|
I think it's clear that the "tools" that consumers make such a big deal about on Amazon and other sites are really more about marketing tools, not so much consumer tools. It's hard to find what you want because the tools are just comparing your purchases to other purchases... not content to content. We need better tools to define and sort the content itself, and aspects relevant to that content.
P2P tools help, but they could also use more work--for whatever reason, I get very little good use or advice from them. I still feel like I'm alone, searching blindly for content I will enjoy.
This is a reason why I think books need portals that are operated independently of sales channels (like Amazon), to create a more well-balanced atmosphere of information and guidance when searching for books. Amazon is an extension of the book publisher who extols the virtue of their other books on back jackets, written by authors who are contractually obligated to write x number of book comments per year. Money dictates what Amazon pushes at the visitor first, not P2P recommendations. We need to divorce money from that equation, because it only leaves it unbalanced.
|