I acknowledge that if Jeff is not still the wealthiest man, he is still in the top handful.
I think Jeff’s original goal of making all the books ever written available at the fingertips of the average human being was creative, ambitious, and, perhaps, even noble.
Jeff is to be congratulated on building an unquestionably efficient process for selling and delivering goods worldwide. His system has made it all too easy to spend money. Of course, that is the objective.
It is unfair not to give credit where credit is due. Jeff is most definitely the GOAT of 21st century retail. I have personally benefited from the comfort of armchair shopping, especially during the pandemic.
I was one of the Luddites holding out against the big box stores for many years. I refused to darken the doors of Walmart until making a bargain with co-workers who could not understand that a usually progressive person declined to move into the new world of consumerism.
To get them off my back at the time, I made a deal. “I’ll go to Walmart when I am seventy.” I thought I would be long gone with no obligation to pay up by that time.
Yes, I was tilting at windmills. Yes, I knew the future could not be held back by my little gesture. Yes, I admit that the boycott was merely symbolic. “Someone needs to hold out on behalf of the little guy,” I thought, congratulating myself.
To my chagrin, I was still working when the big 70 hit, and the same co-workers planned a special event for me. They arranged a private tour of our local Walmart Superstore, during which I received a T-shirt, balloons, and way too much attention to suit an introvert.
It seems dangerous to have so much power and wealth concentrated in so few hands from a socio-economic perspective. Our country found it necessary at various times in our history to rebalance things by breaking up certain monopolies.
I will leave a discussion of the bigger economic picture for another day. Today, I am concerned with what Jeff Bezos knows about me. It feels unnatural when Jeff knows more about you than your husband.
You don’t have to remind me that I have freely given Jeff a boatload of information about myself. No one forced me to share personal data with him; however, I set up two Amazon accounts, one as a customer and one as a self-publisher. My husband and I have used both quite successfully regularly.
With my rudimentary understanding of algorithms, I am not surprised when Jeff sends me notifications about ‘products I may like.’ He, or his process, is behaving much like all good salespeople. He/it is developing a customer profile in hopes of plussing the sale. After all, a current customer is the best bet for repeat or additional sales. “Good job, Jeff. You never miss a beat.”
Even Jeff’s female assistant, Alexa, keeps an eye, or should I say an ear, on me. She always suggests other music and promotes Amazon Music Unlimited whenever I request a specific song. So helpful is Alexis that she recently notified me that a package had been delivered to my front porch.
Sometimes she breaks in without being summoned with a question or some obscure piece of trivia. Thank you, Jeff, for checking on us old folks.” In place of paying his fair share of taxes, he utilizes artificial intelligence to provide random acts of surveillance.
Recently, Jeff has begun to step outside polite boundaries during our digital conversations. In addition to offering new clothing for me, Jeff is now suggesting the appropriate size.
I would not be offended if the suggestions were merely based on previous purchases. However, I find it a bit presumptions to assume that I have gained weight. He could be more tactful and post the size chart with measurements even if true. That’s what a gentleman would do.
Jeff, please reign in your urge to take such liberties. Remember, Sir, we have not even been formally introduced.
Comments