Amazon.com is stripping GLBT book's rankings

[Stella_Omega]

A couple of days ago, some of the authors i know mentioned this. One man, who has written YA with gay themes had his ranking go missing. When he emailed Amazon, the answer was that they were removing "adult material" from the rankings, for the sake of the general readership.

But that isn't quite true. My friend's books have gay romance, but no explicit material. Amazon rankings have been removed from history boks, psychology, self-help, and family-oriented books that talk a bout GLBT issues, regardless of "adult" material. And many books with explicit hetero content are quite visible still; "The Well Of Loneliness," a classic, is gone from the rankings, and so is "Brokeback Mountain," while Jackie Collins and Harold Robbins are both still rated along with Playboy collections and porn DVDs.

For those who are interested, here is a running list of books that have been deleted from the ranking lists.

ETA a protest petition is here

 

[CharleyH]

A couple of days ago, some of the authors i know mentioned this. One man, who has written YA with gay themes had his ranking go missing. When he emailed Amazon, the answer was that they were removing "adult material" from the rankings, for the sake of the general readership.

But that isn't quite true. Amazon rankings have been removed from history boks, psychology, self-help, and family-oriented books that talk a bout GLBT issues, regardless of "adult" material. And many books with explicit hetero content are quite visible still; "The Well Of Loneliness," a classic, is gone from the rankings, and so is "Brokeback Mountain," while Jackie Collins and Harold Robbins are both still rated along with Playboy collections and porn DVDs.

For those who are interested, here is a running list of books that have been deleted from the ranking lists.

I am happy to sign a petition you might have going.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I am happy to sign a petition you might have going.

I sent email to the contact info for amazon for now;

if there is a petition I'll post a link to it

 

[CharleyH]

I sent email to the contact info for amazon for now;

if there is a petition I'll post a link to it

Let me know.

 

[xssve]

Fucking reconstructionists, they'll be pushing hard for the next few years, relax, but don't sit back.

 

[impressive]

Not just GLBT. It's all erotic material.

 

[amicus]

Why are you feigning surprise? I have personally been suggesting for years that the public has finally had quite enough of the bohemian, extreme fringe area domination of the arts and the press.

It is called 'backlash' and it is long overdue. You just had to keep pushing the limits and you have reached them.

All you people do is whine; get a life.

Amicus

 

[cloudy]

Why are you feigning surprise? I have personally been suggesting for years that the public has finally had quite enough of the bohemian, extreme fringe area domination of the arts and the press.

It is called 'backlash' and it is long overdue. You just had to keep pushing the limits and you have reached them.

All you people do is whine; get a life.

Amicus

Oh, ami, stop nagging and go masturbate or something.

 

[Belegon]

Oh, ami, stop nagging and go masturbate or something.

is that why he came in here asking me for the tweezers and a kleenex?

 

[amicus]

I wonder if you folks know how your nasty little one liners appear?

To me, and most, I suggest, you display a complete lack of ability to express whatever opinion might be forming and simply lash out with filth and obscenity.

Thas your best shot?

Meaningless.

Amicus

 

[sr71plt]

I agree that this is an idotic thing for Amazon to do. Wonder how long it will last/how deep it will go.

 

[impressive]

I agree that this is an idotic thing for Amazon to do. Wonder how long it will last/how deep it will go.

It's the #1 trending item on Twitter (#amazonfail). Interesting to watch:



http://search.twitter.com/search?q=#amazonfail

 

[jomar]

ETA: Ha! Never mind

 

[Stella_Omega]

Not just GLBT. It's all erotic material.

Not really-- it's some erotic material, and all glbt material.

Harold Robbins, for instance, is still rated, and he has some of the cheeseist x-rated scenes in writing history!

But ANYTHING tagged with GLBT regardless of content. "Heather has Two Mommies," for crissakes.

 

[impressive]

Not really-- it's some erotic material, and all glbt material.

Harold Robbins, for instance, is still rated, and he has some of the cheeseist x-rated scenes in writing history!

But ANYTHING tagged with GLBT regardless of content. "Heather has Two Mommies," for crissakes.

It's all of my erotic material -- GLBT or not.

 

[Stella_Omega]

It's all of my erotic material -- GLBT or not.

yes, and it's all GLBT material-- erotic or not.

You have GLBT titles, don't you? I'd bet you've been tagged for those, and they've taken everything else as well.

 

[DesertPirate]

The geeks at Slashdot are anti-censorship and here is their take:

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/04/12/2234258&art_pos=2


This is stupid and wrong.

 

[sr71plt]

As of now, rankings still on my erotica books at Amazon--and they are a little hard to miss as erotica. (Maybe they are working down from the top by sales. )

 

[cantdog]

The geeks at Slashdot are anti-censorship and here is their take:

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/04/12/2234258&art_pos=2


This is stupid and wrong.

I read the comment and discussion section, too, dp. They rate the comments on slashdot. Using the word 'bullshit' suppresses your comment, with a [score:2] on it. Ironic for a venue discussing bowdlerization.

 

[Belegon]

Amazon now claiming it was a glitch. Twitter members can view the hilarity at #amazonfail and #glitchmyass. Note: celebrities Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Neil Gaiman and Wil Wheaton helping lead the charge with their massive follower lists

 

[annaswirls]

Here is a petition:

In protest at Amazon's new "adult" policy

 

[Stella_Omega]

Now a spokesperson has said it's a glitch.

 

[cantdog]

Now a spokesperson has said it's a glitch.

That's progress, tho. A non-apology apology is an acknowledgement, not a denial.

 

[Belegon]

Now a spokesperson has said it's a glitch.

There is all kinds of documentation that it is not. Its like they think we don't talk to each other.

Publishers Weekly and even CNET have also run stories on this. Publishers Weekly had their site crashed.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

See? You start kowtowing to the loony fringe elements of any sort and middle America strikes back with a vengeance. And people wonder why the NRA can manage such clout. We really aren't crazies, no matter what certain editorial twits maintain. And erotica fans aren't the slavering, depraved maniacs Pat Robertson would have his followers believe.


But don't tell anyone, hear? I kind of like being thought of as slavering and depraved.