Amazon, the world’s most remarkable firm, is just getting started

Re:Amazon, the world’s most remarkable firm, is just getting... by javajosh on Friday March 24, 2017 @01:12PM (#13950466)

Uh, what? Amazon is competing with retailers, so if Amazon goes away you'd buy from other retailers. In a big city get your books and music from local independent booksellers and record stores (in the country or for esoteric things you get them from alibris and discogs). Electronics you can get from Best Buy, Target, Wal Mart, Newegg. Or you can go to a secondary market for all the things, a little company called "eBay".

Why do I know this? Because I don't use Amazon anymore at all for anything after they blatantly screwed me over as a seller.

Sometimes I feel like engineers on HN have centralization on the brain. We are so impressed with scale and complexity of Amazon! We forget this size and complexity arose because it's trying to compete with (and presumably supplant) an enormous, biologically evolved distribution and retail ecosystem.

If Amazon dies, we all simply go back to that ecosystem, like I did, both online and real life. (And you know what? It's better. Newegg is better for electronics because they only do electronics, and they fight patent trolls; Alibris is better because they have a better selection, better prices, and support local business; Discogs is better for the same reason; all are better because they are focused.)

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Re:Amazon, the world’s most remarkable firm, is just getting... by yannickt on Friday March 24, 2017 @01:19PM (#13950549)

" In a big city get your books and music from local independent booksellers and record stores"

Except in many cities, many of those went out of business in large part because of Amazon. Amazon is still often more competitive compared with those that remain, from a price/shipping perspective.

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Re:Amazon, the world’s most remarkable firm, is just getting... by javajosh on Friday March 24, 2017 @04:48PM (#13952100)

That's a vague claim, but such as it is, it rings hollow. Actually, it sounds like a rationalization for using Amazon (which is easy) instead of looking around for a local alternative, and going there (which is hard). I've recently travelled fairly extensively through the US and every city of any size I visited still has a handful of independents, and they are doing okay, if not great.

The next time you want an album, instead of opening up iTunes or Amazon, I suggest opening up google maps and typing in "record store", and then going there.

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Re:Amazon, the world’s most remarkable firm, is just getting... by cwilkes on Saturday March 25, 2017 @02:46PM (#13956966)

> I suggest opening up google maps and typing in

Why use an online service like that when there are perfectly good printed maps out there? Mate that up with a printed yellow pages and you're all set.

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Re:Amazon, the world’s most remarkable firm, is just getting... by javajosh on Saturday March 25, 2017 @06:27PM (#13957844)

That is unfair and hurtful, Chris. I'm encouraging people to support local business, not because I'm a luddite but because I don't want to see local business starved to death by global megacorps. It hasn't happened yet, and I'm pointing out a harder option, and in good faith. I'd appreciate it if you'd be open and clear about any objections you might have to this, rather than resort to sarcasm and innuendo. Thanks.

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Re:Amazon, the world’s most remarkable firm, is just getting... by cwilkes on Friday March 31, 2017 @10:09AM (#14003908)

Looking back you are right: I'm sorry. I was initially amused at the use of one technology over the other as being okay but I see your point. Thanks for responding and setting me straight that the reasons for doing so are important.

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