Friday, May 2, 2008

A question of style

I've linked several times to Amazon to illustrate some of the things I'm talking about. I don't really mean to imply that anyone should buy things there (or at all, for that matter). I link to Amazon for three reasons: (1) they give a fair chunk of information about CDs and DVDs (e.g., release dates, information from the publishers and/or artists, staff reviews), so I can keep my own posts shorter by not duplicating information that can be found on their site; (2) you can often listen to 30-second samples of the tracks on CDs; and (3) Amazon includes user-submitted reviews, so you can quickly see several other opinions that might differ greatly from my own.

But, all things considered, they are primarily devoted to commerce. So I worry that it might appear that I'm shilling for Amazon. The more I link to Amazon, the more I worry about looking like a corporate pawn.

I have also considered linking to Wikipedia for similar information, but the completeness and accuracy of their information is potentially suspect.

What do you think? Should I continue to link to Amazon, or should I spend a little more time trying to find less commercial sources for information? Does it bother you, or do you really just not give a flip?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Click on "Comments" below this posting to tell me what you think and to see what other people have said.

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