Amazon's Special Thank-You

theodp writes "To commemorate its 10th Anniversary, Amazon.com announced that on July 16th customers will receive a special thank-you - a concert featuring Bob Dylan and Norah Jones. Of course, customers will be squinting at streaming video while Amazon employees actually attend the concert at Seattle's Benaroya Hall, but isn't it the thought that counts?"

I'd rather celebrate...

[Anonymous Coward]

...round numbers of years until the one-click-shopping patent expires.

Bob Dylan?

[BinBoy]

Is Bob Dylan trendy again or is he so untrendy that it's cool to like him? Or was he just cheap and available? They should have at least tried to get an 80's band.

Screw em

[njcoder]

From now on I'm buying all my books from local bookstores. I'll just use amazon.com to help filter through titles, then go to a local shop, sit down and go over the books enjoying the coffee and wifi until I decide on my purchases. I'll even take a picture of me handing the money to the other boostore and send it to amazon.

That's one thing I hate, corps rewarding their employees and making it seem like they're doing it for the consumer. Why don't they post pictures of the company picnic too.

Re:MOD UP

[BrianGa]

I almost died when I saw him do those horrible Klein commercials. Or was it the GAP?

Worse. [victoriassecret.com]

How do they afford this?

[SkiifGeek]

From a purely business perspective, how on Earth are Amazon able to afford this?

Okay, so it is 10 years since they were founded, but in that time, how much of a profit have they turned? I understood that there were hundreds of millions of dollars worth of sunk costs with the company, where the only possible return is in the stock price, but I thought that Amazon was still producing negative returns on the balance sheet.

If I was one of the VC firms that initially funded Amazon I would have dragged Bezos over the coals long ago, but I am amazed at the ability of Amazon to continue despite the losses they have suffered to date (losses that would have crushed most other companies).

Re:Bob Dylan?

[Kirth]

Bob Dylan is an asshole. He lobbied for the extension of the copyright-terms -- and guess who exactly is playing old traditionals which copyright has expired? Exactly. What a hipocrite.

Re:Screw em

[Guppy06]

"Amazon's prices aren't so much better than brick and mortar stores (and being in WA state, I have to pay sales tax at Amazon like I would in a local store), and you don't have to pay shipping and handling if you buy locally."

The selection sucks. You can't get Maison Ikkoku DVDs or Video Girl Ai books around here, for example.

Of course, for those I'd go directly to Viz' website, but still, those are two examples where, if I could find them locally, would happily buy them locally.

It's corporate version of public masterbation.

[Kamiza Ikioi]

Actually, the reason has little to do with Amazon's policies, and more with any company that publically masterbates in front of a croud, and tells us that it's a present for us. If this was just a company party, that'd be one thing. Pushing it as a "Show of Thanks" or gift to the customers is a joke, and they're getting called on it, big time.

Imagine it on a personal level. Imagine that your wife or whoever your significant other is comes home, and you invite them into the bedroom. Tell them "This is to say thank you for all you've done for me," then proceed to masterbate. If they don't get hit/slap/leave/laugh at/divorce you, I'd be suprised (some have kinkier partners).

This is what Amazon did. It could have given away tickets to 100 lucky customers. It could have given away other prizes. It could have done ANYTHING that actually gave some benefit to the customers. I don't even like American Idol, but I'd rather watch it on TV than a junk streaming concert. If I'm going to sit for 2+ hours to watch something, I want some chips, a drink, and a sofa. That's just me, but I would assume this is true of the average Amazon shopper as well.

Re:MOD UP

[Tengoo]

There is some interesting information on this topic at Telegraph [telegraph.co.uk]:

Asked in 1965 what might tempt him to sell out, Dylan replied: "Ladies undergarments".

Re:Get over yourselves!

[cloudmaster]

No, height of immaturity would be saying that they pooped themselves, or making some other joke about a bodily function / natural act.

Also, that music doesn't suck - it's just that it's not good enough to offend much of anyone. I argree that it sucks, and that the opportunity to watch a video of the concert is a suck-ass gift. It's like giving lottery tickets as a gift. "Surprise, I probably didn't get you anything! Happy father's day!"

For the record, all of those "free concerts" are a load of crap. A recording is a recording, even if it's a "live" recording. I'd be happier with a discount price on a CD or something - maybe free shipping on one CD (normally you have to go over $25 to get free shipping). Then, I'm not angry with this announcement, like some of the posters have been (which perhaps was the point). Free shipping would've been nice... :)