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readyAIMfire53
Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 7409 Location: Durham, NC
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Posted: 07/11/21 1:05 pm ::: Dear WNBA: say NO to Amazon |
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I have cheered for the Mystics through the dark days of Trudi Lacey and the dismantling of the largest fanbase in the league. I was thrilled with the hiring of Coach T and he has not disappointed!
I also do not participate in anything Amazon and the dismantling of local businesses. Put simply, Amazon is destroying neighborhood businesses and neighborhood identities, while increasing the numbers of people holding jobs that cannot sustain their families and put their own health at risk while packing and delivering goods to those who can afford to keep themselves safe.
Therefore, I had no way of watching last night's exciting game between the Mystics and the Sky, which included an historic performance by Tina Charles.
I hope there will be no more exclusive deals made for Amazon to stream WNBA
games. It is not a solid format for building the league, particularly in light of player commitment to social justice.
_________________ Follow your passion and your life will be true down to your core.
~rAf
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wnbafan
Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 741 Location: Delaware
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Posted: 07/11/21 2:32 pm ::: Re: Dear WNBA: say NO to Amazon |
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readyAIMfire53 wrote: |
I have cheered for the Mystics through the dark days of Trudi Lacey and the dismantling of the largest fanbase in the league. I was thrilled with the hiring of Coach T and he has not disappointed!
I also do not participate in anything Amazon and the dismantling of local businesses. Put simply, Amazon is destroying neighborhood businesses and neighborhood identities, while increasing the numbers of people holding jobs that cannot sustain their families and put their own health at risk while packing and delivering goods to those who can afford to keep themselves safe.
Therefore, I had no way of watching last night's exciting game between the Mystics and the Sky, which included an historic performance by Tina Charles.
I hope there will be no more exclusive deals made for Amazon to stream WNBA
games. It is not a solid format for building the league, particularly in light of player commitment to social justice. |
Download the monuments sports app. Mystics games are free to watch without a subscription this year. I actually dropped the wnba pass a few years ago because of blackouts and watched the Mystics on monument for 5.99/ month. I signed up in June and canceled at the playoffs since they are aired on national tv.
_________________ Be kind, be careful, be yourself
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Posted: 07/11/21 3:29 pm ::: |
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A note about Amazon. Chloe Zhao's 2020 film NOMADLAND--which won all sorts of honors for the film, for Ms. Zhao, and for star Frances McDormand--is in my view wonderful in many ways and outrageous in quite a few. Among other things, it's a huge plug for Amazon and skirts right over Amazon's terrible treatment of its workers. Solidarity with readyAIMfire53.
_________________ Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.
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greg5222
Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 728
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calbearman76
Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 5167 Location: Carson City
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Posted: 07/11/21 6:52 pm ::: |
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I have nothing against Amazon. We can talk about their negative impacts on various aspects of society but they are a company that is moving us forward. If you want to blame anyone blame the government for being behind the curve in reasonable regulation of the gig economy and labor law. Companies like Amazon, Wal-Mart and Uber have established businesses in accordance with current law. In many cases you can claim they have taken advantage of laws, but for those of you in New York do you think that Uber has improved overall "taxi" service.
Amazon is putting money into the WNBA and providing a platform for the sport. That is a good thing. Jeff Bezos purchased the Washington Post to allow its excellent reporting to be maintained. They have disrupted the way business is done and unlike Wal-Mart they can't be kept out by local zoning laws. But overall I believe they are a positive for society, and those areas where they have presented issues regulation is the appropriate response.
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ChiSky54
Joined: 19 Jun 2019 Posts: 679 Location: Chicago
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Posted: 07/11/21 7:53 pm ::: |
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The CBS Sports Network was the culprit last year as far as not making games available live to the masses. That is what caused me to get YouTubeTV; I had cut the cord several years prior and it was the best option that wasn't super costly, was month-to-month, and offered a bunch of networks I would watch. With them, as with ESPN, the delay after games was typically only a few minutes before you could watch on League Pass. Three hours seems excessive - Amazon, you ain't that special!
I understand that many have given up League Pass. I kept my subscription and like the upgraded options it offers, along with the perk of rewatching games from 2015 going forward (like, who has time for that? I barely can keep up with the present schedule!)
I think it's great that there are more companies willing to be WNBA sponsors. It doesn't bother me that I can't always watch live (or be at a game), but I understand that is a large draw for many to participate in the excitement of the moment.
Then, there's always subscribing to a VPN. I probably won't use it much, but when I kept putting off committing to a software subscription after a seven-day trial, they offered not only a discount but also a free year of HMA (formerly Hide My Ass) VPN.
_________________ There is nothing new under the sun.
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FrozenLVFan
Joined: 08 Jul 2014 Posts: 3518
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Posted: 07/11/21 9:01 pm ::: |
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I have too many complaints about Amazon to list here, ranging from lousy customer service to unfair business practices and deceptive advertising, but I'd rather have them broadcast games than that cesspool Facebook (and Twitter isn't much better). I don't see a big difference between an E-tailer treating people like dirt and profitable social media platforms that let individuals do the same.
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8254 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 07/11/21 9:27 pm ::: |
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If the mighty WNBA were to disallow Amazon from broadcasting a few games, that would surely crumble the Bezopoly into dust. |
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 11193
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Posted: 07/12/21 9:14 am ::: |
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And why not boycott WNBA games because the advertisers are corporations with skeletons in the closet (which would be pretty much all of them)?
_________________ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā
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WNBA 09
Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Posts: 12579 Location: Dallas , Texas
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Posted: 07/12/21 11:15 am ::: |
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Im thinking of Dropping league pass at this point , every game is either blacked out or on Amazon Prime and im not paying extra for prime to watch a game .
_________________ 3-Time WNBA Champion-3-Time National Champion-4-Time Olympic Champion....And Yes DT "We Got Confeti" lol
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Posted: 07/12/21 11:19 am ::: |
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ClayK wrote: |
And why not boycott WNBA games because the advertisers are corporations with skeletons in the closet (which would be pretty much all of them)? |
Great idea, Clay. Go for it and tell us all about it. Can't wait to read about your boycott activism. Meanwhile, I don't myself boycott Amazon but I respect ReadyAIMfire53 and anyone who boycotts any rotten corporation.
_________________ Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.
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Silky Johnson
Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3343
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Posted: 07/12/21 8:30 pm ::: |
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ClayK wrote: |
And why not boycott WNBA games because the advertisers are corporations with skeletons in the closet (which would be pretty much all of them)? |
Because, as we all know, you either have to boycott everything, or you can't boycott anything.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Posted: 07/12/21 9:08 pm ::: |
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Silky Johnson wrote: |
ClayK wrote: |
And why not boycott WNBA games because the advertisers are corporations with skeletons in the closet (which would be pretty much all of them)? |
Because, as we all know, you either have to boycott everything, or you can't boycott anything. |
Yes. Thank you for this response.
_________________ Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 14097
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Posted: 07/13/21 6:53 am ::: |
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I think it’s excessive to ask people to pay for league pass and then on top of it require ppl to pay for Amazon prime for certain games as a stand-alone option. I don’t believe any other sport is doing that.
Further, the league pass games aren’t even in 60 frame per second video. I get that league pass is inexpensive in relative terms compared to other sports packages. But it’s still excessive.
_________________ The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.
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justintyme
Joined: 08 Jul 2012 Posts: 8407 Location: Northfield, MN
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Posted: 07/13/21 8:51 am ::: |
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NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote: |
I think it’s excessive to ask people to pay for league pass and then on top of it require ppl to pay for Amazon prime for certain games as a stand-alone option. I don’t believe any other sport is doing that.
Further, the league pass games aren’t even in 60 frame per second video. I get that league pass is inexpensive in relative terms compared to other sports packages. But it’s still excessive. |
I don't subscribe to them, so I could well be wrong, but doesn't every other sports' platforms also blackout nationally televised games? I thought exclusivity was why ESPN et al are willing to pay billions for the rights.
And those platforms' subscriptions are a hella lot more expensive.
_________________ ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA
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Silky Johnson
Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3343
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Posted: 07/13/21 10:12 am ::: |
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justintyme wrote: |
NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote: |
I think it’s excessive to ask people to pay for league pass and then on top of it require ppl to pay for Amazon prime for certain games as a stand-alone option. I don’t believe any other sport is doing that.
Further, the league pass games aren’t even in 60 frame per second video. I get that league pass is inexpensive in relative terms compared to other sports packages. But it’s still excessive. |
I don't subscribe to them, so I could well be wrong, but doesn't every other sports' platforms also blackout nationally televised games? I thought exclusivity was why ESPN et al are willing to pay billions for the rights. |
NBA League Pass does not "black out" nationally televised games, per se: nationally televised games are not actually included as part of NBA League Pass. But, here's the thing: a subscription service, that you have to pay for, above and beyond your cable subscription (e.g., say, Amazon Prime) does not qualify as a "nationally televised" game.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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johnjohnW
Joined: 11 Aug 2020 Posts: 1886
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Posted: 07/13/21 11:09 am ::: |
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NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote: |
I think it’s excessive to ask people to pay for league pass and then on top of it require ppl to pay for Amazon prime for certain games as a stand-alone option. I don’t believe any other sport is doing that.
Further, the league pass games aren’t even in 60 frame per second video. I get that league pass is inexpensive in relative terms compared to other sports packages. But it’s still excessive. |
I think you have it backwards. The league clearly isn't providing League Pass as a means to watch every out-of-market game live anymore. Those days are gone.
The W is putting games on multiple free, paid subscription and cable options to diversify the availability of games, not to consolidate for us die hard fans. They're putting games on Amazon not to make it easier for us but to make it easier for non fans to gain exposure for the league.
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PUmatty
Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 16379 Location: Chicago
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Posted: 07/13/21 11:27 am ::: |
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johnjohnW wrote: |
NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote: |
I think it’s excessive to ask people to pay for league pass and then on top of it require ppl to pay for Amazon prime for certain games as a stand-alone option. I don’t believe any other sport is doing that.
Further, the league pass games aren’t even in 60 frame per second video. I get that league pass is inexpensive in relative terms compared to other sports packages. But it’s still excessive. |
I think you have it backwards. The league clearly isn't providing League Pass as a means to watch every out-of-market game live anymore. Those days are gone.
The W is putting games on multiple free, paid subscription and cable options to diversify the availability of games, not to consolidate for us die hard fans. They're putting games on Amazon not to make it easier for us but to make it easier for non fans to gain exposure for the league. |
All of that is completely appropriate, I think. Fans, especially of niche products, too often both want the entity to make money and advance and also to be able to have all of the content for free (or close to it, given the price of League Pass).
My problem is that I can't find a schedule of what games are actually available live on League Pass. The league seems to be intentionally hiding that information.
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undersized_post
Joined: 01 Mar 2021 Posts: 2864
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Posted: 07/13/21 11:47 am ::: |
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I rarely watch games live and have been grateful for the League Pass for that reason. It is extremely easy to go back and watch the replay, on my own time. And it's super convenient to be able to go to one centralized place to do it.
My biggest complaint about the Amazon broadcast (besides the ethical issues raised by OP) is that when I checked out one of their live broadcasts earlier in the season, the chyron displayed the score and game clock but no shot clock!!! (This was rectified in the later games I checked out.) It was frustrating hearing the announcers say the shot clock was winding down and then see a player thrust up a wild shot but not knowing as a viewer how much time was left.
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justintyme
Joined: 08 Jul 2012 Posts: 8407 Location: Northfield, MN
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Posted: 07/13/21 12:06 pm ::: |
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undersized_post wrote: |
I rarely watch games live and have been grateful for the League Pass for that reason. It is extremely easy to go back and watch the replay, on my own time. And it's super convenient to be able to go to one centralized place to do it.
My biggest complaint about the Amazon broadcast (besides the ethical issues raised by OP) is that when I checked out one of their live broadcasts earlier in the season, the chyron displayed the score and game clock but no shot clock!!! (This was rectified in the later games I checked out.) It was frustrating hearing the announcers say the shot clock was winding down and then see a player thrust up a wild shot but not knowing as a viewer how much time was left. |
That is where I have most of my complaints about all this. As frustrating as it can be to have to sign up for free trials to streaming services that carry games rather than just watch on league pass, I understand the bigger picture and how it is a boon to the league.
BUT...if they are going to black it out, I'd want it to be because the ones airing it are all in. In other words, not just rebroadcasting a local production, but sending their own production teams and cameras. It's frustrating when CBSSN just broadcasts the arena feed and syncs the local radio broadcast to it.
_________________ ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA
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readyAIMfire53
Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 7409 Location: Durham, NC
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Posted: 07/13/21 12:29 pm ::: |
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ClayK wrote: |
And why not boycott WNBA games because the advertisers are corporations with skeletons in the closet (which would be pretty much all of them)? |
Amazon and WalMart stand head and shoulders above other companies in their profit margins, the need for employees to obtain government assistance to survive and for the obscene profit margins for owners.
Amazon is very much a service for privileged, monied people at the direct expense of under resourced people, especially people of color. Targeted boycotts absolutely work. A niche league, claiming an identity in social justice, supporting the #1 company that is anti social justice, union busting just does not make sense.
Providing exclusive coverage on the chance that a few people "might" tune in vs denying longtime fans from experiencing a game live seems like a nobrainer to me.
_________________ Follow your passion and your life will be true down to your core.
~rAf
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 9723
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Posted: 07/13/21 8:54 pm ::: |
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Amazon should move as many of their warehouses as possible to just across the border in Canada and just across the border in Mexico. And then only staff their USA warehouses with illegal aliens. That must sound like a preposterous or facetious solution to the complaints of over-working American workers in warehouses. But that is the surreal situation in 2021 America with the donor class calling the shots for both parties and the rank and file falling behind in lock step. Essentially no one complains about unknown millions of illegal aliens being employed illegally by USA companies or the working conditions involved. And essentially no one complains about Americans being laid off and their jobs sent out of the country (or starting in foreign countries - e.g. Apple) or the working conditions in the foreign factories. And yet, many people will simultaneously acknowledge that we have a growing gap between the top and bottom and we still have - over half a century since it became an issue - areas of poverty and underemployment, most notably, in our large cities. And as jobs go out and illegal workers come in, legal workers, including those on special work visas designed to tamp down wages in specific occupations continue to come in as if there was a big shortage of workers - as if there were no worker problems in the USA.
If you want to improve wages and working conditions for USA workers - call for the things that will move supply/demand in the direction of workers and away from the direction of employers.
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readyAIMfire53
Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 7409 Location: Durham, NC
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Posted: 07/13/21 11:35 pm ::: |
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tfan wrote: |
Amazon should move as many of their warehouses as possible to just across the border in Canada and just across the border in Mexico. And then only staff their USA warehouses with illegal aliens. That must sound like a preposterous or facetious solution to the complaints of over-working American workers in warehouses. But that is the surreal situation in 2021 America with the donor class calling the shots for both parties and the rank and file falling behind in lock step. Essentially no one complains about unknown millions of illegal aliens being employed illegally by USA companies or the working conditions involved. And essentially no one complains about Americans being laid off and their jobs sent out of the country (or starting in foreign countries - e.g. Apple) or the working conditions in the foreign factories. And yet, many people will simultaneously acknowledge that we have a growing gap between the top and bottom and we still have - over half a century since it became an issue - areas of poverty and underemployment, most notably, in our large cities. And as jobs go out and illegal workers come in, legal workers, including those on special work visas designed to tamp down wages in specific occupations continue to come in as if there was a big shortage of workers - as if there were no worker problems in the USA.
If you want to improve wages and working conditions for USA workers - call for the things that will move supply/demand in the direction of workers and away from the direction of employers. |
In other words, reverse every single GD policy of Ronald Reagan.
_________________ Follow your passion and your life will be true down to your core.
~rAf
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norwester
Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 6375 Location: Seattle
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Posted: 07/26/21 1:19 am ::: |
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It doesn’t matter if you boycott Amazon. They don’t make the majority of their money through their retail. Most of their profit is through providing web services (cloud, etc) and they do so for a substantial portion of the internet. Also, as an aside, there is a not insignificant population of folks who are unable to physically shop/run errands on their own who rely on places that will deliver like Amazon. It’s not all for rich people. Not defending their business practices. Just pointing out why boycotts probably won’t affect them much. Probably more useful to write your reps and advocate for laws that help solve the problem.
That said, I agree with those who’ve pointed out the point of spreading games to these and other platforms is to increase exposure, not to help the die hard fans. And I think it’s a good idea, even if it inconveniences me. Maybe the pandemic has made me feel disconnected enough that I’m not as upset about waiting to watch as I would have been in the past.
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Posted: 07/26/21 5:03 pm ::: |
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norwester wrote: |
It doesn’t matter if you boycott Amazon. They don’t make the majority of their money through their retail. Most of their profit is through providing web services (cloud, etc) and they do so for a substantial portion of the internet. |
Even if this is true--no specifics offered, not a single source cited, coming from a person not using a real name--it is a dubious argument. Suppose only 30 to 40% of Amazon's business comes from retail. An effective boycott could still be costly for the company. Even more important, in many mass boycotts the crucial point isn't necessarily to hurt the corporation financially--though that's surely one of the goals. It's to totally challenge their public image and make them look shameful.
I don't know how successful the cultural and sports boycott of apartheid South Africa was financially. But it surely brought much greater attention to that racist regime and contributed to the end of apartheid.
_________________ Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.
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