OMG! How do they know?!?!
Jan. 9th, 2005 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
evadne_noelI swear, amazon.com is psychic.
You know that "Recommendations" thing they have where they tell you what type of over-priced merchandise you'd like based on previous purchases? Well, I occasionally check out what they think I'd like because they some good ideas (esp. around Christmas and birthdays when I never know what I want). But this time, I swear that amazon seemed to know more about me than it should.
First it was all, "We recommend Return of the King: Extended Edition." I was a little surprised because I have never bought anything LotR on amazon. But I figured that since it was an extremely popular movie, and it just came out, they were recommending it to everyone. Plus, I had bought that Lloyd Alexander book last year, so it knew I liked fantasy.
The second recommendation was Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, which was slightly weirder. I really do want to read this book, but I'm waiting for it to come out in soft cover. Now, this is also a Best Seller novel, so it would make sense for them to recommend it, but why no other Best Sellers? Every other book recommendation is politics and humor because that's what I've bought from them. It's kind of odd that they would pull that fiction novel, but it is kind of politics related...kind of.
The next one totally got me. Amazon somehow figured out that I want Batman the Animated Series: Season One. Okay. How the hell do they know this? I read comics, but I have never bought any trades on amazon. I have bought a few mangas, but I don't think amazon is clever enough to make the manga --> American comics --> cartoon shows based on American comics leap. Shouldn't they be recommending me Inu Yasha or something?
Of course, then amazon had to ruin things by recommending me Hour Game by David Baldacci, which is a crime story, which I never read.
But still, they were three out of four, and that's damn weird. My only conclusion? Amazon.com obviously has a well-placed network of spies monitoring everything we purchase with cash, credit or personal checks, not only on the Internet, but in every retail store in the nation. That sounds reasonable, doesn't it?
You know that "Recommendations" thing they have where they tell you what type of over-priced merchandise you'd like based on previous purchases? Well, I occasionally check out what they think I'd like because they some good ideas (esp. around Christmas and birthdays when I never know what I want). But this time, I swear that amazon seemed to know more about me than it should.
First it was all, "We recommend Return of the King: Extended Edition." I was a little surprised because I have never bought anything LotR on amazon. But I figured that since it was an extremely popular movie, and it just came out, they were recommending it to everyone. Plus, I had bought that Lloyd Alexander book last year, so it knew I liked fantasy.
The second recommendation was Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, which was slightly weirder. I really do want to read this book, but I'm waiting for it to come out in soft cover. Now, this is also a Best Seller novel, so it would make sense for them to recommend it, but why no other Best Sellers? Every other book recommendation is politics and humor because that's what I've bought from them. It's kind of odd that they would pull that fiction novel, but it is kind of politics related...kind of.
The next one totally got me. Amazon somehow figured out that I want Batman the Animated Series: Season One. Okay. How the hell do they know this? I read comics, but I have never bought any trades on amazon. I have bought a few mangas, but I don't think amazon is clever enough to make the manga --> American comics --> cartoon shows based on American comics leap. Shouldn't they be recommending me Inu Yasha or something?
Of course, then amazon had to ruin things by recommending me Hour Game by David Baldacci, which is a crime story, which I never read.
But still, they were three out of four, and that's damn weird. My only conclusion? Amazon.com obviously has a well-placed network of spies monitoring everything we purchase with cash, credit or personal checks, not only on the Internet, but in every retail store in the nation. That sounds reasonable, doesn't it?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-09 07:01 pm (UTC)they know everything.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-09 07:03 pm (UTC)Naaaah, can't be.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-10 06:10 am (UTC)I need to change that, then.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-11 06:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-11 06:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-09 08:06 pm (UTC)Really I have no idea! Thats so weird!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-09 08:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-10 05:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-11 06:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-09 11:07 pm (UTC)And sorry to be the voice of discord, but every recommendation I've ever gotten from Amazon.com was waaaay off the mark. Either I already had the book, or it was something almost totally unrelated. I'll be ordering book #6, and it recommends book #2...yeeeeah, if I'm getting #6, I think I already have #2...
But maybe the fact that it's manga confuses it somehow. (I know my buying manga confuses my mom, lol.)
Or maybe I'm just not as important as you in the eyes of the Amazon.com spies. =)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-10 02:26 pm (UTC)Obviously, it is not that amazon is less interested in you, but that you are way more clever than myself. There must be something you are doing that prevents them from accurately determining what you want to read/see/hear. Perhaps it is the manga, for manga appears to confuse a great number of people.
i knew it!
Date: 2005-01-10 02:23 pm (UTC)Example: I have never bought anything Star Wars related from amazon.com. I always get my books or movies or whatever from Half Price books because i don't want to pay 9 dollars for a book or 28 dollars for a dvd when i can get the same thing in almost new condition somewhere else. The only things i have ever bought from amazon.com is a few british comedies and Harry Potter books (when i preorder). Well, there was this one series of the star wars books that i've always wanted to read because i was interested to see how far the story has advanced since the end of the original trilogy in 1983. And somehow....by reading my mind or by secret cameras placed in half price books....they knew that i wanted these books. and it was in the recommendations list. I have never been more scared in my life than when amazon.com figured out my most hidden book desire....because i don't tell anyone about that series that i wanted to read.
So, my fellow stalked-by-amazon.com-ers, I empathize with your feelings.
Cheers,
~Victoria
Re: i knew it!
Date: 2005-01-10 02:29 pm (UTC)That's even weirder than my story, because you don't really even shop there. Amazon has been watching you for a very long time, I guess. But at least it was ready when you finally came to them.
hmm...
Date: 2005-01-10 04:30 pm (UTC)Re: hmm...
Date: 2005-01-11 06:24 pm (UTC)Scary!!
Date: 2005-01-19 11:07 am (UTC)Re: Scary!!
Date: 2005-01-19 11:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-02-12 11:40 pm (UTC)Anyway I saw this post and just thought I'd give you a heads up. Amazon.com, those crazy bastards, always get me spending precious, precious money (as any poor college student will refer to it) and recommended The Plot Against America to me. I thought it sounded awesome and mail is slow so I went down to the Uni bookstore and bought it and began reading immediately. Ten page Political Science essay be damned, this was practically fanfiction on history, no way was I missing out. However, the plot moved kind of awkwardly and the ending, for lack of a more articulate word, blew. Or so is my humble opinion.
But since I am the only person I know who will actually read a book based titled The Plot Against America I have found myself unable to converse with anyone else if they found the book to be as disappointing as I did. So now that I have rambled on pointlessly and made you wonder if this comment has any point at all I will just get to the point I have been attempting to make--continue to hold out for the paperback or get it from your local library. Because while the art on the back cover is neat it is really not worth the price.
I hope at least half of that was coherent. What can I say, when I drink I never shut up. Literally. My roommates think I'm weird because I can type a message and carry on a conversation at the same time. Weird, gifted...whatever, really. Alright, seriously going to stop bugging you now. Later. And if you do enjoy all of Roth's book, send me an e-mail (nutty_cashew@hotmail.com) and let me know why, because it is truly baffling me.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-02-13 08:09 pm (UTC)As I am also the only person I know who would read a book called The Plot Against America, I have heard no reviews or criticism of this book other than yours. Which I am grateful for, because, hey, back of the book blurbs are useless (like they're really going to tell you it sucks).
If I ever get to read it (I reeeally wish the Tenley Library wasn't closed for renovation so I could borrow it), I will definately let you know if I think it was any good.