3. Amazon Is One Of The Worst Places On The Internet
Beyond being an online shopping giant and a manufacturer and champion of e-readers, one of Amazon's secondary functions is that of a mass review aggregator. I can't be the only one who makes a point of checking the Amazon reviews of books and CDs
I already own. The problem is, these reviews are almost without exception terrible. It's the inevitable result of making reviews open to everyone and not paying anyone. People will only review things that they really like or really, really hate. Yeah, there's some middle ground, but usually the reviews are either the work of effusive fan boys and girls or of vindictive trolls with axes to grind. I became so distrustful of the five star write-ups that I got into the habit of only reading the negative reviews. I found them to be even more unreliable to the point that I'm working on an Amazon user-review drinking game. Every time you come across a cliché, you have to take a drink. The list is extensive, but it includes such expressions as The Emperor's New Clothes; If I could give it no stars I would; It makes for a great drinks coaster etc. etc. So whilst their exploitative use of their workers and of tax loopholes makes the shopping side of their operation morally dubious, the sheer tedium and unreliability of their reviews makes their secondary function as a resource for consumer advice equally redundant.