Tayari's Blog: Computers All Up in My Kool-Aid
Posted by TayariJones on October 21, 2008 10:21 AM
Filed under
Bookshelf
I understand the concept behind targeted advertising,but it still sort 
of creeps me out. I am talking about the computer-assisted variety. For example, I was emailing with a respected senior African American poet and I noticed that based on a scan of my message, gmail saw fit to advertise tshirts that read "DANGEROUS NEGRO!" I also get weirded out when facebook suggests people that it thinks that I might be friendly with. I almost choked on my Luna bar when it suggested a psycho ex-boyfriend, with whom I am NOT friendly. I need these computers to stay out of my Kool-Aid.
Anyway, today, I received an email from amazon. I will cut and paste below.
We've noticed that customers who have purchased or rated Leaving Atlanta: A Novel by Tayari Jones have also purchased Mama I'm in Love(...with a gangsta) by Joy. For this reason, you might like to know that Mama I'm in Love(...with a gangsta) will be released on November 4, 2008. You can pre-order yours by following the link below.
I am not even sure what to do with this information. I mean, what does it mean? maybe I should forward it to those "Henny Penny" critics who believe that urban lit is stealing readers from more serious writers because this message from amazon suggests that readers like to read all sorts of different things. It also has implications for the bookstore debate. So many black authors whine that they don't want their Very Important Novels shelved next to "Riding Dirty, part 8" Well, there are no shelves amazon, but still you never know what you'll be paired with.
I'm still mulling this over, but I have to say that I am more amused than alarmed. I'd like to hear from you all out there. What sort of email, if any, do you get from amazon?
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There are 3 comments on "Computers All Up in My Kool-Aid". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.
Comment #1, by Jackie ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tayarijones.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
OK, this was funny. Amazon can make some weird associations, but mostly they have helped me find books I might not have found on my own. Just remember, if you search on something, anything, Amazon adds it to your profile and then makes a suggestion on what else it thinks you might like. I am still deleting books about mandalas from my recommendations list...
October 22, 2008 08:53 AM
Comment #2, by dangerousNEGRO
dangerousNEGRO wasn't trying to be all up in your Kool Aid... We just thought you might appreciate some fresh, empowering apparel as an educated sista. Check us out! (I bet you're wondering how we found your blog entry too... LOL!).
October 22, 2008 10:49 AM
Comment #3, by Shortino
I got the same e-mail today, and I came over to the blog to send you a message about it. I opened the e-mail and said, "I thought Tayari had a pretty strong opinion about 'urban lit,' and this would either amuse or horrify her." I know there's some sort of algorithm they use to determine these recommendations, so I wonder what kind of fuzzy math led to this one..
October 27, 2008 03:45 PM