![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by dave1 on March 4, 2003, at 9:01:03
Hi Dr. Bob,
I posted the name of a book in single quotes on psycho-babble and you questioned why I didn't use double quotes or link it to amazon.com.What happened was that I gave out information from the book about bz dosage, then the person asked where I got the info. I told them the name of the book, but having no idea how good or accurate the book was I certainly didn't want to plug it or push it. There may be much better books out there. I really haven't researched it. I just picked up the book on a whim, although I think it was at the JHU medical school book store which I guess would probably mean it is good.
Regarding the technicalities of using double quotes and linking books to amazon.com, I really wasn't aware of these policies/features to be honest with you.
Bye,
Dave
Posted by stjames on March 4, 2003, at 22:47:19
In reply to Book post response, posted by dave1 on March 4, 2003, at 9:01:03
Amazon has totally changed the book selling
market and run several of my fav. bookstores
out of business.That is why I will not use this option on this
web-site.
Posted by ~Alii~ on March 5, 2003, at 0:45:57
In reply to Re: Book post response, posted by stjames on March 4, 2003, at 22:47:19
> Amazon has totally changed the book selling
> market and run several of my fav. bookstores
> out of business.
>
> That is why I will not use this option on this
> web-site.Ditto that stjames. Thanks for a voice of independence.
Independent booksellers need to be supported otherwise the publishing industry as we know it will become just like the media conglomerates with no choices for consumers.
Besides I still find it pushy of Dr. Bob to jump in with his 'why didn't you use this feature' question to anyone NOT using the damn double quote feature. As if the mentally ill don't have enough to deal with without being pestered for their input as to why they won't use a feature of this site.
~Alii
Posted by stjames on March 12, 2003, at 18:41:22
In reply to Re: Book post response » stjames, posted by ~Alii~ on March 5, 2003, at 0:45:57
> > Amazon has totally changed the book selling
> > market and run several of my fav. bookstores
> > out of business.
> >
> > That is why I will not use this option on this
> > web-site.
>
> Ditto that stjames. Thanks for a voice of independence.I think Bob hounds people to use this function, to excess. If I were to post to many posts
saying "why did not you do x" OVER and OVER and OVER again, I would get a PBC for pressuring people.
Posted by Dr. Bob on March 13, 2003, at 10:38:20
In reply to Re: Book post response, posted by stjames on March 12, 2003, at 18:41:22
> I think Bob hounds people to use this function, to excess. If I were to post to many posts
> saying "why did not you do x" OVER and OVER and OVER again, I would get a PBC for pressuring people.I do try not to keep hounding the same people...
Bob
Posted by jane d on March 14, 2003, at 0:01:50
In reply to Re: Book post response, posted by stjames on March 12, 2003, at 18:41:22
> > > Amazon has totally changed the book selling
> > > market and run several of my fav. bookstores
> > > out of business.
> > >
> > > That is why I will not use this option on this
> > > web-site.
> >
> > Ditto that stjames. Thanks for a voice of independence.
>
> I think Bob hounds people to use this function, to excess. If I were to post to many posts
> saying "why did not you do x" OVER and OVER and OVER again, I would get a PBC for pressuring people.
>st james,
Maybe I'm just being too literal here but I've always read it as a question like any other. One that I expect to be answering myself sooner or later since I have mixed feelings about Amazon. I'm not sure exactly what that answer will be but it's never occurred to me to worry about repercussions from Bob even if I end up advising people to read the excerpts on Amazon and make their purchases somewhere else, losing him a commission. If we ever are required to link to Amazon I expect to be told that explicitly. Until then I'm assuming that the question "why didn't you...?" is just that- a question. Being over literal comes in handy some times. :)
Jane
Posted by jane d on March 14, 2003, at 0:28:35
In reply to Re: Book post response, posted by Dr. Bob on March 13, 2003, at 10:38:20
>
> I do try not to keep hounding the same people...
>
> BobBob,
The overall impression your standard follow up question for people who don't link to Amazon gives is perhaps a bit forceful. As I said to st james above, sometimes I am over literal, happily so, so I assume that you mean just what your words say:
"But I don't mean to be pushy. Did you deliberately not use it to link to Amazon? If so, I'd be interested in why, over at Psycho-Babble Administration:"
- that you're interested in why someone doesn't use the feature more than you are in correcting them. If this isn't true the rest of this post is irrelevant.Your question might be less likely to be interpreted as a criticism of the specific poster if it weren't personalized. Maybe something like "I post this whenever someone refers to a book to make sure everyone knows about this wonderful linking feature." "I would like feedback from anyone who doesn't choose to use this, etc, etc." I'm sure this breaks all sorts of rules of good writing which I clearly never quite mastered. Probably one of the ones about making your point less forceful but that might be a good thing here.
Jane, who no longer has any idea what she started out to say
Posted by Dinah on March 14, 2003, at 4:16:58
In reply to Re: Double double quotes wording » Dr. Bob, posted by jane d on March 14, 2003, at 0:28:35
And you're quite right.
I have noticed that Dr. Bob doesn't "hound" the same people. If someone says they'd rather not, he doesn't say anything further to them about it (except to answer them).
But I also notice that people seem pretty apologetic and anxious about Dr. Bob's posts. A rewording might fix that problem.
And Dr. Bob? I hate to be paranoid or anything, but if we buy a book through the link, or if we even browse through a link in PB, are we somehow linking our screen name here, or our participation here, to our information at Amazon?
Does Amazon now have a little note in our file that we at the very least read Babble? Not that there's anything wrong with that....
Posted by Ron Hill on March 14, 2003, at 11:35:17
In reply to Re: Book post response » stjames, posted by ~Alii~ on March 5, 2003, at 0:45:57
St. James and Alii,
I guess I see it from a little different angle. To me, including the hyperlinks merely make the message more user friendly. With the Amazon link included, a quick book review is only a click away. If I’m still interested in the book after reading the excerpts and reviews, I go down to the local book store for further inspection and possible purchase.
For me, the hyperlink is merely a user friendly convenience, similar in nature to the numerous other links we have used in our posts for years.
As an aside, I sincerely doubt that Dr. Bob is getting rich off of the royalties (if any) from the Amazon sales that originate from his site. I would bet that money is not his primary motivation for promoting the hyperlink feature.
-- Ron
------------------------------------------
> > Amazon has totally changed the book selling
> > market and run several of my fav. bookstores
> > out of business.
> >
> > That is why I will not use this option on this
> > web-site.
>
> Ditto that stjames. Thanks for a voice of independence.
>
> Independent booksellers need to be supported otherwise the publishing industry as we know it will become just like the media conglomerates with no choices for consumers.
>
> Besides I still find it pushy of Dr. Bob to jump in with his 'why didn't you use this feature' question to anyone NOT using the damn double quote feature. As if the mentally ill don't have enough to deal with without being pestered for their input as to why they won't use a feature of this site.
>
> ~Alii
>
Posted by Dr. Bob on March 15, 2003, at 0:56:36
In reply to Re: Book post response » ~Alii~, posted by Ron Hill on March 14, 2003, at 11:35:17
> Your question might be less likely to be interpreted as a criticism of the specific poster if it weren't personalized. Maybe something like "I post this whenever someone refers to a book to make sure everyone knows about this wonderful linking feature." "I would like feedback from anyone who doesn't choose to use this, etc, etc."
>
> JaneThose are great suggestions, thanks!
> I hate to be paranoid or anything, but if we buy a book through the link, or if we even browse through a link in PB, are we somehow linking our screen name here, or our participation here, to our information at Amazon?
>
> DinahAmazon doesn't know who you are or what you do here. But they could make inferences based on what you do there (independent of which links you followed to get there). And clicking on a "customized" link does potentially connect you with this site, since how else would you have come upon that link?
> As an aside, I sincerely doubt that Dr. Bob is getting rich off of the royalties (if any) from the Amazon sales that originate from his site. I would bet that money is not his primary motivation for promoting the hyperlink feature.
>
> -- RonRight, it was $57.82 last quarter. :-)
Bob
Posted by stjames on March 17, 2003, at 18:40:26
In reply to Re: Book post response » ~Alii~, posted by Ron Hill on March 14, 2003, at 11:35:17
As an aside, I sincerely doubt that Dr. Bob is getting rich off of the royalties (if any) from the Amazon sales that originate from his site. I would bet that money is not his primary motivation for promoting the hyperlink feature.
-- Ron
Whoa. Where did that come from ? No one here sugested any of this, I think only you did.
Posted by Jonathan on March 24, 2003, at 22:46:44
In reply to Re: Book post response, posted by Dr. Bob on March 15, 2003, at 0:56:36
New — http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030319/msgs/211957.html
Old — http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20020616/msgs/206747.html> > Your question might be less likely to be interpreted as a criticism of the specific poster if it weren't personalized. Maybe something like "I post this whenever someone refers to a book to make sure everyone knows about this wonderful linking feature." "I would like feedback from anyone who doesn't choose to use this, etc, etc."
> >
> > Jane
> Those are great suggestions, thanks!
> ...
> Bob
Posted by Dr. Bob on March 25, 2003, at 21:32:08
In reply to I prefer new, less 'forceful' wording » Jane D » Dr. Bob, posted by Jonathan on March 24, 2003, at 22:46:44
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Administration | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.