Amazon defends sale of How to Book on Pedophilia.

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Leslie Morgan:

I was on Tech Crunch as I am every afternoon researching potential stories, fun new gadgetry etc when I came across this post:

http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/10/amazon-defends-pedophile-how-to-guide/

The gist of the article is as follows:  Amazon is selling a book titled, "The Pedophiles Guide to Love and Pleasure." Yes folks it is essentially a how to guide on how to molest children and Amazon is selling it.  This literally was the look on my face after reading the article:

Now I am not going to post exerpts here of the book.  You can click on the link above and read them if you so desire. Also by me even writing this article I am giving unnecessary press to something that I personally find to be morally offensive.  However, what struck me, beyond the content was the amount of comments the article generated.  The comments that kept coming up over and over were about the fact that Amazon has the right to sell this book because of freedom of speech.  Amazon is quoted, "Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.”

Now Amazon's own policy states that it will prohibit content that includes “offensive material,” as well as content that “may lead to the production of an illegal item or illegal activity.”  Who at Amazon determines whether something is offensive and would the content incite illegal activity?  I mean if you are a pedophile will you go, run out and buy this book and then commit heinous acts on children.  You probably would do that with or without this book.  More to the point if someone who is not a pedophile goes out and buys this book, will they then commit heinous acts on children?  Doubtful?

For me Amazon's choice to sell this book is their choice as a business.  I can't do anything, but write them a letter about how I feel and I can choose to not buy anymore Amazon products ever and I can also tell all my friends and ask that they boycott Amazon and never purchase their products again as well.  That's my right just like it is Amazon's right to sell something if they want to.  Someone made the point that if Amazon CHOSE not to sell that book they would be infringing on Freedom of Speech, but that's where I disagree.  Amazon is a business and as a business it is their choice what they sell and don't sell.  I think their argument of we believe it is censorship is frankly bs.  It's a business decision pure and simple.  The book does not contain pictures of these acts nor does it contain pictures of children.  Amazon's decision has nothing to do with right and wrong or good vs. evil.  Amazon wants to make money as a business and therefore they are going to sell products whether they are objectionable to some or not.  However, if enough people made a dent in Amazon's monetary bottom line by deciding never to shop at Amazon again due to their choice of selling this book I would take bets on how fast they would decide that it was in their best interest as a business to no longer distribute something that the majority of people found to be offensive.  It comes down to the almighty dollar folks pure and simple.  Just like it's Wal-Marts choice to not sell 50 Cents' latest record.  It isn't censoring the artist, you can buy 50 Cents' record at a variety of different places all over the world, but to say Wal-mart is infringing on Freedom of Speech isn't the case.

However, where's the line?  Could Amazon distribute a book on how to blow up a plane?  How to create a meth lab in your kitchen? How about how to kill the governor of the state of Georgia or better yet the president? Now with the later there is sedition to consider, but all of these are illegal.  I am curious from a legal perspective the answer to this.

In any case Amazon made a choice as a business and as a consumer I am making mine!  I will not buy the book nor do I want to promote or purchase anything from Amazon for the time being.  That's my freedom of choice as a consumer.  

I am curious  where do you stand on this? 

For more comments and shenanigans follow me on Twitter: @morganglory

Deactivating From #Facebook

#TalkNerdyToMeLover’s @morganglory 

I'm Leslie (waves HELLO!)  I had the pleasure to interview the one and only Jen Friel for a blog I write for called http://www.idesignyoureyes.com, which is attached to Zoic Studios.  For anyone not familiar with Zoic they do all the visual effects for such shows as MAD MEN, FRINGE, V, CSI as well as they work with Joss Whedon on pretty much everything (they did all the effects for Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity and that little known web sensation Dr. Horrible).  The blog goes beyond the visual effects world and explores film, gaming, social media, and technology.  I interviewed Jen as one of my social media experts on what it would mean to deactivate from Facebook.  I tried and failed to deactivate my account for 30 days... #Facebook Fail

You can read about why above, BUT during my 6 days without Facevook (YES I ONLY lasted 6 days!) I got to talk to some pretty rad social media experts including Jen so with her permission I am cross posting the article here! Thanks everyone for reading and feel free to follow the blog on twitter @idesignyoureyes #nerdsunite

During my failed attempt to disconnect from Facebook for thirty days, I had the opportunity to speak with three individuals who utilize social media in both their personal and professional lives.  Currently more people are spending time on Facebook than they are on Google, Mashable article.

The time people spend on Facebook is bound to keep growing.  I wanted to get an experts opinion on how people are utilizing Facebook.  The first social media expert I spoke with is Jen Friel who created and runs the site http://www.talknerdytomelover.com.  Friel began working in the social media space several years ago working with the Co-Founder of Myspace Brad Greenspan on his LiveVideo.com site and now is a web 2.0 and social media consultant with major brands all over the country.  Next is Brian Rodda who owns his own social media consulting company and finally Jason Leigh, Consumer Insights Practice Lead for Razorfish, a marketing and design agency with offices worldwide.  Each of these leaders in the social media space has a very distinct opinion of Facebook and whether to engage or disengage.

Jason Leigh is the Group Vice President of the Consumer Insight Group for Razorfish.   Leigh has used Facebook, Twitter and blogging for the last two years and recently decided to deactivate his Facebook account.  “A lot of the content I ended up contributing to Facebook I was also contributing to Twitter so I figured what was the point in doing it in both places?”   Leigh prefers to be less connected and less personal when using social media, “I like the less personal feeling of Twitter.  It’s more limited and I find that appealing for my personality type.”   In Leigh’s opinion Facebook and Twitter services two different types of people.  “The folks that want to develop deeper relationships, social farmers, those that want to be more deeply involved in people’s day to day activities would be more prone to be attracted to Facebook.  Those that use Twitter are looking more for new content, a new thought, and allow you to have more random connections.”

Leigh had about four hundred friends on Facebook and only two people seemed to mind when he decided to deactivate his account.  “When I deactivated my account I only got two people who reached out one of whom was a work colleague that was concerned that something was wrong with my mental health like I was preparing to jump off a cliff or something. I assured them that wasn’t the case.”   All in all Leigh’s deactivation didn’t have a great deal of impact on his life.

For Jen Friel, she has utilized Facebook as a way to broadcast her life through social media. “Where I end and my brand begins, there is no such thing. I write about everything from my sexual escapades to telling people what hand cream to use for stress related injuries from using your Mouse too often.”  Friel is an open book when it comes to her use of Facebook, “There is no privacy setting on my life, everything on my Facebook page is public.  For me there is no other option.  I am building a brand and I can’t just stop.  I have been doing this for ten and half months straight, literally and have not gone more than twenty-four hours without being connected in some way.  I was gone once for seventeen hours and people were freaking out.  I gave up literally everything for this adventure and it’s been liberating saying this is who I am and getting validation via the analytics, Facebook comments, tweets etc.  No matter where I am in the world I am never alone and there is a level of camaraderie that comes with that.”

Want to read more click below!

Deactivating from Facebook