So Amazon Bought Goodreads

The news came down on Friday that Amazon bought Goodreads. If you don't know what Goodreads is, it is a social media site for readers and authors. It is a good way to connect to authors and to discover new books to read. What does it mean though, now that it is part of the Amazon world? I read this article on Huffington Post blog post today about the acquisition. 

The author, Dan Blank, says:

"Why does it not really matter if Amazon buys Goodreads, because in the end, authors have no more, and no fewer ways, of creating great writing, connecting with readers online and in person, and experiencing books not as a commodity, but a primary way of experiencing the world, our place within it, and even outside of it."

I am not entirely sure how I feel yet about Goodreads being bought by Amazon. I remember in the early days of Amazon, it was hard to navigate and not too easy to find things, and over time, they grew and changed and made things more simple. Goodreads is in need to a usability change. It isn't the most user friendly site to navigate and needs a couple of more options for the reader to post things without them being reviews or and update on how far into a book they are. These are just things that as a former web designer, I find a little annoying. Most people probably won't agree with me and say that Goodreads is just fine. That is fine with me too. I am forced to see things a little differently because of my web design past.

In the long run, it will be interesting to see what happens. I know I don't want Goodreads becoming an extension of their e-commerce model because, personally, I buy books from Barnes and Nobel for my Nook and don't want to see sellers like them squeezed out in the end. Only time will tell.

You can read the rest of the HuffPo article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-blank/amazon-goodreads_b_2978457.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000036