Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011) • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#41

Post by RaSoJo » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:11 PM UTC

kennydude wrote: post #20

martin-adams wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8152278.stm

> It also waived the usual $15 overdraft fee. That was nice of them

What would have happened - if the person had just decided to abscond without enquiring or paying this bill?

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#42

Post by jevgeni » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:11 PM UTC

anc84 wrote: post #19

acqq wrote: post #2

From the comments on the Amazon page: "What a steal! By John Taylor Kesler on April 25, 2011, Format: Paperback I was fortunate enough to buy this at the bargain price of $19,087,354 there must have been a sale because the next day it was listed at $23M. I was very pleased to find upon arrival that the book contained very useful information, however to be honest I was expecting a few more pictures for the price paid.…

I really wish Amazon reviews were useful and not a mixture of a) angry rants, b) bought reviews and c) jokes.

I have a system, where I read the most negative reviews of the book. If the reviews are eloquent and make a solid point, I don't buy the book.

If the negative reviews are mostly whiny,emotional rants without any valid solid arguments, then the book is most definitely worth it. A case in point:

http://www.amazon.com/Structure-Interpretation-Computer-Prog...

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#43

Post by yuncun » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:11 PM UTC

anc84 wrote: post #40

puredemo wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All of those things are useful in the right context.

Sure, but I would say a review on a market site is not the right context.

I think he/she's saying that you can still glean information from jokes/rants etc.

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#44

Post by yitchelle » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:12 PM UTC

RaSoJo wrote: post #36

yitchelle wrote: post #11

Though not as expensive, but Amazon has an Apple keyboard for just under $1000. http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B005DQ0DFI?psc=1&redirect=tr...

With the link shared by @yitchelle - I get EUR 61 as well. But after removing all the additional parameters, I get EUR57 http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B005DQ0DFI

Bloody hell, this algorithm method of setting pricing is crazy. Now it is 61€. I swear it was about 1K€ just before I posted it on HN. Damm HN effect.

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#45

Post by clentaminator » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:13 PM UTC

anc84 wrote: post #19

acqq wrote: post #2

From the comments on the Amazon page: "What a steal! By John Taylor Kesler on April 25, 2011, Format: Paperback I was fortunate enough to buy this at the bargain price of $19,087,354 there must have been a sale because the next day it was listed at $23M. I was very pleased to find upon arrival that the book contained very useful information, however to be honest I was expecting a few more pictures for the price paid.…

I really wish Amazon reviews were useful and not a mixture of a) angry rants, b) bought reviews and c) jokes.

Do you object to satire too? In the right context?

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#46

Post by llimllib » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:13 PM UTC

I used to write software to do this; this comment from the previous time this article was posted is spot on: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2478096

The company I worked for did this, if not before anybody else did, than at least very nearly so:

> Then came the "phantom listers" - agencies with software that spiders through the listings of legitimate on line book dealers looking for titles with few (or no) copies listed in Amazon. They then list them at inflated prices.

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#47

Post by IE6 » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:19 PM UTC

anc84 wrote: post #19

acqq wrote: post #2

From the comments on the Amazon page: "What a steal! By John Taylor Kesler on April 25, 2011, Format: Paperback I was fortunate enough to buy this at the bargain price of $19,087,354 there must have been a sale because the next day it was listed at $23M. I was very pleased to find upon arrival that the book contained very useful information, however to be honest I was expecting a few more pictures for the price paid.…

I really wish Amazon reviews were useful and not a mixture of a) angry rants, b) bought reviews and c) jokes.

Personally, I find the Amazon rating and review system very helpful and use it frequently. I only encounter Joke comments on things like 23 million dollar books or 10 thousand dollar A/V cables. I appreciate how verbose Amazon allows you to be in your comments as well as the ability to include images. I find rooting through the junk (jokes, paid comments, that guy who just received the product in the mail and either hasn't even used it or just begun using it and shouldn't really be commenting yet) is fairly easy too.

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#48

Post by tgb » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:21 PM UTC

smcl wrote: post #30

yitchelle wrote: post #11

Though not as expensive, but Amazon has an Apple keyboard for just under $1000. http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B005DQ0DFI?psc=1&redirect=tr...

Maybe someone from Amazon is reading HN - that's showing as €61 for me

The exchange rate is getting crazy these days!

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#49

Post by monochromatic » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:23 PM UTC

EStudley wrote: post #32

anc84 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish Amazon reviews were useful and not a mixture of a) angry rants, b) bought reviews and c) jokes.

Youtube comments have the same atmosphere. Comments on these sites should have hidden "like/dislike" counters akin to Hacker News.

YouTube comments are uniformly garbage though.

Re: Amazon’s $23M book about flies (2011)

#50

Post by tgb » Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 1:24 PM UTC

martin-adams wrote: post #18

rtpg wrote: post #14

Is it even possible to purchase $23 million on a credit card?

Yes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8152278.stm

The article says "credit card", but I didn't think credit cards could have fees for negative balances - of course your credit card has a negative balance, that's the whole point. I think this must have been a debit card, or maybe one of those combo credit/debit cards. They also show an ATM withdrawal which suggests it's a debit card anyway.