Round up #170: Amazon soars and B&N drops, are words worth less?
The ILMK Round ups are short pieces which may or may not be expanded later.
Is the value of words dropping?
Edward Boyhan, a long time reader and commenter, in a private communication alerted me to to this
The Shatzkin Files post by Mike Shatzkin
It’s a very interesting take, and I do agree with it in some ways.
The basic thesis is this:
Due to changes in technology, it is now easier for someone to produce an image or a video, and to send it, than it is to produce words.
That’s true both for general communications and for creatives.
It’s a big change!
I want to say that, if we are limiting words here to written words, I certainly often do it this way.
I was training a new technology at work. That, by the way, is part of why I haven’t been writing as much narrative in the past week or two. I’ve been able (barely) to keep up the daily stuff I do, but I’ve been having some days where I leave at…6:15 am and get back home at 8:30 pm. Not most of the, but it’s been long days for sure. That’s over, at least for now.
I tend to help other trainers prep…we all help each other. I’ve certainly done some written resources…but I also recorded a roughly 45-minute version of me doing the presentation (and it does have video).
I did that in one take, but I can do that sort of thing. 🙂 It’s not perfect, but I’ll say it was more than serviceable.
It’s so easy to record it and make it available…people can even watch it on their phones.
Echo devices enable leaving audio messages and doing videocalls.
That doesn’t mean that written words entirely disappear, and I certainly still see a value for novels and full-length non-fiction…but in day-to-day life, I agree with Mike Shatzkin that people are generally valuing the written word less than they used to value it.
E-book charges showing up as “Prime Video” charges
Thanks to one of my regular readers and commenters, Lady Galaxy, for the heads-up on this!
Apparently, some people are seeing charges on their Amazon accounts for “Prime Video”, when they haven’t purchased any videos recently.
Of course, “Prime Video” shouldn’t have any charges (unless it’s for the service itself)…watching the videos is included in the
Amazon Prime (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)
price.
Well, according to what Lady Galaxy reported (and I have a very high degree confidence in it), there appears to be a charge encoding issue for some people…a charge for a Kindle e-book (for example) may be shown as a “Prime Video” charge by mistake.
That could certainly be disconcerting!
Fortunately, it sounds like nothing is really wrong…it’s just a misreporting.
Thanks, Lady!
I will say, the backlist videos seem to be a better selection to me lately! Relic Hunter, Laugh-In, My Favorite Martian…things I have seen or would like to see. I still find discovery at Prime Video to be a challenge, and it’s going to be behind Hulu and Netflix for me until I can watch in VAM space (Virtual Reality)…still hoping we get that this year. 😉
Amazon stock hits $1,500
Amazon stock has hit a new high recently, at $1,500. Certainly, investors now seem to embrace the company. It’s interesting to consider the “philosophy’ behind having such a high stock price.
After all, a company can lower a stock price…they can “split” it. I was given one share of Disney when I was a kid, and it ended up helping do the down payment on the first home we bought.
You see, at the time, Disney wanted to keep the price low, so a grandparent could buy one for a grandkid (to simplify the concept). If the price started to get out of the range of that, they would split the stock: if you had one share at, say, $100, you now had two shares worth $50. Initially, the price value is the same…but if the stock goes from $50 to $51, you’ve gained two dollars (since you have two shares), rather than one dollar.
Amazon isn’t doing that, meaning that they want the stock to be bought by “professional” investors, not casual ones.
Meanwhile, at Barnes & Noble…
Unfortunately, Barnes & Noble is not doing as well. Many outlets carried the news story that they are laying off workers: “…lead cashiers, digital leads and other experienced workers”, according to this Fortune article by Casey Quackenbush
Barnes & Noble Is Laying Off Workers Amid Declining Sales
This will be a considerable cost savings for B&N…but if feels a bit like throwing the engine overboard to get better gas mileage. 😉
Any opinions? Feel free to let me and my readers know by commenting on this post. I will really strive not to wait as long before my next narrative post!
Oh, one more thing: it’s time for my annual Oscar prediction contest, BOPMadness! For more information, see
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* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. 
Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.
I Love My Kindle 