Re: Weird
helena kim (helena@apollo.netsoc.tcd.ie)
Sun, 10 Jan 1999 03:47:55 +0000 (GMT)
On Sat, 9 Jan 1999, blah b b blah wrote:
> I'm trying to even come close to GUESSING what amazon.com (a wonderful
> online bookstore with a host of morons that will comment on any book)
> might see as some commonality between Hunter S. Thompson and Catcher in
> the Rye.
i believe that they base it on what books people have purchased... which
will clearly be arseways. my mother buys books for her four vastly
different children through amazon.co.uk, so that'll lead to a 'if you like
douglas coupland you'll like kevyn aucoin' comparison. well, if enough
people bought a book by them both it would.
i don't think it's based on any form of literary comparison; it's just
purchasing statistics.
i did find a service online which worked on the smae principle for films,
only it asked you to rate maybe 20 movies (like, didn't like, didn't see)
and then gave you a list of films you'd enjoy. apparently the more people
participate, the more accurate it gets. it was quite useful.
i thought the url was in my bookmarks, but i appear to have lost it.
(four paragraphs beginning with 'i', no less. oh dear.)
:helena kim
[ it's a long road and there's no turning back ]
mailto:helena@netsoc.tcd.ie