October 12, 2000
Untitled
I was confused. I asked for help. I got what I asked for. A couple of fine folks have offered their thoughts on the whole linking to Amazon.com schtick. Ever the towering embodiment of reason, Ian writes:
“The issue isn’t really about Amazon. You’ve had a scathing denouncement of the patent on your main page for many months. Going back on that just makes you look fashionably militant. Surely those books and CD’s can be found elsewhere on the internet. If Amazon is the last resort, then you have to debate whether the ends justify the means.”
Well, Amazon isn’t the last resort. It doesn’t even occupy the newest building on the strip. It’s just the first one you see as you’re driving towards the city. And it also happens to have a hardware store, car dealership, and a auction house in the lobby. From the Previously Enjoyed department, Toby offers another option:
“I don’t think you should put the Amazon links back. I rarely buy new books and I think it would be much better to encourage people to buy them 2nd hand. Why not link to eBay searches for the same books? Unless they’re really obscure, you will always pull up some auctions. I reckon that would be cool. The publishing industry is incredibly and unnecessarily wasteful of natural resources — most of the books bought are never read.”
Based on this feedback, and some other back of the head soul-searching, I think my teeter-tottering has subsided. I won’t be reactivating the links to Amazon. However, I will be linking to alternative third party suppliers of papery, musical things such as Fatbrain.com, Half.com, and Chapters. Yes, there is another way to do this, dammit.
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