Is Amazon censoring book reviews?

Is Amazon policing its user reviews a little too strictly? One author believes so, after several fans provide evidence of unusual experiences with the online seller.

Amazon has had a troubled relationship with its customers in the past, whether it’s over the safety and welfare of its employees working in warehouses, cookies and tracking information being recorded without customer consent or simply its choice of what items to stock and which to avoid, but if there’s one thing that has always seemed to be entirely free of #amazonfail hashtaggery, it’s been the company’s hands-free approach to their product reviews.

Well, that might not be the case anymore.

Author Michelle Gagnon shared an unusual story via the Kill Zone blog about some fans’ trouble getting a review onto Amazon’s listing for Gagnon’s latest book. “Apparently these fans tried to submit reviews of my book on Amazon, and their reviews either a) never appeared, or b) were abruptly taken down,” she wrote in response to the fans contacting her to alert her to what had happened. “Two of the fans send transcripts of the reviews, and they were standard (and positive, thankfully): nothing offensive at all in terms of content,” Gagnon wrote, continuing,

One of the fans took the time and trouble to write to Amazon, asking why his review was removed. He received this form letter reply: “I’m sorry for any previous concerns regarding your reviews on our site. We do not allow reviews on behalf of a person or company with a financial interest in the product or a directly competing product. This includes authors, artists, publishers, manufacturers, or third-party merchants selling the product.

“We have removed your reviews as they are in violation of our guidelines. We will not be able to go into further detail about our research.

“I understand that you are upset, and I regret that we have not been able to address your concerns to your satisfaction. However, we will not be able to offer any additional insight or action on this matter.” Now, I’ve known this fan for years–he’s read (and reviewed!) all of my other books. And he has no financial stake in my work. He also doesn’t sell anything on Amazon, ever–never mind competing products (which would be what, exactly? Other books? Does this mean that I’m no longer allowed to review thrillers by my contemporaries?)

Further, Gagnon went on, when the fan responded to Amazon to explain that he was had no financial interest in the product, he was told that should they receive another letter from him on the subject, they would remove Gagnon’s book from the site altogether. “Needless to say, I found this very disturbing, particularly since it doesn’t appear to be an isolated case,” she wrote. “After all, two other fans sent similar messages; and I can only wonder how many others had the same experience, but didn’t write to let me know.”

The story seems unexpected, but it’s the second PR black eye for Amazon this week, following the news that the company wiped the Kindle purchases of one customer without warning (Only to later reverse this decision in the face of public outcry). Perhaps the company may need to take another look at its relationship with customers – and with publicity – before it heads into the all-important holiday period…

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

BlackBerry Monitoring Software: 4 Types of Friends Your Child Shouldn’t Have

Many parents refuse to use BlackBerry monitoring software because they have complete trust in their children. And I understand it. That’s the kind of relationship that you want to have with your son or daughter, the type where you’ve always taught him or her right from wrong so that you don’t have to be a helicopter parents, hovering over your child making sure that nothing’s wrong. I think those parents should be proud of their accomplishment.

However, a lot of times, the problem is not your child, but one of his friends or even an acquaintance. After all, all it takes for something to happen is just one person that is too stupid / irresponsible / lazy / stubborn. For example, even if your child doesn’t drink, one of his friends who does might decide to give him a ride to your home.

Anyway, you can now use BlackBerry monitoring software to know exactly the type of friends your child has, and I hope it’s none of these.

a) The drinker.

I bet you saw this one coming. The drinker is by far the most dangerous one, not because he drinks, but because he tends to drink and drive. And car accidents are by far the number one cause of deaths for teenagers.

b) The dare pusher.

Teenagers often dare each other to do something. If they were more mature or if they knew better, they would realize it’s not worth do so something just to impress some guys or girls that will be irrelevant in three years. And while some of those dares are harmless, like calling a girl and telling her that you like her, others can be quite dangerous, such as insulting and picking a fight with someone.

c) The drug user.

I remember the time where drugs were used only by hippies in basements and concerts. Unfortunately, it’s not the case today. There are many young people who use drugs in a constant basis. If one of your child’s friends does, you have to know about it.

d) The bad company.

This one is actually a sort of all-encompassing general term for those type of people that you really dislike and that you don’t want your child to hang around with. For example, a kid who says racial slurs, or one that tells comments that denigrate women, or a girl who uses sex to get the attention of boys, etc. The exact type will vary according to your values and your idea of right and wrong.

Final Thoughts

We can’t be next to our teenagers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and even if we could, it wouldn’t be healthy. However, we can use BlackBerry monitoring software and find out who they are hanging with. And if it’s someone we don’t want near our children, we can do something about it. 

Author Name: Brian Coulter

About The Author:

Brian Coulter is a Latest Mobile Technology enthusiast and author of Blackberry Spy Software. Brian also writes about exciting and informative discoveries on mobile development.

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com