Anne Rice signs petition to protest bullying of authors on Amazon

[RICKYROCKS]

Anne Rice signs petition to protest bullying of authors on Amazon

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/04/anne-rice-protests-bullying-amazon-petition

The Interview with the Vampire author is a signatory to a new petition, which is rapidly gathering steam, calling on Amazon to remove anonymity from its reviewers in order to prevent the "bullying and harassment" it says is rife on the site. "They've worked their way into the Amazon system as parasites, posting largely under pseudonyms, lecturing, bullying, seeking to discipline authors whom they see as their special prey," Rice told the Guardian. "They're all about power. They clearly organise, use multiple identities and brag about their ability to down vote an author's works if the author doesn't 'behave' as they dictate."

Rice herself was a victim of the Amazon "bullies", when earlier this year she began to give advice to would-be writers on the retailer's message boards. "The discourse was meaningful and productive, questions asked and answered, and it was generally very enlightening," said Todd Barselow, the freelance editor who launched the petition to try to convince Amazon to change its policies. "Then the bullies, trolls, jerks, whatever you want to call them, found the thread. That's when the attacks started happening. It got very ugly very fast … With each attack, Anne tried to diffuse the situation and out these people for what they are: bullies. Well, that just made them frenzy even more. Eventually, I left the thread. It got too ugly for me. Anne stuck it out for a while, but finally she called it quits, too."

"My experience with the gangster bullies in the forum has been very bleak and ugly," Rice writes on the petition to Amazon. "I post there under my own name. They blatantly violate your guidelines with personal insults and harassing posts. If you would only apply your own guidelines this would greatly help. I feel a lot of these people are obsessive abusers who have found some sort of dark home on Amazon tormenting writers. I urge you to take action."

Rice, on her Facebook page, called on readers to support the petition, saying that "Amazon is such a wonderful system and so many go there to offer heartfelt authentic customer reviews of the books they read; too bad that the anti-author bullies have misused and abused anonymity there for their endless preying on writers. They are a tiny minority, true, but to the authors they harass and torment and endlessly attack, they are no joking matter."

Read rest of it here-

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/04/anne-rice-protests-bullying-amazon-petition

Opposing argument by another author on his blog-

My New Amazon Petition

Normally, I'd be against such a petition, claiming it is an instance of moral panic. Just like the No Sock Puppets Here Please folks two years ago. I thought they were acting publicly insecure, and ultimately very silly. After their online petition, Amazon removed thousands of reviews, including many reviews of my books, and reviews I've written of other books. These were legitimate, thoughtful reviews, and the result of Amazon's action personally is that I no longer review books on their site. Why should I spend time writing a review if it can be deleted without any explanation?

I also value free speech, even anonymously, and I dislike the idea of policing public forums. I believe people have the right to voice things you don't like, even if they don't sign their real name.

Anonymity allows people to say things--in some cases positive things--that they wouldn't say otherwise. Writing a review of erotica without your children knowing it is you. Weighing in on a heated debate without making yourself a target. Whistle blowing.

Now Amazon can do whatever they want; they're a private company. You might not like some of their policies, but they aren't the government, and we don't get to vote to decide what they should and shouldn't do.

They have terms of service, and customers can report hate speech, threats, and harassment. (Perhaps that's why the petition didn't supply links to offenders--Amazon has removed them.)

Amazon won't ever be able to police their entire site 24/7 because that would be impossible. I don't believe they should even try to. If Amazon listens to this petition and tries to end all anonymity, with the aim of stopping MAPI, I think it is a slippery slope.

Read rest of it here-

http://jakonrath.blogspot.in/2014/03/my-new-amazon-petition.html

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Been there, done that????

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1004043

 

[Handley_Page]

Free Speech is not the same as rudeness or aggressive responses.

 

[RICKYROCKS]

Been there, done that????

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1004043

Sorry, I haven't seen that

Probably result of only searching first three pages of AH with ctrl+F for petition or amazon

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Free Speech is not the same as rudeness or aggressive responses.

Sure it is except in Britain and the Commonwealth were people are spineless cucks.

 

[StrangeLife]

Free Speech is not the same as rudeness or aggressive responses.

But free speech can only exist if anonymity is an option. Otherwise only the strong will have it...

 

[sr71plt]

Free speech isn't unfettered, either. It comes with responsibility and consequences and it doesn't apply on privately owned media platforms.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Our American right to "free" speech isn't quite universal. While you may be able to say whatever you'd like, there are legal ramifications for making terrorist threats, etc. Hiding behind being anonymous removes that restriction. We see it around here all the time.

Personally, I don't want my name (or pseudonym) attached to every thumbs up like or dislike I might pass out. It's why I don't rate products on Google Play. It's why I never log into a website with the "Log in with Facebook" option. I want to maintain an iota of control.

More than likely, the bullies on Amazon are the usual handful of bad apples. I would guess Amazon could do a bit of IP tracking and ban the biggest abusers. They're rather internet savvy around Amazon, aren't they?

For an example of the abuse available for those fools willing to use their Facebook for everything would be tuning into this year's "American Idol." You vote for a contestant via Facebook and you might get your face shown on TV. Maybe that's a draw for some people. Or, maybe it's an invasion of privacy for others.

 

[Stella_Omega]

"Anti-author bullies?"

Do such creatures really exist? This is a real question.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Sorry, I haven't seen that

Probably result of only searching first three pages of AH with ctrl+F for petition or amazon

It was on the first page, about 10 down from yours.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

"Anti-author bullies?"

Do such creatures really exist? This is a real question.

OMG I hadda STELLA THE FAUXY FELLA sighting.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

I missed the news item on yahoo, about this. I have been lucky, and have only seen Amazon reviews
that were reasonable. I should not be feeling so stunned, after all that I have seen happen on Lit.

http://www.stopthegrbullies.com/2014/01/26/anne-rice-owns-the-bullies/

 

[Ldy_Sea]

"Anti-author bullies?"

Do such creatures really exist? This is a real question.

Have you read some of the comments by anonymous in loving wives? If those aren't hateful mpanti author bullies, I didn't know who is.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Have you read some of the comments by anonymous in loving wives? If those aren't hateful mpanti author bullies, I didn't know who is.

Oh, them. They are very special little guys. They hate the woman that dumped them, and therefore they hate all female characters in that category. Also many of the male characters. And they consider the writers to be characters in a story as well.

Loving Wives is a rock you really don't want to turn over.

 

[puremorning]

I remember her discussing this. I subscribe to her page on Facebook. I think it's awful that groups of people will attack a well known author like that. Any attacks like this on anyone should be stopped. It definitely deters new authors from wanting to publish there.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Twain slapped James Fennimore Cooper around.

 

[TimothyM]

But some of us don't see that thread for obvious reasons.

Been there, done that????
http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1004043

I'm not a fan of her (or against her either) and I don't bother with reading the Amazon message boards and rarely read reviews (I just go there occasionally to buy books I already know I want).

But according to the quoted post she was being trolled on a message board (where she was trying to be helpful, though opinions may differ on whether she was ) and not by reviews on her books - though I guess that may have happened too.

Free speech is great, but when it's used as an excuse to vent hate and insecurities anonymously, I'm not so thrilled. And I think there is a difference between attacking a story or an opinion and attacking the author. If they crossed that line, the petition has a point.

However, we all know that any kind of internet discussion will at some point degenerate to personal insults and name calling. Happens here all the time. The trick is to leave before it happens (or just as it starts). So maybe the petition is naïve or silly, but so what.

 

[patientlee]

I remember her discussing this. I subscribe to her page on Facebook. I think it's awful that groups of people will attack a well known author like that. Any attacks like this on anyone should be stopped. It definitely deters new authors from wanting to publish there.

Well-known or brand new. Doesn't matter. The internet provides the avenue for everyone who ever wanted to be nasty, but was afraid to try.

 

[lovecraft68]

I remember her discussing this. I subscribe to her page on Facebook. I think it's awful that groups of people will attack a well known author like that. Any attacks like this on anyone should be stopped. It definitely deters new authors from wanting to publish there.

I have a hard time feeling bad for a person who has sold millions of books and made millions of dollars, I just can't do it.

What is awful is when its done to a struggling independent author who uses their royalties to put food on their kids table. That is what's awful, but no one cares about that right?

No, we're supposed to feel bad for an entitled millionaire diva

who by the way in the "Anne Rice doesn't like troll threads" has sicced her fans on anyone who says bad things about her work. They then go and relentlessly harass those people. How is that any different then what she is trying to stop?

Can you say fucking hypocrite?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Well-known or brand new. Doesn't matter. The internet provides the avenue for everyone who ever wanted to be nasty, but was afraid to try.

The elephant in the room is tender egos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_UsmvtyxEI


Consider the source.

 

[lovecraft68]

The elephant in the room is tender egos.

I prefer to think of them as "revenge bullies" the average internet troll got beat up and picked on in school or spends all day being yelled at and demeaned by his boss or his wife and the net allows them to get back at people with no repercussions.

IN addition to that tough talking you can create an entire persona including a bunch of false claims of success and how cool am I stories.

long story short they're all Pilot.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

But some of us don't see that thread for obvious reasons.

And therein lies you problem.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I remember her discussing this. I subscribe to her page on Facebook. I think it's awful that groups of people will attack a well known author like that. Any attacks like this on anyone should be stopped. It definitely deters new authors from wanting to publish there.

What? So you don't believe in free speech?

And don't tell me it's hate speech, that's a load of bullshit.

 

[TimothyM]

Oh I don't feel sorry for her either. I'm just trying to separate the message from the messenger.

If this thread is about discussing how Anne Rice is a manipulative bitch, I'm unable to contribute and will exit gracefully.

If it's about the concept of how to avoid internet bullying without destroying the concept of free speech, I'm interested.

I have a hard time feeling bad for a person who has sold millions of books and made millions of dollars, I just can't do it.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I prefer to think of them as "revenge bullies" the average internet troll got beat up and picked on in school or spends all day being yelled at and demeaned by his boss or his wife and the net allows them to get back at people with no repercussions.

IN addition to that tough talking you can create an entire persona including a bunch of false claims of success and how cool am I stories.

long story short they're all Pilot.

I agree with you yet plenty of awful writers bring huge egos and little skills to LIT. LIT is a high school filled with Al Bundy's desperate for healing humility so they can be truly better.