[Newspoetry] good time to start boycotting amazon.com

[mcovingt at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu]

>One thing I like about Amazon is that it is a good source of
>information about books, so one alternative to it would be to work
>with the appropriate people (the digital library community, for
>instance) to develop free, on-line information resources that met or
>surpassed Amazon's ease of use and informativeness.

	I'll second that. My number one use of Amazon is as a big card
catalog and review service. What usually happens is, I read about some
book in the paper or hear about it on the radio, then I go to amazon
to read the description, and if it sounds good, I pop up the Urbana
Free Library online service. Usually they have the book I want, and I
check it out on the way home. No need to buy the thing, and I have it
in my grubby little hands long before it would be delivered from a seller.

	Incidentally, I heard a rumor on WDWS that Pages had an online
ordering, www.pagesforallages.com I think it was. I tried going there,
and the domain was found, but the site was just not responding.
Anyone else heard of this?

	Incidentally, how do people feel about IUB and Follett bookstores?
Those are the only bookstores within walking distance of my work (I can
walk to Savoy, but it takes quite a while!) The 20% off for UIUC staff
discount at Follett's makes them no more expensive than Amazon, anyway.
The store annoys me, but at least the sales taxes are there and local.

	Of course, I think Pages should have moved into Lincoln Square,
and "e-commerce" should be taxed, too...

	Maiko Covington