I’m totally stealing an idea from Jason Kottke here (let’s call it a meme!), but it’s kinda neat:
Whenever I link to something at Amazon on kottke.org, there’s an affiliate code associated with the link. When I log into my account, I can access a listing of what people bought1. The interesting bit is that everything someone buys after clicking through to Amazon counts and is listed, even items I didn’t link to directly. These purchased-but-unlinked-to items form a sort of store created by kottke.org readers of their own accord.
I have about 1/1000000th the readership of Kottke, but I do have an Amazon affiliate account (it doesn’t even come close to helping pay for the site, but it does feed my book/movie/music/video game addictions). Of course, I don’t sell nearly as much stuff either, but here are a few things sold that haven’t been directly linked:
- The Art of Looking in Hitchcock’s Rear Window and a bunch of other stuff (some directly linked) that I assume was inspired by my Rear Window essay.
- The Myth of Sisyphus: And Other Essays – This book apparently begins with this line: “There is only one really serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.” Albert Camus isn’t messing around here, I guess.
- Passing Afternoon and Such Great Heights by Iron & Wine (mp3) – These songs sound exactly like something I would hear on Filmspotting.
- Defiance – Interesting more because this was someone purchasing the Video On Demand version of the film, rather than a DVD/BD. I didn’t think anyone did that.
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – I feel like this is something I would have linked somewhere, but it didn’t convert as a link (i.e. someone entered Amazon via a different link and then bought this). I’ve only read a few comic books in my time, but this was one I’ve always wanted to check out…
- The Undiscovered Self by Carl Jung – Someone prying open their third eye?
- Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons – I’ve always wanted to read these books, but I’ve read a few other Simmons books and never really cared for them…
- Audio Technica AT4040 Condenser Microphone – Someone doing some heavy duty broadcasting/recording? Who ever you are, I love you (good referral fee on this one!)
And that about covers the unexpected stuff. I do get lots of Asimov orders as well as Christmas movie orders, but those are popular sections of the site…