Amazon dumping customer forums

Deskisamess · 10-02-2017, 01:37 PM

Folks on the Kindle forum over on Amazon are reporting seeing an announcement banner that says the forums are being shut down on October 6th.

I’ve not seen the banner yet, but am not surprised. Amazon behavior over the past few months have led many of the posters there to suspect this was coming.

When Amazon shut down the forums on IMDb, I had a feeling they would remove the ones on the Amazon site as well.

HarryT · 10-02-2017, 01:59 PM

I wasn't even aware that they had customer forums!

Deskisamess · 10-02-2017, 02:19 PM

The old format Kindle forum used to be very busy. A couple of years ago Amazon changed the Help forums to a newer less functional format.

Amazon has never imposed any standards at all, normal to most online forums. For example, there is a default “user name” that didn’t have to be changed. So there are multiple users with the exact same user names.

There was never a decent search function either, no Sort options at all.

But there were very busy at one time, and a good place to talk about books, get help with using a Kindle or Fire, etc.

There were moderators, of a sort, but the last year or so has seen a steep decline. Long time posters have been banned with no explanation. And they removed the General Help Forum a few months ago, along with a few others that have been overtaken by trolls and scammers.

The last few weeks has seen hundreds of scam posts, fake support numbers posted over and over, flooding some of the forums. It is my opinion that Amazon has just been looking for a reason to remove all the forums, and that has been the result.

There was a Forum Pro program a few years back, that gave official “Badges” to many of the more knowledgeable posters. I was one of the Pros. That program was dumped with no announcements or explanation as well. They just removed the badges from our accounts, and that was that. The moderators have been changed almost on a weekly basis as well.

kyteflyer · 10-02-2017, 02:35 PM

Maybe the frequent posters and mods should start up their own forums. No help from Amazon of course, but at least you’d have help amongst yourselves. Like HarryT I didnt even know the forums existed. Nor did I know that Amazon owned IMDB. Seems to me that the entirety of the internet is owned by Amazon, Google or facebook. (well, yes I know its an exaggeration... but in a few years, it probably wont be)

Nate the great · 10-02-2017, 02:54 PM

her's the discussion on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/...x3E7JXX0VDSRJQ

sun surfer · 10-02-2017, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wasn't even aware that they had customer forums!

I knew they did because when I've googled answers for Kindle problems in the past, sometimes the links would take me to the forums (at least, I think these are the same forums we're talking about).

copyrite · 10-02-2017, 04:17 PM

I found some good book sales through various forum threads.

tubemonkey · 10-02-2017, 05:23 PM

Their forums were a disaster to navigate, so shutting them down is no great loss.

Alpha o · 10-02-2017, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I knew they did because when I've googled answers for Kindle problems in the past, sometimes the links would take me to the forums (at least, I think these are the same forums we're talking about).

I searched their forums for help with a new Paperwhite I bought the other half. The Kindle forum had been taken over by a bunch of nasty groupies. If you had a question they thought was too basic you got called stupid and sundry other insults about your mentality. In fact, if you didn't share ALL their opinions exactly as they believed, they didn't have much good of any kind to say about you.

It was so bad that I copied and pasted it and sent it to Amazon.

library addict · 10-02-2017, 08:50 PM

I could never figure out to get to the forums from their site, but have read some interesting discussions from links I stumbled upon, both about specific books and authors as well as more generalized reading topics.

Same with IMDB. I really miss their forums. Not on the really popular films/shows as arguments there could deteriorate rapidly, but on many more obscure shows there were interesting tidbits about filming locations, plot twists and explanations, etc.

barryem · 10-02-2017, 10:20 PM

I used to read the Kindle forum daily. It was fun and interesting for the most part and pretty active. Then it tapered off and there was less and less activity and I started reading it less often and now I've been reading it about once a month or so. Too bad. It used to be fun.

I do agree with the comments about it being poorly designed, hard to find if you didn't have a link and poorly managed, but a forum is people first and system second so with good discussions it was okay.

I looked for other Amazon forums on other topics but didn't find much of interest that had enough activity to be worth the trouble. They had a tablet forum that was active for a while but then it dwindled to nothing.

Anyway I can't say I'll miss it now since I haven't been reading it but I have been missing it for a long time. In it's day it was a good one.

Barry

Phogg · 10-03-2017, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Their forums were a disaster to navigate, so shutting them down is no great loss.

Yes, but when Bezos eviscerated IMDB that was a loss.

tubemonkey · 10-03-2017, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phogg

Yes, but when Bezos eviscerated IMDB that was a loss.

I never went there, so I'll take your word for it.

JoHunt · 10-03-2017, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by library addict

Same with IMDB. I really miss their forums. Not on the really popular films/shows as arguments there could deteriorate rapidly, but on many more obscure shows there were interesting tidbits about filming locations, plot twists and explanations, etc.

Agreed. Interesting history and inside information about films were posted on those forums - sad that it's all lost now.

Froide · 10-03-2017, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoHunt

Agreed. Interesting history and inside information about films were posted on those forums - sad that it's all lost now.

This (about the IMDb forums). I also miss the Bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com forums, pre-Jive.

10-02-2017, 01:37 PM	#1
Deskisamess Wizard Posts: 2,775 Karma: 45827761 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ohio Device: iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini, iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8", Scribe 2022	Amazon dumping customer forums Folks on the Kindle forum over on Amazon are reporting seeing an announcement banner that says the forums are being shut down on October 6th. I’ve not seen the banner yet, but am not surprised. Amazon behavior over the past few months have led many of the posters there to suspect this was coming. When Amazon shut down the forums on IMDb, I had a feeling they would remove the ones on the Amazon site as well.

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10-02-2017, 01:59 PM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I wasn't even aware that they had customer forums!

10-02-2017, 02:19 PM	#3
Deskisamess Wizard Posts: 2,775 Karma: 45827761 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ohio Device: iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini, iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8", Scribe 2022	The old format Kindle forum used to be very busy. A couple of years ago Amazon changed the Help forums to a newer less functional format. Amazon has never imposed any standards at all, normal to most online forums. For example, there is a default “user name” that didn’t have to be changed. So there are multiple users with the exact same user names. There was never a decent search function either, no Sort options at all. But there were very busy at one time, and a good place to talk about books, get help with using a Kindle or Fire, etc. There were moderators, of a sort, but the last year or so has seen a steep decline. Long time posters have been banned with no explanation. And they removed the General Help Forum a few months ago, along with a few others that have been overtaken by trolls and scammers. The last few weeks has seen hundreds of scam posts, fake support numbers posted over and over, flooding some of the forums. It is my opinion that Amazon has just been looking for a reason to remove all the forums, and that has been the result. There was a Forum Pro program a few years back, that gave official “Badges” to many of the more knowledgeable posters. I was one of the Pros. That program was dumped with no announcements or explanation as well. They just removed the badges from our accounts, and that was that. The moderators have been changed almost on a weekly basis as well.

10-02-2017, 02:35 PM	#4
kyteflyer Wizard Posts: 1,845 Karma: 9547754 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Device: iPhone 12 Mini	Maybe the frequent posters and mods should start up their own forums. No help from Amazon of course, but at least you’d have help amongst yourselves. Like HarryT I didnt even know the forums existed. Nor did I know that Amazon owned IMDB. Seems to me that the entirety of the internet is owned by Amazon, Google or facebook. (well, yes I know its an exaggeration... but in a few years, it probably wont be)

10-02-2017, 02:54 PM	#5
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	her's the discussion on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/...x3E7JXX0VDSRJQ

10-02-2017, 04:17 PM	#7
copyrite Wizard Posts: 1,841 Karma: 4985051 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maryland Device: Kindle	I found some good book sales through various forum threads.

10-02-2017, 05:23 PM	#8
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,851 Karma: 158733736 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	Their forums were a disaster to navigate, so shutting them down is no great loss.

10-02-2017, 08:50 PM	#10
library addict Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,155 Karma: 37197878 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Nexus 7 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" (retired=Sony PRS650, Kobo Mini)	I could never figure out to get to the forums from their site, but have read some interesting discussions from links I stumbled upon, both about specific books and authors as well as more generalized reading topics. Same with IMDB. I really miss their forums. Not on the really popular films/shows as arguments there could deteriorate rapidly, but on many more obscure shows there were interesting tidbits about filming locations, plot twists and explanations, etc.

10-02-2017, 10:20 PM	#11
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I used to read the Kindle forum daily. It was fun and interesting for the most part and pretty active. Then it tapered off and there was less and less activity and I started reading it less often and now I've been reading it about once a month or so. Too bad. It used to be fun. I do agree with the comments about it being poorly designed, hard to find if you didn't have a link and poorly managed, but a forum is people first and system second so with good discussions it was okay. I looked for other Amazon forums on other topics but didn't find much of interest that had enough activity to be worth the trouble. They had a tablet forum that was active for a while but then it dwindled to nothing. Anyway I can't say I'll miss it now since I haven't been reading it but I have been missing it for a long time. In it's day it was a good one. Barry