What is up with Amazon's algorithms?
- Thread starter swee'pea99
- Start date
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Electric_Andy
Heavy Metal Fan
- Location
- Plymouth
If I give amzaon any credit, I'd say possibly picked up on some of your keyboard strokes or articles you've clicked on about the killing of the poor man in the US. Or it could just be random. Their algorithms are shocking (I'm not saying I could do any better). I often get suggestions to buy things that I've already bought. I think it's largely based on what's on your shopping list compared to what other people have bought. For example if you bought a bicycle pump and a bar of chocolate, and another person bought a bicycle pump and a cheese grater shaped like an ear lobe, you'd soon get suggestiions for buying other types of cheese graters or things that have ear lobe in the title. That's how I understand it anyway. And some are just suggested to everyone as they are either "trending" or Amzaon think they should be trending, like face masks.
CanucksTraveller
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
- Location
- Hertfordshire
3 out of the 4 on my suggested reads are actually pretty good matches, but then I buy a lot of cycling books on Amazon so I'm an easy person to suggest to. No idea what that grumpy beardy bloke is doing there, that's not my cup of tea, but 3 out of 4 ain't bad.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Don't be sad... 2 out of 5 ain't bad! 
I have no idea why Amazon thinks I'd be interested in the Rothstein and Molly Marx books! The other non-cycling choice probably comes from me buying a couple of books for my stepdaughter who did a BA in German.
I have no idea why Amazon thinks I'd be interested in the Rothstein and Molly Marx books! The other non-cycling choice probably comes from me buying a couple of books for my stepdaughter who did a BA in German.
A few years ago my sister was in the process of getting divorced, I got her a book on the subject from Amazon, which was sent to her, not me.
For the next 2 years I was deluged with all sorts of divorce related books, websites, lawyers, 'helpful' advice, etc.
It got to a level that my wife began asking questions .....
(We are still married
)
For the next 2 years I was deluged with all sorts of divorce related books, websites, lawyers, 'helpful' advice, etc.
It got to a level that my wife began asking questions .....
(We are still married
)DaveReading
Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
- Location
- Reading, obvs
I don't think the fact that not everybody buys every "you might like" necessarily means that their algorithms are cr*p.
winjim
Smash the cistern
I think it must look at what other members of your household are buying. There are recommendations on my account which are clearly related to things that my wife has bought, even though our accounts are seperate. There's even stuff that looks like it's related to things we've done online, away from Amazon, on a different device, although there's a chance that could be coincidence.
