Questions about me
Introduction
This post is divided into sections as follows :-
| or just scroll down |
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| My knowledge of Amazon |
| Other Amazon-related questions |
| Questions unrelated to Amazon |
My knowledge of Amazon
For more on this subject beyond the answers below, see Facts and opinions.
How do you know so much about Amazon?
Because I have spent a lot of time studying it, consulting others and I have used my knowledge and experience to interpret what I find with a high degree of accuracy. Nevertheless, there are some people who just don't believe that it is possible for anybody outside of Amazon to know so much.
Do you ever get anything wrong when it comes to Amazon issues?
Yes, but less often than most customers, and not as often as my critics imply.
Why do people have such divergent opinions of you?
There are many reasons, most of which are different ways of saying the same things, but I think that they can be summarized as follows.
- Some people think I take Amazon too seriously. I should point out that I only discuss Amazon on forums that are supposed to be about Amazon, but those forums attract posters who aren't interested in these issues.
- Some people appreciate my knowledge of Amazon, but others resent it (and not just those who think I take Amazon too seriously), especially if they disagree with me on some issue that they feel strongly about, or if they feel that I am intruding on their territory.
- I sometimes feel obliged to defend my position robustly (but I don't resort to name-calling even when my opponents do), whether presenting my opinions or facts that other people think are just my opinions.
- My campaigns against cheating have also been divisive, and not just because my targets don't appreciate them. Some people regard such campaigns as snitching and therefore more despicable than whatever my targets had done. The reality is that Amazon rely on snitches to alert them to the cheating on their websites. They pick up very little themselves.
- I am a high-profile reviewer on both sides of the Atlantic.
Among the reasons that people sometimes give is that they think I have a big ego. I don't think I do, but the people who say I do invariably dislike me for one or more of the reasons listed above. If somebody who I hold in high regard tells me I have a big ego, that'll be the time to worry, but the humiliation of unemployment puts things in perspective for me. Also, if I had a big ego, I don't think I would be raising the topic here. It occurs to me that accusing somebody else of having a big ego can be a good escape route for those who lose an argument. I tend to associate big egos with people who habitually belittle others for the fun of it, often by use of sarcasm. I'm not that type at all.
Another thing that people occasionally say is that I always have to have the last word. I don't. Of course, such people tend not to notice if I drop out of a debate, as I often do on forums, but they do notice if I post something that nobody replies to. With my knowledge of Amazon and this website as a reference, I have a detailed answer to just about any topic related to reviewing on Amazon. (If I feel the need to prepare a new detailed response, I may take a copy of it for use in my website.) Even if people disagree with me and vote against such an answer, it can be quite intimidating.
With some people, it is easy to see exactly why they dislike me but with others it is virtually impossible, even sometimes where they give a reason. For more about my interaction with people in cyberspace, see My Amazon journey (Forums) and People in cyberspace.
Why do you sometimes explain Amazon issues in a condescending way?
It's impossible to get the pitch right on a forum that encompasses everybody from beginners to experts. If I just discuss things at expert level, it can end up with people wanting clarification. So I've learned to err on the side of condescending even though I know it annoys some people.
Why are you so fascinated by Amazon's software?
I am a former computer programmer, frustrated at no longer being able to do that for a living. Studying Amazon's software is one way of easing that frustration, as I can at least use some of my old skills in figuring out some of what the software does. Anybody who has ever worked with software knows that finding out what it does can sometimes be just as difficult as finding where the errors are.
Other Amazon-related questions
How long have you been an Amazon customer and reviewer?
I have been a customer since 1999 and a reviewer since April 2000, but I only took reviewing seriously in June 2002. See My Amazon journey. Over two-thirds of the reviews that I have posted to date were already posted by the end of May 2005.
Why did you delete most of your Amazon lists and guides?
Because Amazon lost interest in them, making more them difficult for normal customers to find. Given that, the restrictions imposed by Amazon including a 5,000 word limit on guides made it an easy decision to transfer the important guides to this website, to get rid of the unimportant lists and guides and to archive a few that may be revived at some future date. See My Amazon journey (Decline of lists and guides).
Amazon have now discontinued lists and guides although they haven't deleted them (yet).
Do you work for Amazon, or have you ever worked for them?
No. See Disclaimers.
Why do you review on Amazon?
Because I enjoy it, albeit not as much as I did a few years ago, and because I want to share my thoughts on the music I enjoy listening to and the books I read. See Why do I post reviews on Amazon?.
Why don't you review anywhere else?
I tried it once and didn't like being told how to review, nor did I like having to prioritize which reviews I would do first, especially when I discovered that the order I was told to do them in wasn't reflected in the order in which they were posted on the website. Sorry, but I review for fun. When it ceases to be fun, it becomes a job. I'd like a job if somebody pays me. Nobody pays me to review on Amazon. See I once tried reviewing away from Amazon.
How can you afford all these Amazon purchases?
This is the infamous question. False assumptions lead to stupid questions. See Am I a benefit scrounger?.
If you are such a smartass, why couldn't you find a job before you were pensioned off?
Obviously I'm not a smartass, but for more on this very complex subject, see Job quest. I became a pensioner in March 2013 and no longer need to look for a job. I'd still like a job if something suitable becomes available, but as I am no longer obliged to look for a job, I doubt if I'll even think about looking again until the economy picks up noticeably.
Do you have a sense of humor?
Yes. See Assemble furniture from kits (badly) for the most obvious case, although you will find plenty of other evidence if you look for it.
How old are you?
Too old, although the consolation is that I am now classed as a pensioner rather than unemployed. See When I was born.
What do you look like?
The picture captioned Look at me now at the bottom of the first gallery listed below shows what I look like now. Most of the pictures in these galleries date from the fifties and sixties, because I have never liked having my picture taken and I have largely (but not entirely) managed to avoid the ignominy as an adult.
Did you ever think about emigrating from Britain?
Yes. I looked into the possibility during the 1970s and 1980s, but decided not to. I never learned to drive a car, although I took plenty of lessons, but I found that I could live within that limitation in Britain. I therefore rely on public transport. For long distance travel, that means trains. In the countries that most appealed to me as potential destinations, the extent of passenger train services do not impress me. There are aeroplanes to provide long-distance services in some of those countries, but I decided that I'd be best just to stay in Britain.
| Picture gallery (just me) |
| Picture gallery (with Barbara Jane) |
| Picture gallery (with Frances and Alison) |
What sort of places have you lived and worked in?
See Where I've been, which also covers many of the places I've visited. Also see Picture gallery (homes and pubs) to see some of the homes I lived in. No, I didn't live in the pubs; they just happen to share that page.
Why do you have such lousy taste in music?
I can't believe you're so highly ranked after reviewing all that garbage.
Amazon’s second ranking system was strange and the current system is strange in different ways, but their basis is counting the votes. If somebody gets enough YES votes, that will show up in their rankings; see Amazon's current reviewer ranking system explained. So the answer must be that a lot of customers like at least some of my reviews, therefore (unless they were interested in my book reviews) share some of my taste in music. Maybe the answer is that you and I simply have different tastes in music. I may well dislike your CD collection but I don’t have to listen to it so it doesn't upset me. You should adopt a similar attitude.
Have you looked into your ancestry?
Yes. See Genealogy.
What else are you interested in besides reviewing, music and genealogy?
All sorts of things, some of which are reflected in my Amazon reviews. Also see Blame bad weather and Mill Reef, which briefly discusses my interest in horse racing.
The question I want answered isn't here. Why?
One of the following reasons :-
I don’t think it’s any business of complete strangers. I am more open on the internet than most people, but I have my limits.
I haven’t thought to include it.
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