4 ms·

When I was an Amazon intern 7 years ago, I went to a presentation of exactly how the duplicate detector works. I won't discuss any technical details of course,

by mabbo 9y ago

When I was an Amazon intern 7 years ago, I went to a presentation of exactly how the duplicate detector works. I won't discuss any technical details of course, but suffice it to say: it should catch these sorts of cases, so long as the books are already on Amazon in digital format. I don't understand how your friend can get away with this.

berg01 9y ago
The only logical conclusion (apart from Amazon being managerially incompetent) is that they make more money this way.
- mabbo 9y ago
  "Only" is a strong word. There could be dozens of other reasons. It could be that the system isn't working the way it's designed. It could be that the thieving authors have found a trick to fool the system. It could be that there's a single nefarious admin who takes bribes to override the system. I'll bet you can even think of a few more if you try. Amazon thinks long term. Bezos's influence is all about that. Letting customers and authors alike be defrauded like this in order to make a few extra bucks in the short term is not what I expect from Amazon.
  - maxxxxx 9y ago
    My explanation is that sales numbers tell them that whatever they do works and otherwise they don't care.
  - dahdum 9y ago
    They have no problem selling counterfeits widely, until the stock takes a beating for it they won’t make it a priority.
jhallenworld 9y ago
Yeah, I don't know. I learned about this two years ago. I think he does not make much from any single book, but he has many of them. They were exercise and diet books.
rhizome 9y ago
Just FYI, 7 years would almost certainly put that information outside of the statute of limitations.
- ChoGGi 9y ago
  I wouldn't see the statute of limitations having much to do with his reputation to respective employers?
- jhayward 9y ago
  Most people's integrity doesn't have a statute of limitations on promises made and kept.
- WalterGR 9y ago
  Just FYI, 7 years would almost certainly put that information outside of the statute of limitations. I don't believe that sentence makes any sense. Do you have a legal background?
  - rhizome 9y ago
    Ah, credentialism on HN. Shocker! Is it that I'm missing "in the US," or do you have other criticism more specific?

by mabbo 9y ago

berg01 9y ago

The only logical conclusion (apart from Amazon being managerially incompetent) is that they make more money this way.

mabbo 9y ago
"Only" is a strong word. There could be dozens of other reasons. It could be that the system isn't working the way it's designed. It could be that the thieving authors have found a trick to fool the system. It could be that there's a single nefarious admin who takes bribes to override the system. I'll bet you can even think of a few more if you try. Amazon thinks long term. Bezos's influence is all about that. Letting customers and authors alike be defrauded like this in order to make a few extra bucks in the short term is not what I expect from Amazon.
- maxxxxx 9y ago
  My explanation is that sales numbers tell them that whatever they do works and otherwise they don't care.
- dahdum 9y ago
  They have no problem selling counterfeits widely, until the stock takes a beating for it they won’t make it a priority.

jhallenworld 9y ago

Yeah, I don't know. I learned about this two years ago. I think he does not make much from any single book, but he has many of them. They were exercise and diet books.

rhizome 9y ago

Just FYI, 7 years would almost certainly put that information outside of the statute of limitations.

ChoGGi 9y ago
I wouldn't see the statute of limitations having much to do with his reputation to respective employers?
jhayward 9y ago
Most people's integrity doesn't have a statute of limitations on promises made and kept.
WalterGR 9y ago
Just FYI, 7 years would almost certainly put that information outside of the statute of limitations. I don't believe that sentence makes any sense. Do you have a legal background?
- rhizome 9y ago
  Ah, credentialism on HN. Shocker! Is it that I'm missing "in the US," or do you have other criticism more specific?