Anyone know a good online book retailer in the UK?
*GLBTQ books, books about sexuality for people with disabilities, books about feminism, classics, award winners, and even picture books have been caught up in the stupid.
My flist is full of indignation, still, and I'm not awake enough to go look at the newspapers or news blogs, but I thought I'd take a minute to tell you that unlike most folks I'm not indignant that Amazon is deranking certain* books because they're "adult".
I'm indignant that Amazon is deranking ANY books at all.
Blocking deranked books from the front page search is merely icing on the Stupid.
You see, once you've skewed the statistic named "Amazon Rank" by redefining the universe it contains and describes, that statistic becomes corrupted and useless. And when you use a corrupted statistic to make decisions you make bad decisions.
In the past, I've gone to Amazon to learn more about books I'd like to buy for the library where I work, and one of the things I've done, when comparing titles because my budget won't buy everything, is look at the popularity as measured by Amazon rank. That's gone.
And since the front page search won't even bring up some titles, I won't find out more info on those books anyway -- not because I'm not sophisticated enough to use the advanced search, but because, like most people, I'm in too much of a hurry to think of it.
Powells.com is pretty nice, in case you're wondering.
Anyone know a good online book retailer in the UK?
*GLBTQ books, books about sexuality for people with disabilities, books about feminism, classics, award winners, and even picture books have been caught up in the stupid.
