Planet Amazonia

Here’s the basic situation: a few jerky authors were glowingly reviewing their own works as well as reviewing other authors negatively. In reaction, Amazon is removing reviews by all authors, which sucks because most writers aren’t, well, cheaters, and they’re also often prolific readers and reviewers. People are seeing dozens of their reviews being taken down because they happen to have their own books for sale. They haven’t done anything wrong, but they’re still being punished.

This is causing more than a little upset among the writing community. Most of us like supporting other writers and reviews are one of the ways we do so. We can still post our own reviews on our blogs and GoodReads, but come on. Amazon is one of the biggest sellers period. Casual readers are a lot more likely to read an Amazon review before clicking that “Add to Cart” button than they are to check out a completely different site.

In short, lame. One star review a book you haven’t read and attack the writer? That’s okay. Review one of your fellow authors? Nope! And they’re probably not going to change that. Actually checking to make sure a review is fair and accurate would take time and manpower, whereas it’s easy to set up a computer system that eliminates a review where the writer’s Amazon account also lists them as an author.

Unfortunately, I’m guessing that this is going to be just another thing we have to get used to. The alternative is not using Amazon for either buying or selling, and I have to doubt that any readers or writers would follow through with that. It would be even worse for them than not being allowed to review. So I will accept it. And if I ever see any of those writers who can’t act like adults when it comes to book reviews, I’m punching them in the throat.

Taking A Stand

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there is a bit of a controversy going on about some books on Amazon’s listings. People want them taken off because of the topic. What topic? you ask. What book is riling people up this week? Speak? Twenty Boy Summer?

No. A book on the joys of pedophilia.

Pedophilia.

Let’s just let that sink in.

Pedophilia is one of the most reprehensible crimes there is, and Amazon has permitted a book encouraging people to partake in it to be put up on their website. Brief aside: the book that started this has been taken down. But there are others, self-published of course, up there like rotten teeth that need to be pulled.

I’m all for freedom of speech, but this is advocating an illegal, not to mention disgustingly immoral, activity. It’s one thing if someone is writing about the benefits of marijuana. Smoking a joint very rarely hurts anyone (maybe they get dizzy and fall down a flight of stairs or something, but that’s a topic for another day). Pedophilia, however, is a sickness that pollutes everything it touches. And I swear, if one person tells me ever that people said that about homosexuality, you’ll read about what I do to them in the national news. An act between consenting adults is a far f*cking cry from the rape of a child.

And there are books up there talking about how “wonderful” it is! Amazon: what is wrong with you? These are books about one of the most depraved acts known to humanity! And don’t tell me everyone has a right to their opinions. Yes, they do, but you are a private company. Refusing to sell books on illegal acts isn’t going to ruffle many feathers. You have the right, damn it, to say no, and are powerful enough to throw off any lawsuits. Hell, the Boy Scouts are allowed to refuse membership to gays (I disagree, but they’re, again, private and can do what they want, no matter what I think; I won’t support them, but I won’t deny their right to say no). You’ll be allowed to delete this filth, Amazon. Don’t permit this to continue.

I’m not shopping there as long as any of these books are up. Christmas is coming, which will make it difficult, but I managed to shop before Amazon and I’ll manage now. I ask you, my friends, to do this with me because the voice—and patronage—of the many is greater than that of the one.

Goodbye, Amazon. I’ll miss the convenience but I won’t miss the cowardice.