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AmazonFail
Posted: 12 Apr 2009, 23:39
by lazarus corporation
Amazon will be waking up to a PR disaster tomorrow morning.
It all started when Amazon removed the "Sales Rank" from all gay & lesbian books (apart from anti-gay books by far-right christian hate-groups).
This got picked up in a blog, then spread like wildfire across Twitter under the hashtag
AmazonFail with just over 27,000 posts last time I checked.
Then it started
hitting the media. I'm quite interested to see how big this story will be by tomorrow.
Some key points from the Twitter backlash:
- All LGBT books have had their sales ranks removed, effectively removing from all but the most detailed of searches
- Add 'the homosexual agenda' to your interests in amazon profile and you're told it may not contain profanity.
- 1st search result for "homosexuality" on Amazon: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality
Re: AmazonFail
Posted: 12 Apr 2009, 23:48
by 7anthea7
Well, bloody hell.
I already knew they were horrible employers (I've heard too many stories from former employees, from various parts of the organisation), but I'd applied for a position there anyway, since it's now 4 1/2 months since I've been gainfully employed and I'm ready to take nearly anything that would pay the bills.
That, however, would just about kill it for me.
Although it might be worthwhile, if I got an interview, to go anyway just to give them s**t about it.
Posted: 13 Apr 2009, 00:05
by lazarus corporation
I suspect their policy may have taken a u-turn by tomorrow morning.
Posted: 13 Apr 2009, 00:16
by eotunun
I guess that if you track their path over the next days it'll have a knot in it by thursday.
Posted: 13 Apr 2009, 00:19
by 7anthea7
I'm sure their 'official' policy will change - but the fact that they'd ever have done it in the first place indicates a mentality that is abhorrent to me. Even if they give up a scapegoat, the fact is that it isn't just one person who makes these kinds of decisions - and it should never even have been considered, much less implemented.
The only way they could possibly get off the hook for this one with me would be if they could prove they were hacked.
Posted: 13 Apr 2009, 01:27
by Nicole
Hmm - another reason people should buy their books online from the place I happen to work for? Used AND new books with a portion of profits going to literacy non-profits, free US shipping and shipping worldwide for under $4? And we just opened a warehouse in the UK as well.
Haha our latest slogan is "The online bookstore with a soul." Maybe we could use this whole Amazon thing...hmm...
warning shameless plug be found here - www.betterworldbooks.com
Posted: 13 Apr 2009, 12:39
by markfiend
I did an amazon.co.uk search for "homosexuality" just now.
While yes, it did turn up
Can Homosexuality be Healed? and
A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality as the first two results, sixth is
homosexuality is fun Decorated Mouse Pad.
Several of the results are definitely pretty homophobic-looking (
Stories From the War on Homosexuality [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] anyone? ) but there are plenty that treat homosexuality in a positive way.
This one in particuular looks fantastic:
Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity
Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 14:38
by markfiend
Update:
Clicky
Amazon spokesperson wrote:This is an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error for a company that prides itself on offering complete selection.
It has been misreported that the issue was limited to Gay & Lesbian themed titles – in fact, it impacted 57,310 books in a number of broad categories such as Health, Mind & Body, Reproductive & Sexual Medicine, and Erotica. This problem impacted books not just in the United States but globally. It affected not just sales rank but also had the effect of removing the books from Amazon's main product search.
Many books have now been fixed and we're in the process of fixing the remainder as quickly as possible, and we intend to implement new measures to make this kind of accident less likely to occur in the future.
Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 18:00
by lazarus corporation
markfiend wrote:Update:
Clicky
Amazon spokesperson wrote:This is an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error for a company that prides itself on offering complete selection.
It has been misreported that the issue was limited to Gay & Lesbian themed titles – in fact, it impacted 57,310 books in a number of broad categories such as Health, Mind & Body, Reproductive & Sexual Medicine, and Erotica. This problem impacted books not just in the United States but globally. It affected not just sales rank but also had the effect of removing the books from Amazon's main product search.
Many books have now been fixed and we're in the process of fixing the remainder as quickly as possible, and we intend to implement new measures to make this kind of accident less likely to occur in the future.
The majority of titles affected were Gay & Lesbian themed titles - I think Amazon is doing a bit of spin-doctoring.
The interesting situation (for seasoned watchers of corporate bull s**t) was that on 12th April they said it was a policy decision, on the 13th they said it was a "glitch", and on the 14th it's now a "cataloging error".
However it's good to see them reversing the policy/glitch/error.
Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 18:15
by markfiend
lazarus corporation wrote:The interesting situation (for seasoned watchers of corporate bull s**t) was that on 12th April they said it was a policy decision, on the 13th they said it was a "glitch", and on the 14th it's now a "cataloging error".
As it was a holiday weekend, in all probability it's been junior staff trying to deal with the PR nightmare, and the "real" staff only got back in today.
Admittedly it does look bad on the homophobia front, but remember what they say: don't be too quick to attribute to malice what could be explained by incompetence.
Posted: 15 Apr 2009, 08:36
by Dodges Unlimited Inc.
Nicole wrote:Hmm - another reason people should buy their books online from the place I happen to work for? Used AND new books with a portion of profits going to literacy non-profits, free US shipping and shipping worldwide for under $4? And we just opened a warehouse in the UK as well.
So when can we have Free Shipping in Blighty eh Nicole?! - Pretty Please?!
Chris.
p.s. Sorry about your job
I suffered the same fate (with another bunch of 'shysters') as a 'Search Engine Optimisator'/'eMarketing Specialist' so I 'sort of' know how you feel (Mad?!) - For 'speaking up' ...