Just saw a presentation on ‘semantic web’ at our local user group, and some examples were about Amazon. Not related to semantic web specifically, but I got to thinking about a couple things Amazon could do to enhance my experience and/or their bottom line.
First, when I buy something for someone – indicated by shipping it to an address which is not my name (for example) – do NOT use that in recommendations for me. I buy stuff for family members occasionally – younger brother, dad, etc – and their interests have nothing to do with mine. Yet after buying a video game for my brother, video game recommendations showed up in my list. STOP THAT. You’ve got about 10 years of buying history of mine to look at. Figure it out.
Second, incorporate friends’ data/wishlists. Give me a discount to buy a book and ship it to a friend who has similar interests at the time I buy my copy. Would be nice to say “Robert has book X in his wishlist – do you want to buy it for him?” and give me a % discount for doing it right then and there.
