Amazon.com to Acquire Goodreads

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by roseprose

The choice seems clear: since GoodReads can no longer claim to be a site for objective reviewing, those who care can now unsubscribe. I did. Amazon will only get the message if many other have done (or will do) the same.

Sorry, I'm a little puzzled by how Amazon's ownership of Goodreads will make their reviews less objective. Can you explain, please, how this lack of objectivity will arise?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, I'm a little puzzled by how Amazon's ownership of Goodreads will make their reviews less objective. Can you explain, please, how this lack of objectivity will arise?

It is not hard to see possible ways. One is that Amazon removes reviews they do not like. They can also import reviews from sources that are not as good with regard to objectivity. And so on.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, I'm a little puzzled by how Amazon's ownership of Goodreads will make their reviews less objective. Can you explain, please, how this lack of objectivity will arise?

Do you remember how Amazon purchased Mobi Pocket Reader? What could possibly go wrong, many people wondered ;-)
If Amazon management decides that they will make 0.5% higher profit by running Goodreads to ground they would not hesitate a fraction of a second.
As for making reviews less objective ... what if, for some reason, they decide what is an acceptable review or a rating, or who is allowed to write a review. What if they decide to make it easier for Amazon customers to write a review o rate a book while at the same moment making it more complicated for people that purchased the book elsewhere?
I personally value Goodreads reviews and ratings more than Amazon ones, because ratings on Amazon site have a direct impact on purchasing books. Reviews on Goodreads aren't tied that directly to sales, so there is, in my opinion, less pressure to have a good review. Also, some people write one star reviews on Amazon for different reasons than the quality of the book (such as bad formatting, DRM, un-availability of an e-book format (windowing), being only available on Amazon and not in their favourite ebook store ...), What if Amazon decides to interlink those, or import all reviews from Amazon to Goodreads. That would in my eyes dilute value of Goodreads reviews (and improve quality of reviews on Amazon).
Just recently Amazon decided that the authors are not permitted to write book reviews on Amazon. What if they persuade Goodreads server gatekeepers to enforce a similar policy?

For a bit of fun just have a look at this book review on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2X2TB3...55&store=books
and many more very amusing one-star reviews
http://open.salon.com/blog/jeanette_...r_book_reviews

[DiapDealer]

"What if" my aunt had testicles... would she be my uncle?

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

"What if" my aunt had testicles... would she be my uncle?

Gender issues from the '60s?

[jersysman]

I love all these conspiracy theories. The reason that Amazon purchased Goodreads was economics pure and simple. That user list is worth a lot to them. A user list of book lovers for a company that sales ereaders and books. Seems almost like a natural fit. Whether or not Amazon does not run the site in a competent manner is of course reason for debate.

[samhy]

"What if"

"What is" is that we have not seen any sign of lack of objectivity so far.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by tompe

It is not hard to see possible ways. One is that Amazon removes reviews they do not like. They can also import reviews from sources that are not as good with regard to objectivity. And so on.

This might fly on a site with less vigilant users, but the reviewers on Goodreads (especially those with the highest visibility) are not the type to stay quiet when their reviews disappear. Ask GR how it worked out for them when they decided to "hide" some reviews. There are now little networks that make sure those hidden reviews are identified and accessible even though they no longer show on the book page.

Imported reviews would be very easily identifiable because they wouldn't be attached to an actual user. GR users can root out a sock puppet in about half a second, so I know they can identify reviews that aren't attached to legitimate GR users.

I'm not saying that Amazon wouldn't consider stuff like this, I'm only saying it wouldn't go over well at all. Surely they've figured out what sort of user base they are dealing with by now. I suspect the worst they will do to GR is use it for more targeted advertising, and to integrate Kindle features in a way that will probably be mildly nauseating.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by forsooth

is this common?
buy something to destroy it?

Yes, I believe it is. In my experience it is. It is quite common in the commercial business world to buy out one's competition, and run it into the ground within a number of months or years.

Well, the intent is not usually to destroy. The intent is to build by acquisition. Sometimes even to save a struggling (now) but potentially successful (in the future) entity. Except the synergies that were supposed to be there often aren't. And you don't really want to compete with yourself, so some product lines have to go. And you want to be a good corporate neighbor, and preserve the jobs near the headquarters, even if it's at the expense of a better product developed in a newly acquired satellite far far away. So, you make choices, and people lose jobs. Many people lose jobs. Some might even say the "weaker" ones deserve it.

Amazon and Goodreads - probably a bad analogy with the product manufacturers. Except they both have a product to sell. We have seen other products purchased and destroyed by Amazon, i.e. MobiPocket and Stanza/Lexcycle. So, there are some reference points. If Amazon purchased Goodreads for its user content, the user content is going to be merged into the Amazon's own user content database, and the rest of the service will be dismissed with no qualms. Or not. We can all speculate, of course.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

This might fly on a site with less vigilant users, but the reviewers on Goodreads (especially those with the highest visibility) are not the type to stay quiet when their reviews disappear. Ask GR how it worked out for them when they decided to "hide" some reviews. There are now little networks that make sure those hidden reviews are identified and accessible even though they no longer show on the book page.

Imported reviews would be very easily identifiable because they wouldn't be attached to an actual user. GR users can root out a sock puppet in about half a second, so I know they can identify reviews that aren't attached to legitimate GR users.

I'm not saying that Amazon wouldn't consider stuff like this, I'm only saying it wouldn't go over well at all. Surely they've figured out what sort of user base they are dealing with by now. I suspect the worst they will do to GR is use it for more targeted advertising, and to integrate Kindle features in a way that will probably be mildly nauseating.

Well, does it need to go over well?

But, sure there might be working defense mechanisms. My comment was more towards the opinion that there was no way to try to infuence the reviews.

[hwlester]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

GR users can root out a sock puppet in about half a second, so I know they can identify reviews that aren't attached to legitimate GR users.

But what if Amazon hires people to make these GoodReads users "disappear"?

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

People do love them some internet drama, don't they? . . . "What if" my aunt had testicles... would she be my uncle?

How dare you talk this way about my beloved Auntie Testes! Clearly you have no heart, Sir, and would as soon torture a chinchilla's sac as buy a bracing paranormal gonad romance in AZW3.

[SallyElliot]

Did Amazon buy goodreads? I don't think so......

[library addict]

Originally Posted by SallyElliot

Did Amazon buy goodreads? I don't think so......

Yes, back in 2013.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SallyElliot

Did Amazon buy goodreads? I don't think so......

Yes, of course they did. That's why there's a link to GR on eInk Kindles.