DBW,Yesterday Goodreads was absorbed into the Amazon empire.
At first I was a bit surprised, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. In this world of thousands of start-ups, being sold to a giant is common. Many reasons for this but the capital needed to spur rapid growth is generally a big reason. Plus, the bigger company will have more experience.
I use both Amazon and Goodreads. I like both companies.
Although over my life, I have probably read 1,000 (?) books, I have only list 31 on Goodreads. I like the site and enjoy scanning it for what people are thinking and reading, I am just not that interested in posting my own reading habits. Plus I was reading books long before Goodreads (or Amazon) existed, I am not that keen on going back and reviewing them all. I feel the same way about my list of movies watched – I put them on Flixster.
I get most of my book recommendations from friends in person. Plus I scan publisher’s websites for my research and come across many titles. I probably have a queue of 25 books right now that I want to read.
I have a love-hate relationship with Amazon. I admit, I use them. I love their customer service, their pricing and convenience. If I need a gift delivered across the country and need it there in two-days, Amazon will do that. They are reliable. But, Amazon can also be very hard on their vendors. There are numerous stories re: their feuds with publishers and other suppliers. Plus Amazon works towards monopolies. I wish I could read all my eBooks on my Kindle. But it is closed.
So what will happen to Goodreads? Amazon points out that it will be a stand-alone like IMDB and Zappos. I hope so. Too much authority will kill Goodreads. Amazon reviews are bought and paid for, Goodreads still have credibility. But if things change, people will go elsewhere. It is a world where you must stay on top of your game, a few slips and the downward spiral is fast.
Just look at MySpace…
For more thoughts, I have a new post on DBW.
