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anamardoll · 09-19-2011, 03:07 PM

Afa,

Amazon Vine is a program wherein publishers (and others) provide free products to Amazon for Amazon to disseminate to a selection of reviewers. I'm a member and have a post on it here if you're interested in learning more:

http://www.anamardoll.com/2011/03/ar...-and-vine.html

The only (well, biggest) problem with the program that I can see is that Amazon is perfectly willing to take the publishers' moneys (you have to pay to participate) but not to sink any money into maintaining the program, i.e., moderating member behavior.

It has gotten bad enough that many Vine members don't publicize that they are Vine members because many customers are frustrated with Vine "placeholder" reviews and the like. ("I.e., I've received this and will review it soon, but I'm putting this up as a placeholder so I can still select more stuff this month.")

The ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award) judges are also selected from Vine members. 90% of the members are wonderful, but there was a hubbub this year when a Vine Troll was selected as a judge and said some very inappropriate things in some of their ABNA reviews.... and Amazon pretty much failed to correct the situation in a way that I and many of the ABNA authors were hoping for. (I wanted the Troll Judge's selections resubmitted to a backup judge; it would seem Amazon decided to just press on with the contest and not worry about it.)

---

There has been much ink spilled over the Amazon system. Being able to delete a review is a good thing -- I've deleted some in the past where after I calmed down over the RAGE POST prompted by a movie I didn't like, I've realized that I had nothing worthwhile to say and that the review wasn't helpful, so I pruned or outright deleted it.

Essentially, no system is perfect. I think the current system is pretty good and if the Top 20 have to shake off negs to stay where they are, well, that teaches that all systems can be gamed to a certain extent.*

* And at least one Top 20 conspicuously DOESN'T delete-and-repost, so it's not required to rise to the top.

09-19-2011, 03:07 PM	#37
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	Afa, Amazon Vine is a program wherein publishers (and others) provide free products to Amazon for Amazon to disseminate to a selection of reviewers. I'm a member and have a post on it here if you're interested in learning more: http://www.anamardoll.com/2011/03/ar...-and-vine.html The only (well, biggest) problem with the program that I can see is that Amazon is perfectly willing to take the publishers' moneys (you have to pay to participate) but not to sink any money into maintaining the program, i.e., moderating member behavior. It has gotten bad enough that many Vine members don't publicize that they are Vine members because many customers are frustrated with Vine "placeholder" reviews and the like. ("I.e., I've received this and will review it soon, but I'm putting this up as a placeholder so I can still select more stuff this month.") The ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award) judges are also selected from Vine members. 90% of the members are wonderful, but there was a hubbub this year when a Vine Troll was selected as a judge and said some very inappropriate things in some of their ABNA reviews.... and Amazon pretty much failed to correct the situation in a way that I and many of the ABNA authors were hoping for. (I wanted the Troll Judge's selections resubmitted to a backup judge; it would seem Amazon decided to just press on with the contest and not worry about it.) --- There has been much ink spilled over the Amazon system. Being able to delete a review is a good thing -- I've deleted some in the past where after I calmed down over the RAGE POST prompted by a movie I didn't like, I've realized that I had nothing worthwhile to say and that the review wasn't helpful, so I pruned or outright deleted it. Essentially, no system is perfect. I think the current system is pretty good and if the Top 20 have to shake off negs to stay where they are, well, that teaches that all systems can be gamed to a certain extent.* * And at least one Top 20 conspicuously DOESN'T delete-and-repost, so it's not required to rise to the top. Last edited by anamardoll; 09-19-2011 at 03:10 PM.