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Originally Posted by DiapDealer
Actually I do, I just wanted to point out how silly it is to say it all the time (even when it's being "correctly" used). But you're right, I used it incorrectly.
**And then he delivers one up on a silver platter**
Strawman! Strawman! I never claimed Amazon didn't have a "huge pile of drek [sic] in their ebook. [sic]" That was not my argument at all. My argument was that no one need enter the "volcano of crap" if they don't want to. See how fun and helpful that is?
Oh I've heard of it. I just don't know all that many people who actually do it all that often (except when they're bored with their usual fare and are looking to take a risk on something unknown). And of those who do ... most have developed rudimentary filtering skills/techniques that help them quickly and easily dismiss the pretenders. Myself... I'm too busy reading books I already have a pretty good idea I'm going to like (and the recommendations of people I trust) to waste my time browsing around blindly.
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You said, "The "pile of thousands of unedited books" mantra is a classic strawman". I would consider that a pile of drek, but your mileage might vary.
I imagine that a lot more people browse than you think. Otherwise, why did so many traditional books stores have a just published section? Pretty much every bookstore that didn't sell used books that I've been in had a just published section.
Amazon's search engine works ok if you have a specific book or author you are looking for (though, IMPO, the author search needs some work. When I search for Roger Zelazny as the author, I want books by Roger Zelazny, not books by Andre Norton, Phillip Dick, David Eddings, Alfred Bester and the list goes on. Seriously.) Just looking to see what books are new since the last time I visited (the method that I've used to look for new books to read in traditional bookstores since the late 1970's), is quite a chore.