Amazon criticized for deranking ‘adult’ books | Digital Media – CNET News

Monday, April 13th, 2009
at 12:10pm

Updated at 7:15 p.m. PDT with comment from Amazon.com.

Amazon.com recently delisted from its sales ranking system gay and lesbian book titles that it deemed “adult,” raising the ire of some who characterize the move as online censorship.

Author Mark R. Probst wrote on his blog Sunday that he noticed the change a few days ago:

On Amazon.com two days ago, mysteriously, the sales rankings disappeared from two newly-released high profile gay romance books: “Transgressions” by Erastes and “False Colors” by Alex Beecroft. Everybody was perplexed. Was it a glitch of some sort? The very next day HUNDREDS of gay and lesbian books simultaneously lost their sales rankings, including my book “The Filly.” There was buzz, What’s going on? Does Amazon have some sort of campaign to suppress the visibility of gay books?

Probst, the author of a novel with gay characters in the Old West, said he was perplexed by the move and used his status as a publisher to contact Amazon for an explanation. He said he received the following response from an Amazon Advantage service representative:

In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude “adult” material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature.

Of course, being delisted from the rankings doesn’t mean that the book giant has stopped selling the title; it just means that the title won’t show up with a public sales ranking or in the best-seller lists–often a factor in how shoppers make their purchases.

An Amazon representative characterized the move as a mistake but declined to elaborate.

“Essentially, there’s a glitch in our system and it’s being fixed,” Amazon spokesperson Patty Smith told CNET News.

Certainly, one could make an argument that deranking titles with “adult” themes would make a reasonable policy for a site that attracts a wide range of the Internet population. But as demonstrated by an online petition that has already attracted more than 4,000 signatures, the policy appears to be biased against books with gay, lesbian, and transgendered characters.

Here’s a sampling of books titles that the petition’s backers noted are still ranked in the listing system (all notes and descriptions on the titles are supplied by the petition supporters):

• “Playboy: The Complete Centerfolds” by Chronicle Books (pictures of over 600 naked women)

• Rosemary Rogers’ “Sweet Savage Love” (explicit heterosexual romance)

• Kathleen Woodiwiss’ “The Wolf and the Dove” (explicit heterosexual romance)

• Bertrice Smal’s “Skye o’Malley,” (which are all explicit heterosexual romances)

• Alan Moore’s “Lost Girls” (which is a very explicit sexual graphic novel)

The petition supporters note that the following titles with gay and lesbian themes are no longer ranked on Amazon:

• Radclyffe Hill’s classic novel about lesbians in Victorian times, The Well of Loneliness, and which contains not one sentence of sexual description;

• Mark R. Probst’s YA novel “The Filly” about a young man in the wild West discovering that he’s gay (gay romance, no sex);

• Charlie Cochrane’s “Lessons in Love” (gay romance with no sex)

• “The Dictionary of Homophobia: A Global History of Gay & Lesbian Experience,” edited by Louis-George Tin (non-fiction, history and social issues)

• “Homophobia: A History” by Bryan Fone (nonfiction, focus on history and the forms prejudice against homosexuality has taken over the years)

The move has raised the ire of heterosexuals, including Kassia Krozser, who wrote an open letter to the online retailer:

Somehow, the brain trust of your company has decided to protect the “entire” Amazon customer base by restricting access to content that someone (who?) decided was offensive. In your zeal to protect me from myself, of course, you managed to leave content that I find singularly repulsive online (really, exploring the human condition is bad, but Mein Kampf is just fine?).

As a heterosexual, happily married adult female, I am deeply offended by this decision. As a customer, I am angered enough to take my business elsewhere, and I’d like a refund on my Kindle since, despite reports that your database sweep was not complete, you have decided to limit my ability to purchase books — from literary classics like Lady Chatterley’s Lover to newesque titles like Tipping The Velvet and Running With Scissors.

It’s unclear what–if any–impact this backlash will have on Amazon, but certainly many are troubled (and should be) that the bookseller is apparently trying to make certain books harder to find.

via Amazon criticized for deranking ‘adult’ books | Digital Media – CNET News.

Share and Enjoy:
Tags
Categories

235 Comments

Mahalokke

April 28th, 2009
at 3:53pm

gooddoogfarma
Buy Cheap Xanax Online Phentermine Prices Levitra Sales Buying Ambien Viagra Prescription Online
http://forums.trumba.com/index.php?showuser=2550 – Ambien Pill Cheap Xanax No Prescription http://jedi.wv.com.br/user/view.php?id=34182&course=1 – Order Hoodia Buy Cheap Acomplia http://www.alpha-moodle.com/user/view.php?id=297&course=1 – Discount Generic Valium

MTneitiarie

April 29th, 2009
at 11:38pm

Online Casino Games No Downloads
Besides this Paroli Betting system there is other system of blackjack betting.

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 12:20am

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 12:32am

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 12:44am

Nice site! Thank you!

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 12:56am

Great site. Good info

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 1:09am

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 1:36am

Incredible site!

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 2:26am

Perfect site, i like it!

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 2:40am

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 2:54am

Great site. Keep doing.

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 3:20am

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 3:25am

Nice site! Thank you!

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 3:27am

Incredible site!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 3:47am

Incredible site!

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 3:52am

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 4:07am

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 4:09am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 4:23am

I want to say – thank you for this!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 4:31am

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 4:58am

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John812

May 5th, 2009
at 5:10am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 5:45am

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 6:11am

Great site. Good info

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 6:11am

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 6:35am

Great site. Keep doing.

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 7:23am

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 8:34am

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 8:34am

Great site. Keep doing.

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 9:19am

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 9:40am

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 10:03am

Perfect site, i like it!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 10:23am

I want to say – thank you for this!

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 10:42am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 10:42am

Perfect site, i like it!

Frankie

May 5th, 2009
at 10:54am

This was not a glitch…. John i agree this site is perfect :P

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 11:21am

Nice site! Thank you!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 11:39am

Great site. Good info

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 1:13pm

I want to say – thank you for this!

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 2:08pm

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John832

May 5th, 2009
at 4:12pm

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John957

May 5th, 2009
at 9:01pm

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John936

May 5th, 2009
at 9:33pm

Incredible site!

John936

May 5th, 2009
at 10:24pm

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John936

May 5th, 2009
at 10:40pm

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John936

May 5th, 2009
at 11:36pm

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John936

May 6th, 2009
at 1:59am

Great site. Keep doing.

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 2:28am

I want to say – thank you for this!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 2:44am

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 3:02am

Nice site! Thank you!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 3:19am

Great site. Good info

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 3:37am

Incredible site!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 4:21am

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 5:26am

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 7:05am

Great site. Keep doing.

John936

May 6th, 2009
at 7:05am

Great site. Good info

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 7:57am

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 9:15am

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John1050

May 6th, 2009
at 9:44am

Nice site! Thank you!

John1050

May 6th, 2009
at 10:08am

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 10:27am

Perfect site, i like it!

John1050

May 6th, 2009
at 10:34am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John1050

May 6th, 2009
at 11:46am

I want to say – thank you for this!

John1050

May 6th, 2009
at 12:32pm

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John1050

May 6th, 2009
at 12:54pm

Great site. Keep doing.

John1050

May 6th, 2009
at 1:19pm

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John1050

May 6th, 2009
at 1:54pm

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 2:42pm

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John626

May 6th, 2009
at 5:04pm

Perfect site, i like it!

John518

May 6th, 2009
at 5:07pm

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John626

May 6th, 2009
at 5:39pm

Great site. Good info

John626

May 6th, 2009
at 7:07pm

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John626

May 6th, 2009
at 9:14pm

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 9:30am

I want to say – thank you for this!

John626

May 7th, 2009
at 10:00am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 10:13am

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 10:34am

Great site. Good info

John626

May 7th, 2009
at 10:47am

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 10:53am

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 11:38am

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 2:51pm

Great site. Keep doing.

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 3:46pm

Nice site! Thank you!

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 5:38pm

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 6:35pm

Perfect site, i like it!

John734

May 7th, 2009
at 6:54pm

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John743

May 8th, 2009
at 11:29am

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John626

May 8th, 2009
at 11:32am

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John743

May 8th, 2009
at 11:50am

Great site. Keep doing.

John626

May 8th, 2009
at 11:57am

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John743

May 8th, 2009
at 12:30pm

Perfect site, i like it!

John626

May 8th, 2009
at 12:44pm

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John743

May 8th, 2009
at 1:32pm

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John626

May 8th, 2009
at 2:36pm

Nice site! Thank you!

John743

May 8th, 2009
at 2:45pm

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John743

May 8th, 2009
at 5:29pm

Incredible site!

John626

May 8th, 2009
at 8:44pm

I want to say – thank you for this!

John743

May 8th, 2009
at 10:33pm

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John743

May 8th, 2009
at 11:30pm

Great site. Good info

John743

May 10th, 2009
at 12:29pm

I want to say – thank you for this!

John743

May 10th, 2009
at 1:28pm

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John743

May 10th, 2009
at 4:31pm

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John626

May 10th, 2009
at 8:50pm

Great site. Keep doing.

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 1:48am

I want to say – thank you for this!

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 2:13am

Nice site! Thank you!

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 3:18am

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 3:46am

Great site. Good info

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 4:16am

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 4:43am

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John743

May 11th, 2009
at 5:16am

Nice site! Thank you!

John743

May 11th, 2009
at 6:57am

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 9:18am

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 10:10am

Perfect site, i like it!

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 11:29am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John1329

May 11th, 2009
at 2:42pm

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John1341

May 11th, 2009
at 4:55pm

Nice site! Thank you!

John1341

May 11th, 2009
at 5:18pm

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John1341

May 11th, 2009
at 5:41pm

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John1341

May 11th, 2009
at 6:26pm

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John1341

May 11th, 2009
at 7:33pm

Perfect site, i like it!

John1341

May 11th, 2009
at 8:19pm

Great site. Keep doing.

John1341

May 12th, 2009
at 12:07am

I want to say – thank you for this!

John1341

May 12th, 2009
at 4:48am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John1852

May 12th, 2009
at 7:20pm

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John1852

May 12th, 2009
at 7:36pm

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John1341

May 12th, 2009
at 8:05pm

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John1852

May 12th, 2009
at 8:08pm

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John1852

May 12th, 2009
at 8:39pm

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John1852

May 12th, 2009
at 8:59pm

I want to say – thank you for this!

John1852

May 12th, 2009
at 9:36pm

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John1852

May 13th, 2009
at 12:21am

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 1:50am

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John1852

May 13th, 2009
at 2:00am

Nice site! Thank you!

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 2:39am

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John1852

May 13th, 2009
at 2:55am

Great site. Good info

John1852

May 13th, 2009
at 3:51am

Great site. Keep doing.

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 4:17am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 4:44am

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John1852

May 13th, 2009
at 5:47am

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 8:19am

Great site. Good info

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 8:49am

Great site. Keep doing.

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 9:22am

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

viagra

May 13th, 2009
at 12:10pm

I want to say – thank you for this!

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 2:14pm

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 3:23pm

I want to say – thank you for this!

John1852

May 13th, 2009
at 3:52pm

Perfect site, i like it!

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 7:15pm

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John774

May 13th, 2009
at 8:51pm

Nice site! Thank you!

John1030

May 13th, 2009
at 9:43pm

Great site. Keep doing.

John1030

May 13th, 2009
at 9:59pm

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John1030

May 13th, 2009
at 10:14pm

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John1030

May 13th, 2009
at 11:51pm

Great site. Good info

John1473

May 14th, 2009
at 12:26am

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John1473

May 14th, 2009
at 3:48am

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John1030

May 14th, 2009
at 12:09pm

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John1030

May 14th, 2009
at 12:47pm

I want to say – thank you for this!

viagra

May 14th, 2009
at 1:43pm

thanks !! very helpful post!

John1030

May 14th, 2009
at 1:57pm

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John1502

May 14th, 2009
at 2:07pm

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John1030

May 14th, 2009
at 2:13pm

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John1030

May 14th, 2009
at 3:18pm

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John1030

May 14th, 2009
at 3:32pm

Nice site! Thank you!

John1502

May 14th, 2009
at 4:23pm

It is the coolest site,keep so!

John1502

May 14th, 2009
at 5:01pm

Great site. Good info

John1030

May 14th, 2009
at 9:21pm

Perfect site, i like it!

John1502

May 14th, 2009
at 10:02pm

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John1502

May 14th, 2009
at 10:23pm

Great site. Keep doing.

John1502

May 15th, 2009
at 11:45am

I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for good job!

John1502

May 15th, 2009
at 1:08pm

Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.

John1030

May 15th, 2009
at 2:47pm

Great work,webmaster,nice design!

John1502

May 15th, 2009
at 3:07pm

Great .Now i can say thank you!

John1502

May 15th, 2009
at 4:17pm

Perfect site, i like it!

John1502

May 15th, 2009
at 4:57pm

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

John1323

May 15th, 2009
at 5:29pm

Great site. Keep doing.

John1502

May 15th, 2009
at 5:44pm

I want to say – thank you for this!

John1502

May 15th, 2009
at 6:22pm

Nice site! Thank you!

John1323

May 15th, 2009
at 7:33pm

Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!

John1323

May 15th, 2009
at 9:25pm

Great site. Good info

John1323

May 15th, 2009
at 11:08pm

It is the coolest site,keep so!

thormondsc

May 16th, 2009
at 7:27pm

annual peter past available

MILEY CYRUS NUDE

June 14th, 2009
at 9:55am

MILEY CYRUS NUDE [url=https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/user/vebster]MILEY CYRUS NUDE[/url] Kim Kardashian Sex [url=http://riereta.net/moodle/user/view.php?id=4593&course=1]Kim Kardashian Sex[/url] amanda beard nude [url=http://jiggmin.com/forum/member.php?u=5240]amanda beard nude[/url]

Armchair

June 29th, 2009
at 8:36am

HsXgoo Armchair sightseeing, with links to many famous places and landmarks

© 2009-2010 Dylan Combs All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright