Well, it appears as though the dust has finally settled on the Amazon/MacMillan fight this past weekend. I’m not even going to begin to attempt to summarize what happened. You can follow the Google search link I embedded into that first sentence, or check out some blog posts below from some authors whose opinions I greatly respect.
If I’ve learned anything from this inane battle it’s that Amazon has a ridiculous monopoly over an absurd amount of content, and I’m no longer going to contribute to the continuance of their control. I’m boycotting Amazon. Entirely.
Now, I understand that I’m a fairly insignificant drop in an insanely large bucket of water, and that what few purchases I made every year won’t go missing from Amazon’s books when it comes time to report financials. But I’m taking a stand. Amazon has proven that they are the Wal-Mart of online ventures (another place I refuse to shop), and this was their first real attempt at flexing their muscles in a space where they sought to exude some power over something they really had no business controlling. I can guarantee that this will not be the last time they try something like this. But it definitely will be the last time they get to wield any sort of power while holding onto money that I willingly gave them.
And as much as I absolutely adore John Scalzi’s fairly heated summary of the events, he is incorrect about at least one point. This incredibly stupid dust-up does not make me want an iPad. That thing is a ridiculous waste of good electronics. When I finally decide to enter the 21st century and pick up an unnecessarily expensive digital reading device, I’ll likely go with the Barnes & Noble Nook.
Read more here: Tobias Buckell, Jay Lake, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Charlie Stross
Share this post on:
