Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Facebook and Amazon Join for a Social Shopping Experience

by Matthew Zuras on July 28, 2010 at 02:05 PM

Amazon and FacebookAmazon has partnered with Facebook to make online shopping a more social experience. According to the New York Times, once you connect your accounts, you'll be able to see which "Facebook friends have upcoming birthdays, and receive gift suggestions based on the music, books and movies those friends have said they like on Facebook and on their Amazon wish lists." But, most importantly, you'll receive recommendations on what to buy yourself, based on what your friends like.

This has some negative implications, especially for books. If you are one of those types of Facebook users who accepts every friend request from bare acquaintances, business associates and random unknowns, do you want them to see your wish list, or even have their recommendations pop up on your browser? At the same time, if you're friends with extremely like-minded people, you may experience that cloistering Daily Me effect, so that you are recommended the 'Twilight' series or Glenn Beck's novel over and over again. (Or maybe you run in Deleuze-and-Guattari reading circles? Same thing.)

We personally couldn't care less about what books our former high-school friends choose to devour, whether it's 'Skinny Bitch in the Kitch' or 'Against Interpretation,' but maybe you do. Gift suggestions will be helpful, and, thankfully, your shopping history will not be shared on Facebook. Still, we worry about the mob mentality that social networking often breeds. Are we just paranoid? Will sharing your reading suggestions inhibit your own discovery, or actually create a virtual book club? [From: New York Times]

Tags: amazon, AmazonWishlist, DailyMe, facebook, OnlineShopping, recommendations, serendipity, shopping, SocialNetworking, top, web

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular