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I don't quite think the criticism amazon is receiving for their PR response is really valid. The initial criticism may very well be, but what are they supposed

I don't quite think the criticism amazon is receiving for their PR response is really valid. The initial criticism may very well be, but what are they supposed to do? I think people and more so politicians are used to companies sulking and apologizing for any criticism they receive because they really really want your money, and so people are used to just throwing criticism and accusations around, and this is really just people getting upset that they're not taking it lying down. I think people and companies need to start unapologetically defending themselves when they feel the attacks are unwarranted rather than rolling over every time someone with political power raises it like a club. I might not agree with amazon and I might agree with the initial criticism they're responding to, and I'm no amazon fanboy, but their response is something I'd like to see more of, we would have a healthier political process and public discourse if more people and organizations defended themselves publicly more often.

Aerroon 6y ago
I think the response by the senator is particularly telling: >/.../ And fight to break up Big Tech so you’re not powerful enough to heckle senators with snotty tweets. Shouldn't everyone be able to respond to 'attacks' on them on Twitter regardless who the attacker is? It's not like Amazon went out to heckle the senator out of the blue.
- betwixthewires 6y ago
  Yup. Imagine voting for someone (or being someone) that is elected to office and threatens to use power from that office in such a petty way. "Don't talk back subject, I own you." And I'm supposed to pretend these are good people because they virtue signal every chance they get?
- 908B64B197 6y ago
  > Shouldn't everyone be able to respond to 'attacks' on them on Twitter regardless who the attacker is? That's called the first amendment.
PeterisP 6y ago
The problem (or a problem?) with Amazon's PR response is that they responsed to adversarial-but-reasonable assertions from politicians with blatant lies (e.g. the Amazon's pee bottle tweet https://twitter.com/amazonnews/status/1374911222361956359 https://twitter.com/amazonnews/status/1374911222361956359), and, it seems, with a manufactured fake grassroots support campaign e.g. https://gizmodo.com/theres-something-fishy-about-amazons-anti-union-twitter-1846572212 https://gizmodo.com/theres-something-fishy-about-amazons-ant...
- BoiledCabbage 6y ago
  > Amazon has an entire program where employees at so-called fulfillment centers (which is to say, warehouses) can sign up to defend the company online. What do the employees get out of it? One day of paid vacation and a $50 Amazon gift card, according to reports from 2019 This is disgusting. Bribing warehouse employees to give rosy descriptions of the company. The link from 2019 is even worse. Tracking them by affiliate id, to see what they said.
  - luckylion 6y ago
    Sounds like Amazon learned from what third party sellers do on their platform.
  - betwixthewires 6y ago
    You mean paying them to tell the world they like their job? Isn't that the whole point of unionization?
    - visiblink 6y ago
      The purpose of joining a union is to gain better wages, working conditions, and protection from mistreatment by supervisors. Then no one has to give you specific perks to entice you into saying that you like your job. You'll just say it's a good job when asked. There's a difference.
rualca 6y ago
> I don't quite think the criticism amazon is receiving for their PR response is really valid. The initial criticism may very well be, but what are they supposed to do? For starters? Not lie, or manipulate their employees to actively undermine their best interests. Is it too much to ask?

Aerroon 6y ago

I think the response by the senator is particularly telling: >/.../ And fight to break up Big Tech so you’re not powerful enough to heckle senators with snotty tweets. Shouldn't everyone be able to respond to 'attacks' on them on Twitter regardless who the attacker is? It's not like Amazon went out to heckle the senator out of the blue.

betwixthewires 6y ago
Yup. Imagine voting for someone (or being someone) that is elected to office and threatens to use power from that office in such a petty way. "Don't talk back subject, I own you." And I'm supposed to pretend these are good people because they virtue signal every chance they get?
908B64B197 6y ago
> Shouldn't everyone be able to respond to 'attacks' on them on Twitter regardless who the attacker is? That's called the first amendment.

PeterisP 6y ago

The problem (or a problem?) with Amazon's PR response is that they responsed to adversarial-but-reasonable assertions from politicians with blatant lies (e.g. the Amazon's pee bottle tweet https://twitter.com/amazonnews/status/1374911222361956359 https://twitter.com/amazonnews/status/1374911222361956359), and, it seems, with a manufactured fake grassroots support campaign e.g. https://gizmodo.com/theres-something-fishy-about-amazons-anti-union-twitter-1846572212 https://gizmodo.com/theres-something-fishy-about-amazons-ant...

BoiledCabbage 6y ago
> Amazon has an entire program where employees at so-called fulfillment centers (which is to say, warehouses) can sign up to defend the company online. What do the employees get out of it? One day of paid vacation and a $50 Amazon gift card, according to reports from 2019 This is disgusting. Bribing warehouse employees to give rosy descriptions of the company. The link from 2019 is even worse. Tracking them by affiliate id, to see what they said.
- luckylion 6y ago
  Sounds like Amazon learned from what third party sellers do on their platform.
- betwixthewires 6y ago
  You mean paying them to tell the world they like their job? Isn't that the whole point of unionization?
  - visiblink 6y ago
    The purpose of joining a union is to gain better wages, working conditions, and protection from mistreatment by supervisors. Then no one has to give you specific perks to entice you into saying that you like your job. You'll just say it's a good job when asked. There's a difference.

rualca 6y ago

> I don't quite think the criticism amazon is receiving for their PR response is really valid. The initial criticism may very well be, but what are they supposed to do? For starters? Not lie, or manipulate their employees to actively undermine their best interests. Is it too much to ask?