I'm bummed about Goodreads/ Amazon

| On
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
owl



I’m disappointed about the Goodreads acquisition. I’ll probably keep my stuff there because I don’t know of any alternative that does what I want, but I won’t be linking my kindle to it. (This is a feature that apparently a lot of people are excited about, but the thought of it creeps me out.)

Here’s why I’m bummed:

• Because a formerly neutral space is now owned by one of the biggest players in retail. 

• To quote the great Cyndi Lauper: money changes everything

• Because I use Goodreads every day - this isn’t a vague distaste about something I rarely bump up against.

•Because there are book bloggers/ review sites who shrug and say ‘what’s the problem’ about the acquisition but don’t acknowledge in the discussion that they make $$ from Amazon. I don’t think that earning money from Amazon is wrong, I just think people should be transparent about it so their opinions about larger corporate practice can be seen in context.

I’m not an Amazon hater; I have a kindle and I love it. I buy other stuff from Amazon, too - I just don’t want them in every corner of my world. What do you think? 

I halfway feel like I'm being too much of a delicate flower about this, but on the other hand how long before everything is owned by either Amazon or Facebook?

Be First to Post Comment !
Post a Comment

EMOTICON
Klik the button below to show emoticons and the its code
Hide Emoticon
Show Emoticon