Krycek

So, in my inbox this morning, I get the following from the lovely folks at Goodreads:

Hi Krycek, It’s OK to be an introvert. But procrastinator? Time to get Quiet off your want to read list. Listen to it, for free, with an Audible trial. Narrator Kathe Mazur gets the pacing just right, creating space for Cain’s power-packed gems.

And there is a button that will take me to the Audible.com website for a free trial offer.

My first thought: it's kind of insulting to be called a procrastinator and urged to get off my ass by some stranger.

Second thought: this is what Amazon did to Goodreads.

Of course you know that Amazon acquired Goodreads last year, but this is the first time I've received spam from Goodreads on Amazon's behalf (Audible.com is an Amazon company). Chief Goodreader Otis has always claimed that Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads can only benefit the reader, but how receiving time-wasting, useless bullshit in my inbox benefits me I can only guess. If I wanted to join Audible.com I would have done so already. It sure benefits Amazon, though.

I was thinking of maybe posting reviews on Goodreads again since Booklikes has that cross-posting option to make it easy to do, but now I think, naah. It just kinda turns me off. Goodreads has a wealth of great data and greater users. It's a shame that it's just a big marketing machine.

Like I've said before, I can't blame Amazon too much since you sort of expect this stuff from a soulless conglomerate. And Amazon does provide good service. But as a consumer, I am careful to keep my relationship with Amazon on a tight leash: I give them money, they give me what I want and they stay out of my life. Otis, though, had a choice and he chose to sell out. It's not my place to judge the guy but it's not the choice I would have made.

Anyway, I guess it's not a big deal. Maybe there's a way to unsubscribe from crap e-mails inviting me to spend my money on stuff I don't give a shit about. But it does rub me the wrong way and reminds me why Goodreads kinda sucks now.