I just answered what I was asked, but your adept literacy is noted. See THKAS’ previous post.

In all seriousness, there is a strange group of anti-Amazonians, who, from various blogs and sites, seem to carry the same swagger and attitude as anti-Microsoft, anti-Starbucks, and anti-Walmart types. At best, they are all bluster and noise, with the occasional silliness of negative voting on her reviews.

Since I buy more classic literature and not much scifi and pop romance, Klausner’s reviews are not a big concern for me.

–Brockeim the Genius

Not so far as I know. She should not be either. The petty games involving those who think they’ve a need to campaign against her disappoint me, though. I guess people go with whatever is the most important issue in their lives.

While those blogging against are free to speak, and some are even making careers of it, much the same way some complain about politics, world peace, the eating of ketchup or the hatred of plant life. What a country. That’s not my issue.

Even I’ve made fun of the issue:

http://brockeim.com/wordpress/2007/06/27/stairway-to-amazon-or-the-battle-of-lawrance-and-harriet-singalong-with-brockeim

Where I am disappointed are those people who vote against her reviews even though they never would buy the buy, or not buy the book based on any review.

For example, if I am not going to buy an iPod, voting on Amazon against (or for) and iPod review abuses the point of the voting system. The point (as I understand it) is to answer the question, “Did the review help me make a purchasing decision?”

Apparently when Time Magazine and others interviewed her, despite (hopefully) doing some basic research on her, they would have asked the questions about her. Imagine what a coup it would be for an investigative reporter to uncover the real Harriet Klausner, the one with eight arms and 100 eyes being scandalized across the web.

When authors have been busted writing their own reviews, or slamming the books of their competition, it makes news. Uncovering some scandal about HK has yet to happen, even though conspiracies are abound.

No reporter has determined this.

Reporters have come into the Amazon reviewers DB and surely have seen the various threads on HK. They have plenty to look at. Her writing quality is easily criticized, as is her review structure, book choice, and so on. But not one feather of evidence has been shown to show she is more than person.

Disclaimer
I do not know her, have not met her, and am not in the market for the books she typically reviews.

–Brockeim
http://Brockeim.com
Brockeimia - The Absurd World of Brockeim

The authors writing their own reviews, but signing it with another name are not much worth respecting. Clearly, they have no confidence a legit reviewer will address their books favorably.

Should cheating be illegal. I don’t know if I think so. The cheaters, when caught, should have their books removed by Amazon, but I doubt they will. They are not in the publishing business, but in the bookselling business.

I do believe Harriet Klausner is completely real, and is a long way from the real concerns the publishing industry should have. The victim of a campaign against her, I hope she stands tall, and does her thing.

–Brockeim
http://Brockeim.com
Brockeimia - The Absurd World of Brockeim

Power to the UnKnown blogger People!