Ever noticed how people just automatically link to an Amazon entry when they are discussing a book online? Why has Amazon become the de facto standard authority on books? Chris just hates this and I’ve got to say that I’m not to fond of the practice, either. I’d like to start a movement, unless you are pointing to a place to buy a particular book, why not link to a review of the book that you sort of agree with or the author’s website if one exists. Maybe even link to the publisher if it is a current book.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I like Amazon as well as any other bookseller on the web. I’ve personally had good service with them and their prices, while not always the lowest, are certainly resonable. My problem is that they are a retail establishment that are geared toward selling the product that most people are referencing and are not going to offer anything other than marketing hype on the book. There are other sources that should be linked to as a reference for a book. By now everyone ought to know that a book can be purchased at Amazon or Barnes & Nobles or Books-a-Million online so why not point to a true reference for the book rather than a bookseller?
About Larry D. Burton
I'm a 55 year old controls engineer who just likes tinkering with stuff.
Finished high school at a local institute of learning. Decided it wasn't a good time to be a healthy, physically fit 18 year old with no college experience. Entered college and started working toward a degree in animal husbandry.
1975-1976
Discoverd that I was not going to be a very good husband of animals so I left school to figure out what I might be good at. A local beverage company took pity on me and paid me to go from place to place making sure their on tap beverages were maintaining their high quality.
1976-1979
Got out of quality control and into vending. Learned about control systems and refrigeration also learned that vending machines are heavy and vending doesn't pay all that well.
In 1977 I found myself married
1979-1981
Dedicated myself to installing and maintaining commercial refrigeration equipment. Found myself on the roof of a local grocery store one night in the middle of an ice storm replacing a compressor and figured it was time to get back into school.
1981-1986
Got my but back into school at night and changed jobs to keep the mechanical and electrical systems of a local coporate hospital in working order. The job expanded to unstopping drains and burning lab samples and amputated body parts.
1986-now
Finished school and took on a job designing, installing and maintaining industrial control systems. Along the way I picked up a bunch of computer skills that became very useful connecting various industrial controllers to one another and moving the data into coporate databases. I now operate Dallas Bay Technologies, a one man shop specializing in technology solutions for industrial problems.
