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more threats to authors
Posted by Dr. Margaret Zeegers on 2009/04/15
I thought that folk might be interested in this latest bit of news from Amazon:
"In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude "adult" material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature”.
I was alerted to it through a group email, and followed up on the site suggested: http://www.minalhajratwala.com/2009/04/amazon-and-invisibility/
It’s that ‘invisibility’ concept that is most suggestive, I think, as the blogger on that site says: ‘It’s unclear what criteria Amazon was using besides the “Gay & Lesbian” label, but an awful lot of titles were suddenly rendered invisible’.
I am a heterosexual person, and perhaps it may seem that therefore such things do not necessarily have any relevance to such as I. But that comment on ‘invisibility’ suggests that it does. Such books on such lists not being referred to means that they are marginalised, and if it can happen with these books, it can happen with any others as well. It's a form of censorship that, covert as it is, is nevertheless most effective in these days of Web searches for titles, subject, author and so on. Folk may like to follow up with a visit to the sites that deal this action of Amazon:
http://markprobst.livejournal.com/15293.html
http://markprobst.livejournal.com/15507.html
http://www.blogrunner.com/snapshot/D/2/2/amazon_deranks_socalled_adult_books_including_national_book_award_winner/
I am not sure what is to be done about such book seller policies, but we need to be aware of them,at least.
"In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude "adult" material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature”.
I was alerted to it through a group email, and followed up on the site suggested: http://www.minalhajratwala.com/2009/04/amazon-and-invisibility/
It’s that ‘invisibility’ concept that is most suggestive, I think, as the blogger on that site says: ‘It’s unclear what criteria Amazon was using besides the “Gay & Lesbian” label, but an awful lot of titles were suddenly rendered invisible’.
I am a heterosexual person, and perhaps it may seem that therefore such things do not necessarily have any relevance to such as I. But that comment on ‘invisibility’ suggests that it does. Such books on such lists not being referred to means that they are marginalised, and if it can happen with these books, it can happen with any others as well. It's a form of censorship that, covert as it is, is nevertheless most effective in these days of Web searches for titles, subject, author and so on. Folk may like to follow up with a visit to the sites that deal this action of Amazon:
http://markprobst.livejournal.com/15293.html
http://markprobst.livejournal.com/15507.html
http://www.blogrunner.com/snapshot/D/2/2/amazon_deranks_socalled_adult_books_including_national_book_award_winner/
I am not sure what is to be done about such book seller policies, but we need to be aware of them,at least.
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