amazon plogs

June 2, 2004 11:59 PM

Amazon's trying out "blogging" in the form of "plogs" or purchase personalized logs. It appears to be the same content as your old amazon recommendations, but served up in a blog post-style format, signed by the so very intimate sounding Amazon NewReleaseBot. I can't wait until a giant like Coca Cola starts "blogs" (beverage logs) and announces new flavors complete with permalinks and weekly archives right on every can.
posted by mathowie (27 comments total)

Here's what mine looks like.

I just don't get it. Why the need to call something blogging when it's so very loosely based on the format. There's none of the personality, it's just bot-created advertising for products.
posted by mathowie at 12:02 AM on June 3, 2004

I remember this one time, when we had this thing called the internet. Some people came along and started calling it the Information Super Highway. Soon people wanted portals for everything! You wouldn't believe some of the stuff people tried to market. Online pet stores, bicycle-messenger delivery systems to the suburbs! Pick anything, and someone had a plan to hook it up to that dang ole' Information Superhighway!
posted by Kwantsar at 12:30 AM on June 3, 2004

"personalized blog" is stupid. stupid.
posted by rhyax at 12:37 AM on June 3, 2004

probably some poor geek at amazon made a suggestion that once filtered through marketing and operations and other random departments became This.
posted by th3ph17 at 12:55 AM on June 3, 2004

If users could customize it, modify it, syndicate our xml feeds to it, it might be interesting. As it stands right now, it is nothing but hype... and a word that sounds a lot like "blog."
posted by gen at 1:01 AM on June 3, 2004

Amazon's description of the following blogs is dumb and sounds like it was written by someone in high school.

"InstaPundit.com--The Blogfather

Talking Points Memo by joshua micah marshall--A thoughtful contemplation of current affairs

andrewsullivan.com--A respected intellectual columnist blogger"

I find it amazing that Instapundit gets so many props considering he's the kind of guy who writes stuff like this.
posted by inksyndicate at 1:44 AM on June 3, 2004

I just visited Amazon today and found my 'plog' had an update on a current order. Which was actually kinda useful.

But it's not a blog. It's a customer service tool, which some Amazon marketing team decided to call a 'plog' to try to show that they're hip to what the kids are reading these days.
posted by nomis at 3:03 AM on June 3, 2004

Bastards. Last I heard, a plog was a project log. We can't have this muddying of the waters.
posted by yerfatma at 4:05 AM on June 3, 2004

remember when weblogs were your web traffic stats? ;)
posted by dabitch at 4:18 AM on June 3, 2004

I sent them an email requesting RSS feeds so that I can check recommendations and track shipments via my newsreaders.
posted by riffola at 4:37 AM on June 3, 2004

I can't wait until a giant like Coca Cola starts "blogs" (beverage logs)

Not to mention when they decide to trademark that word and then start suing the ass off everyone.

Although, if that would force us all to stop using the word, it might not be such a bad thing.
posted by briank at 5:03 AM on June 3, 2004

So pfucking plame.
posted by mkultra at 7:01 AM on June 3, 2004

I just don't get it.

it's just bot-created advertising for products.

You get it.
posted by rushmc at 7:11 AM on June 3, 2004

And that's not a plog. This is a plog. (Early 2003 link from the days of "vlogging," Realplayer, but worth it.)
posted by brownpau at 7:32 AM on June 3, 2004

Application for trademark (service mark) for the word "Plog" filed by amazon.com on January 9, 2003.

Description: "Delivery of messages by electronic transmission; electronic messaging system, namely electronic queuing services; electronic transmission of messages and data; providing on-line forums for transmission of messages among computer users concerning a wide variety of topics; providing on-line electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among computer users concerning a wide variety of topics"
posted by kokogiak at 7:51 AM on June 3, 2004

"Plog" = A blog which plods.
posted by troutfishing at 7:59 AM on June 3, 2004

Interesting side-find: Amazon also applied to trademark "Blogcast" on June 24th of 2003.
posted by kokogiak at 8:02 AM on June 3, 2004

Schwarzenegger might like 'em.
posted by prolific at 8:50 AM on June 3, 2004

I'm actually pretty interested in the idea of finding ways to add additional detail to blogs, such as significant purchases. Of course, you probably do it already by writing about it, but from a retrospective point of view it would be cool to know what I paid more than $50 for on a particular day.

Gen's RSS feed sounds interesting, 'specially if I can turn off the advertigoo from amazon...
posted by daver at 11:11 AM on June 3, 2004

kokogiak, i actually thought you wrote that plog-patent excerpt, and i was going commend you on your adept satire. oops.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:55 PM on June 3, 2004

holy patenting nightmare....does anyone know if there's an arena by which people can protest a patent application by showing prior art?
posted by dejah420 at 4:37 PM on June 3, 2004

Last week I trademarked my new site which advertises Asian alcohols. I call it 'Grog.'
posted by kaibutsu at 1:25 AM on June 4, 2004

Hold your horses, folks. It's not a patent application. It's a trademark application. They are applying to trademark the word "Plog" when used in the area of "Delivery of messages by electronic transmission", etc. They aren't trying to patent the delivery of messages by electronic transmission.
posted by litlnemo at 3:28 AM on June 4, 2004

Hmm, I can't see my plog. Is it browser-specific, or only visible to some users? I'm using Safari and there is no plog anywhere when I browse through Amazon (and, yes, I am logged in). How do I get it to show up?
posted by litlnemo at 3:42 AM on June 4, 2004

Hold your horses, folks. It's not a patent application. It's a trademark application.

Woops. You are correct sir (or madame as the case may be.) I shall not gird my loins for war then. ;)
posted by dejah420 at 8:32 AM on June 4, 2004

That would be madame, last time I checked... ;)
posted by litlnemo at 3:39 AM on June 5, 2004

Amazon also applied to trademark "Blogcast" on June 24th of 2003.

Dammit! I knew I should have kept that domain.
posted by kindall at 10:32 AM on June 17, 2004