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but Amazon is a technological innovation. You don't think they have advanced logistics working behind the scenes? Their warehouses are full of robots! They made

but Amazon is a technological innovation. You don't think they have advanced logistics working behind the scenes? Their warehouses are full of robots! They made serverless computing a reality. Their topic of technological innovation just happens to be a shopping website.

sandworm101 6y ago
It is a website where you buy things that are then delivered to your house. They may use all sorts of fancy tech in the back room to enable that function, but it is just a website for buying stuff. Being the best at something is very different than creating something actually new.
- beaconstudios 6y ago
  I wasn't aware that you previously had access to same-day delivery of basically any consumer product imaginable. I agree that it isn't "sexy", in the same way that SpaceX or Google are "sexy", but that doesn't make it "not a technology company". There's plenty of sexy tech companies out there doing fuck-all for anybody but collecting nice VC paychecks. If you're making the same argument as Peter Thiel, that there's a lot more 1-N (incremental) innovation now than there is 0-1 (brand-new) innovation, I agree and I think that sucks. I think that's why many people (including myself) cheerlead for Elon - he's actually leading companies doing cool sci-fi-style innovation.
  - sandworm101 6y ago
    Lol. Not everyone lives within sight of an Amazon warehouse. I ordered 4 books yesterday, prime + sold by amazon. Delivery estimate is by end of next week. That isn't all that different a service than was available in the 90s when I would have just called a store and had them mail me the product. And if you think Amazon carries a wide ranger of products, just look at any number of Chinese alternatives to see what 'selection' actually means.
    - beaconstudios 6y ago
      Aliexpress sells pure tat, it's not exactly a home for trustworthy branded products. Amazon is getting worse by letting resellers of poor quality Chinese knockoffs commingle their products in amazon warehouses. I live in the North of England, not exactly an urban hub. As soon as somebody invents matter teleportation I'm sure we'll get a better service. For now, I'll keep considering amazon a best in class service for their scale. And it's definitely a technology company.

sandworm101 6y ago

It is a website where you buy things that are then delivered to your house. They may use all sorts of fancy tech in the back room to enable that function, but it is just a website for buying stuff. Being the best at something is very different than creating something actually new.

beaconstudios 6y ago
I wasn't aware that you previously had access to same-day delivery of basically any consumer product imaginable. I agree that it isn't "sexy", in the same way that SpaceX or Google are "sexy", but that doesn't make it "not a technology company". There's plenty of sexy tech companies out there doing fuck-all for anybody but collecting nice VC paychecks. If you're making the same argument as Peter Thiel, that there's a lot more 1-N (incremental) innovation now than there is 0-1 (brand-new) innovation, I agree and I think that sucks. I think that's why many people (including myself) cheerlead for Elon - he's actually leading companies doing cool sci-fi-style innovation.
- sandworm101 6y ago
  Lol. Not everyone lives within sight of an Amazon warehouse. I ordered 4 books yesterday, prime + sold by amazon. Delivery estimate is by end of next week. That isn't all that different a service than was available in the 90s when I would have just called a store and had them mail me the product. And if you think Amazon carries a wide ranger of products, just look at any number of Chinese alternatives to see what 'selection' actually means.
  - beaconstudios 6y ago
    Aliexpress sells pure tat, it's not exactly a home for trustworthy branded products. Amazon is getting worse by letting resellers of poor quality Chinese knockoffs commingle their products in amazon warehouses. I live in the North of England, not exactly an urban hub. As soon as somebody invents matter teleportation I'm sure we'll get a better service. For now, I'll keep considering amazon a best in class service for their scale. And it's definitely a technology company.