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I had been planning to launch a big, public campaign about Kindle typography to try and get Amazon to change her ways. But I came to the conclusion: why bother

I had been planning to launch a big, public campaign about Kindle typography to try and get Amazon to change her ways. But I came to the conclusion: why bother? This is precisely the feeling I had right before I resigned from my position at Amazon. Though I worked at a subsidiary, not Amazon proper, the culture at Amazon everywhere can be absurdly stubborn. In the presence of a bad team, the "leadership principles" can be used for evil, and not for good. Which is why I was consistently told that bugs in software were OK if a majority of customers didn't care to call up and complain about it to our poor, overworked customer service teams. Amazon thinks that it already has "the customer," in its most broad abstraction, already in its grasp, and doesn't ever need to fight to keep any of them there. That is why, when I departed my Amazon subsidiary in December of 2014, they were only just starting to hire a UX team. These principles can be made so dogmatic to the point of destructive company culture that outwardly resists change, be it to marketing designs or entire technology infrastructures that entire teams comprising hundreds of people rely upon to get work done. This is why it is very hard to keep talented people in positions of management at Amazon.

nevir 12y ago
I'm curious: were you at Lab126?
- AndrewUnmuted 12y ago
  I was not at Lab126. :)
pookieinc 12y ago
I agree with this post, but not with regards to the Kindle, but more Amazon as an entity. Also, perfect timing to read this article, after just purchasing a Kindle Paperwhite and having it for a few weeks now. As a casual reader, I find the Kindle Paperwhite as the perfect medium for my reading needs. I can hold it in one hand, I can read it any time of the day with adjustable brightness, and the e-ink is very clear and the font is fine. With respect to the article, I don't think the typical person cares much for typography, as long as it can be read and understood. The justification notion, I would argue that the typical user may not notice it as much as the hardcore reader. This is where I disagree with the parent post here, as in Amazon may understand "the customer" in this particular case, or at least the majority. Everyone who I've come across absolutely loves, and heavily uses, their Kindle(s). Some people even collect them! All reviews love them and it's a great experience. The point of the article: Now, I'm all for making the Kindle the best reading device ever by adding all these cool features (justification, typography, different modes for different things like iBooks, etc.), but instead of targeting the Kindle as being deficient for most users, the article is targeting Amazon more so for it's lack of pushing the product to all it can be and I think this can be extracted toward larger companies doing what they can to push the envelope with their product. This is where I agree with the parent post, Amazon seems to be lacking in this area. The blogpost written and the parent post both point to deficiencies in how Amazon looks to their customers and pushes their products to the best they can be.
- ericd 12y ago
  Yeah, I've never once wanted more options/features/modes for my Kindle. I honestly think any additional complication would make it worse.
  - gurkendoktor 12y ago
    Being able to keep your notes and highlights when updating a book is a feature AND makes it simpler at the same time. Choosing a warmer colour for the Paperwhite wouldn't make it more complicated either. And I wish my (first-gen) Paperwhite wouldn't complain about syncing details every.single.time. I move a book across collections (many of them samples-it's how I keep track of books that were recommended to me).
- cbsmith 12y ago
  > The justification notion, I would argue that the typical user may not notice it as much as the hardcore reader. The fact of the matter is it impacts all readers, whether they recognize it or not, and there is a reason the printing industry generally doesn't do it.
  - lmm 12y ago
    At what point would you acknowledge that maybe the large number of people who think they prefer full justification... actually prefer full justification?
    - cbsmith 12y ago
      I wasn't denying people's preferences. I was pointing out that it has an impact even if people don't notice the justification.
      - prof_hobart 12y ago
        What impact is that?
hackles_raised 12y ago
Disagree but commit. Idiots.
- Zombieball 12y ago
  "Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly." It's essentially saying fight for what you believe is right, but if the group decides an alternative approach don't sabotage the project from the inside because your ideas were not chosen just so you can say "A ha! Told you!" I don't buy into most of the Amazon dogma (I currently work at Amazon). But I don't think the lesson behind this leadership principle is idiotic.
guava 12y ago
The leadership principles mentioned in this post: http://www.amazon.com/Values-Careers-Homepage/b?node=239365011 http://www.amazon.com/Values-Careers-Homepage/b?node=2393650...

nevir 12y ago

I'm curious: were you at Lab126?

AndrewUnmuted 12y ago
I was not at Lab126. :)

pookieinc 12y ago

I agree with this post, but not with regards to the Kindle, but more Amazon as an entity. Also, perfect timing to read this article, after just purchasing a Kindle Paperwhite and having it for a few weeks now. As a casual reader, I find the Kindle Paperwhite as the perfect medium for my reading needs. I can hold it in one hand, I can read it any time of the day with adjustable brightness, and the e-ink is very clear and the font is fine. With respect to the article, I don't think the typical person cares much for typography, as long as it can be read and understood. The justification notion, I would argue that the typical user may not notice it as much as the hardcore reader. This is where I disagree with the parent post here, as in Amazon may understand "the customer" in this particular case, or at least the majority. Everyone who I've come across absolutely loves, and heavily uses, their Kindle(s). Some people even collect them! All reviews love them and it's a great experience. The point of the article: Now, I'm all for making the Kindle the best reading device ever by adding all these cool features (justification, typography, different modes for different things like iBooks, etc.), but instead of targeting the Kindle as being deficient for most users, the article is targeting Amazon more so for it's lack of pushing the product to all it can be and I think this can be extracted toward larger companies doing what they can to push the envelope with their product. This is where I agree with the parent post, Amazon seems to be lacking in this area. The blogpost written and the parent post both point to deficiencies in how Amazon looks to their customers and pushes their products to the best they can be.

ericd 12y ago
Yeah, I've never once wanted more options/features/modes for my Kindle. I honestly think any additional complication would make it worse.
- gurkendoktor 12y ago
  Being able to keep your notes and highlights when updating a book is a feature AND makes it simpler at the same time. Choosing a warmer colour for the Paperwhite wouldn't make it more complicated either. And I wish my (first-gen) Paperwhite wouldn't complain about syncing details every.single.time. I move a book across collections (many of them samples-it's how I keep track of books that were recommended to me).
cbsmith 12y ago
> The justification notion, I would argue that the typical user may not notice it as much as the hardcore reader. The fact of the matter is it impacts all readers, whether they recognize it or not, and there is a reason the printing industry generally doesn't do it.
- lmm 12y ago
  At what point would you acknowledge that maybe the large number of people who think they prefer full justification... actually prefer full justification?
  - cbsmith 12y ago
    I wasn't denying people's preferences. I was pointing out that it has an impact even if people don't notice the justification.
    - prof_hobart 12y ago
      What impact is that?

hackles_raised 12y ago

Disagree but commit. Idiots.

Zombieball 12y ago
"Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly." It's essentially saying fight for what you believe is right, but if the group decides an alternative approach don't sabotage the project from the inside because your ideas were not chosen just so you can say "A ha! Told you!" I don't buy into most of the Amazon dogma (I currently work at Amazon). But I don't think the lesson behind this leadership principle is idiotic.

guava 12y ago

The leadership principles mentioned in this post: http://www.amazon.com/Values-Careers-Homepage/b?node=239365011 http://www.amazon.com/Values-Careers-Homepage/b?node=2393650...