Online retail is great. Apparently having Amazon be the dominant retailer is not.

Would be cool if there was a "non-curating" retail location, whose only restriction was "nothing illegal." Anyone could sell anything, by paying a (relatively) small retailers fee and just uploading to the central DB. End retailers could take care of their own deliveries, or choose to use the central retailer's services.

Amazon seems to be pugnacious in pushing people around to get what they want. I first was aware of it when they threw their affiliates under the bus (someone they didn't have an argument with) when they wanted to leverage states over taxes. Then Hachette. Now this.

As it is, I try to minimize my purchases from Amazon for exactly these action, they make me nervous to give Amazon any more power/funds. If they keep it up it'll probably push me over the edge and never buy from them again.

I already use their book listings as a convenient shopping guide, and I then buy the books I find from my local bookseller. Which is an ironic turnaround from what most retailers fear from Amazon.