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Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

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Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#281

Post by bduerst »

jonknee wrote: post #266
bduerst wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only certain big box retailers do that, like Best Buy , whose business model have them leasing floor space in their physical locations, which has tangible scarcity. Amazon is not leasing retail floor space, so to GP's point, any comparisons between Amazon's open platform and traditional physical retail spaces are moot.

I think retail stores controlling what you see based on how much money they get which is quite similar to Amazon controlling what you see in a search result based on profitability, but I guess we can agree to disagree. However, it's not just stores like Best Buy. Your local grocery store almost certainly makes a large percentage of their profit from companies paying for shelf space. End caps don't come out of thin ai…

Again, comparisons with physical retail are moot because, in your grocery store, nobody can walk in off the street and start selling off the shelves. The grocery store is not an open e-commerce platform but a curated service with physical scarcity.

People don't have an issue with Amazon default sorting to best selling either. The problem is that Amazon is slowly pushing out the competition on their platform to focus their own products and labels. If there's any analogy, it would be similar Google removing search result links to Bing or Yandex.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#282

Post by scarface74 »

justinmchase wrote: post #167
scarface74 wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your argument may have held weight in the past, but now, anyone can distribute video without going through the cable providers regular cable distribution. It’s quite simple technically to provide on demand video at scale, including creating apps for all the platforms. The only issue now is when/if cable companies as internet providers start deprioritizing competitors.

Its really not simple, technically. So I don't understand what you're saying.

It really is. You can use manage services through AWS to set this up at almost any scale including encoding, transcoding, global CDNs, etc.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#283

Post by TheRealDunkirk »

otakucode wrote: post #107

According to the book 'The Everything Store,' Amazon's search engine is a matter of internal contention. Years ago, when people noticed that Amazon's search engine was terrible (as it is), someone from another group in the company developed a new search system based on Elasticsearch and more modern technologies. He presented the new search to Bezos. But there was an existing team whose primary responsibility was the…

This sort of thing makes me sick, and I'm familiar with the feeling because I've seen this several times in my career. But the older I get, the more a tiny kernel of respect grows in me for the kind of person that can parley a modicum of technical understanding into an unassailable political position in a large company, and succeed -- at least in terms of money and influence -- despite the opportunity costs I've witnessed. You just kind of have to hand it to people like this. I guess. Maybe that's the only way I stay sane at this point.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#284

Post by _edo »

falcrist wrote: post #264
Kalium wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Among other things, Sears was afraid of cannibalizing their in-store sales and didn't understand the potential of the internet. They had a very B&M-centered mindset.

That's insane, though. In reality, these things can coexist just fine, but even if they couldn't... why wouldn't you want to have a business model with lower overhead?

Because they didn't know how to run the new business.

It's the same story as when Sears rose to prominence: they saw a business model the other mail-order retailers didn't understand.

The irony is Sears started as a mail-order catalog but couldn't get back to the old model in time. But of course their large management structures couldn't move as fast as small company with somebody like Bezos at the helm who could just make calls on the spot.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#286

Post by zaidf »

rock_hard wrote: post #224
Certhas wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still, they are the monopoly marketplace online. They should be doing _everything_ to avoid looking like they are abusing their monopoly position to muscle into other fields. The fact that they don't seem too bothered just seems to indicate to me that regulators are not prepared to act on them. Really the rule should simply be that if you operate a market place you can't sell on it. Full stop. Then we could simply be…

How is amazon a monopoly? Last time I checked there was a ocean of e-commerce stores on the internet all selling the same stuff

When Microsoft got busted for being anti-competitive, you could still download Netscape Navigator and use it.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#287

Post by simplecomplex »

edoceo wrote: post #109
berdon wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this only being down voted because of tone? I am curious if there actually are any laws relevant to this situation. As far as I can tell, this is exactly like Walmart or BigBoxCo pushing their own brands. It's not illegal and, generally, it's not even a bad thing for the consumer (in the short term). It really feels like most of the people taking issue with this are doing so because of their personal sentiments ra…

I think it's downvotes because Amazon is not a store, it's a marketplace. And it's well different than BigBox because there is way less capital outlay for both property and goods. Downvotes for bad information, not snark

“marketplace” is just a word, not a legal fiction/status like “corporation”.

AFAIK US antitrust law does not have any concept of “marketplaces.”

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#289

Post by toasterlovin »

benologist wrote: post #261
toasterlovin wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only reason bundling IE was an issue is because Microsoft had a monopoly on PC operating systems. The monopoly is a necessary precondition for the antitrust action.

Microsoft had a monopoly, and they leveraged it to create a monopoly, but that does not mean abuse requires a monopoly. Abuse does not require emulating any particular prior instance of abuse.

But the abuse only becomes a problem when a monopoly creates a lack of alternatives for consumers or suppliers. Amazon sellers have a plethora of other retailers who they can use to reach customers if they don't like Amazon's behavior. Netscape had no such options.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#290

Post by wmeredith »

bearcobra wrote: post #262
partialrecall wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure about Amazon Basics, but with Amazon's Choice products they're plainly not evaluating products before selecting them. LockpickingLawyer on youtube has done reviews on several Amazon's Choice locks and safes and they've all been abysmal borderline fraudulent products.

I really enjoy the LockpickingLawyer's videos, but I'd imagine that the threat model of the average Amazon (or Walmart/Home Depot/etc.) buyer is such that any basic lock is enough deterrence for 95%+ of scenarios. It could just be that their evaluation criteria don't match his.

You are correct. Locks keep honest people honest.
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