(no subject)

[tinyjo]

I'm fascinated by the Amazon recommendations system. Normally these kind of things bug me - "No I don't want thank you!" - but Amazon (why does that look wrong capitalized?) has an uncanny ability to recommend to me a)things I already own but bought somewhere else and b) stuff I actually want. If you click on the why was this recommended to me link it'll tell you related purchases/wish list items but I have to wonder whether they're clocking my searches and stuff. After all, they do it on a session basis (creating a page of all the stuff you've viewed recently), why not take it a step further? (Having said that, I did a bit of searching for Linux books the other day but I didn't buy and nothings appeared in my recommendations yet...) And normally, that'd bother me. But somehow I don't mind, I'm just fascinated. Perhaps it's the fact that they do seem to resist the temptation to skew it towards whatever the flavour of the month is and stick to stuff that's actually indicated by what you've said - the fact that there's always Buffy in mine is entirely my fault. I'm sure they use this stuff when the "Other people who bought this also bought" list comes up though - I've noticed that that's become more and more relevant. It's a marketing gimmick that I actually like. I probably wouldn't buy anything completely speculatively but if something I'd been dithering about came up it's right often enough that it would actually be a point in favour of buying.

Comments

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

Have you ever rated your recommendations or the stuff you've already bought? Means you can exclude that book you bought your mother for Xmas so they don't think you actually read John Grisham...

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

Just came across that this lunchtime actually - this whole post was sparked by me going to see if a single I was interested in was out yet and finding they were recommending it to me leading to me finally getting round to playing with some of the recommendations options. Now I find myself tempted to go round rating all my favourite books so that the system works better - arrggg!

[jinty]

Amazon (why does that look wrong capitalized?)
Because you're used to typing it in an URL where it's not capitalized?!

Yes, I have the same sort of love/hate thing with the recommendations -- I should hate it (and I remember there was an advert some years ago for Marks and Sparks about something very similar -- they would analyse what skirt in what size and what colour you bought, so as to be able to have more stuff you'd like -- I was horrified by that) but actually it works so well I have to like it. Very successful for them it must be.

I have actually bought (and enjoyed) one or two CDs on the basis that they've turned up in recommendations. Can't name a specific example though.

I like the perfect partner suggestions

[cleanskies.livejournal.com]

As in "buy Perdido Street Station with Lives of the Monster Dogs today. I've bought stuff off those suggestions!

... I get less yesses on their music suggestions.

Re: I like the perfect partner suggestions

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

They adjust depending on what they already know you've got as well which is pretty nifty.