Comments on: Amazon Product Announcement http://spiroville.com/blog/2007/10/04/amazon-product-announcement/ Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:49:37 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Chris W. Rea http://spiroville.com/blog/2007/10/04/amazon-product-announcement/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Chris W. Rea Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:20:42 +0000 http://spiroville.com/blog/?p=30#comment-10 OK, I just got a crazy one today I thought I'd share: --- Dear Amazon.ca Customer, We've noticed that customers who have purchased or rated "And All That Could Have Been (DVD)" or other films in the Music Video & Concerts > DTS category have also purchased "Legato: The World of the Piano, Vol. 1" on DVD. For this reason, you might like to know that "Legato: The World of the Piano, Vol. 1" is now available. --- Why is this funny? Well, "And All That Could Have Been" is a NINE INCH NAILS concert that I bought. NIN is definitely not classical. :-) While I do like some classical music, it has nothing to do with my liking NIN! (Or does it?!) They *really* need that "Amazon, you're nuts!" button. OK, I just got a crazy one today I thought I’d share:

—
Dear Amazon.ca Customer,

We’ve noticed that customers who have purchased or rated “And All That Could Have Been (DVD)” or other films in the Music Video & Concerts > DTS category have also purchased “Legato: The World of the Piano, Vol. 1″ on DVD. For this reason, you might like to know that “Legato: The World of the Piano, Vol. 1″ is now available.
—

Why is this funny? Well, “And All That Could Have Been” is a NINE INCH NAILS concert that I bought. NIN is definitely not classical. :-) While I do like some classical music, it has nothing to do with my liking NIN! (Or does it?!)

They *really* need that “Amazon, you’re nuts!” button.

]]> By: Chris W. Rea [UL] http://spiroville.com/blog/2007/10/04/amazon-product-announcement/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Chris W. Rea [UL] Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:05:36 +0000 http://spiroville.com/blog/?p=30#comment-9 I get product announcements from Amazon, too. I agree there are occasionally some wacky recommendations! I think it is your point #2... somebody, somewhere bought both books. It's probably too easy for a link to be established between items. What Amazon really needs in such emails is some kind of link such as "Amazon, you're nuts!" I know I can go into Amazon and remove certain items that I've purchased as being used as the *basis* of future recommendations, but I'm not aware there's any way to flag the recommendation *itself* as the problem, while still leaving the original item active for inference. This "Amazon, you're nuts!" link idea could feed back into the system generating these recommendations and weaken the link between the two items. Perhaps they could have another button to reinforce it, such as "Amazon, good call!" Even if there are occasionally some bad recommendations, I have occasionally been sent gems I wouldn't otherwise find. I get product announcements from Amazon, too. I agree there are occasionally some wacky recommendations! I think it is your point #2… somebody, somewhere bought both books. It’s probably too easy for a link to be established between items.

What Amazon really needs in such emails is some kind of link such as “Amazon, you’re nuts!” I know I can go into Amazon and remove certain items that I’ve purchased as being used as the *basis* of future recommendations, but I’m not aware there’s any way to flag the recommendation *itself* as the problem, while still leaving the original item active for inference. This “Amazon, you’re nuts!” link idea could feed back into the system generating these recommendations and weaken the link between the two items. Perhaps they could have another button to reinforce it, such as “Amazon, good call!”

Even if there are occasionally some bad recommendations, I have occasionally been sent gems I wouldn’t otherwise find.

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