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Amazon acquires DPReview

Michael Fontana

pro member
I don't think so.

But I'm not surprised by the deal; interesting though, that in the last 1 1/2 years two big photogaphic fora have been sold -- I agree they played in different ligues.

Maybe there's something like a critical size for a forum; in terms of server costs, industry dependancy, aka sponsors for paying the large bandwith, mods etc.
 
I used to hang out there when researching Fujifilm's S2, to upgrade from my D10 that had 4MP to a 6MP. It was important for me because I could get to know the camera to the last detail -- I even downloaded the user manual -- before it came out.

I would be there if they had a medium format corner, but most of the pro photographers specialize in event and wedding, -- I have shot only 2 of the last in my life --.

It is a good methodic forum with tests that approach levels of mania but that are good because of the consistency and depth. For example, recording the sound of all cameras with the motor drive on continuous is very clever and interesting to see the speed rate visually.

On the other side, I can picture a lot of photographers thinking that they could have "invented" a site like this and be set for life.... but we have to remember that it is a mistake to fight a war with a used strategy. Anyway, who wants to make a billion or two?
 
... interesting though, that in the last 1 1/2 years two big photogaphic fora have been sold -- I agree they played in different ligues.

Interestingly, regardless of business environment most mergers/take-overs (as fundamental reseach reveals!) don't deliver the promised/aspired benefits/results (although there are differences between markets/cases).

Maybe there's something like a critical size for a forum; in terms of server costs, industry dependancy, aka sponsors for paying the large bandwith, mods etc.

IMHO the differences come from the initiators' drive/motivation. Monetary gain alone, is a poor quality driver in most cases. The clever ones understand that a market (or broader, an intend driven) oriented aproach (rather than a short term reduction of (apparently) redundant employees) will deliver fundamental synergy (the sum of the total is larger than the mere addition of the components).

Sure, cost is a restraint, but not an enabler. However, cost is also a selector. Cost selects between intent and purpose (a thin line, if I understand enough of the subtleties in the English language). If the purpose is to make money, one should have invested (years ago) in gold futures and not in photography fora. If the intend is to make a fundamental difference in information exchange, something like OPF could be the result.

Bart
 
By profession Phil is a web programmer. This is why he created his unique furums that hardly anybody can match.

Remember he started when there was hardly any good forum software available.

Uwe

PS: Kind of like Amazon. They invented if you want Internet e-commerce. All their software is created by Amazon (other sites play catch-up). They were just so many years ahead of anybody else in this domain. It payed off.
 
Did any of you see this cartoon in The New Yorker where there are two cave men sitting outside of their cave --they seam to have nothing to do --

One says to the other: "after the invention of fire, and the weal. There is nothing else left for us to invent"

Lexus has a car that parks automatically. That is nice.
What about one that knows WHERE to park in NY city. They are probably working on that.

I read that the greeks,(not the geeks) by the time they where being occupied by Rome, had a machine the size of a laptop that could be wind up to simulate days of the month, lunar, solar movements and eclipses. All of this with clock work mechanism way before it was believed that human kind knew how to make weal trains with pin and slot that small.

... sorry, got a bit off topic ... again
 

MArk Le

New member
I don't get it

why amazon wants a forum? to sell better or to better direct the customers the way they like? I don't think that they got it because of the revenue coming from the banners....

since digital this photography world has changed: now you can make money with photography without even taking the actual pictures...

before you had photographers trying to sell gadgets to other photographers (like bouncing flash cards and similar) now you have big corporations doing it at a larger scale. The problem is that now you can't really trust these forums: you never know if the advice on a lens comes from a sales rep ...

LOL
 
>to sell better or to better direct the customers the way they like?

Maybe one reason. I think Amazon feels more competing with EBay and Yahoo in some way. For that you need a broader spectrum of content.

Will be interesting to follow.

Uwe
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
This initiative is very similar to amazon's purchase of the encyclopedic Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) several years ago. The net effect on IMDB was that its interface remained largely the same (changed slightly just recently), its content continued to expand. Each movie's page also now features a link to amazon's store for each movie in the data base. Being something of a film collector and buff this new feature has cost me thousands,

I expect to see a very similar low visual impact at DPreview. Instead of the links to several stores now featured on camera review pages, however, we'll see only one.

I'm sure that Phil got a good penny for his site. But in the context of the m&a world the transaction was probably petty cash (Barron's, Tech Trader Daily May 14: "No terms were announced, and the deal is likely immaterial financially, but it does raise some interesting questions."). Nevertheless I think it will be great for Phil to have amazon's resources. From amazon's view I know it will be productive to have such a rich consumer electronics appendix to stoke sales.

Looks like a terrific win-win to me.
 
Amazon buys DPReview

It makes sense to me. Amazon is really a gigantic library with vending machines everywhere, and the quality of their reviews brings the customers in. The forums are probably not as material to Amazon as the review database. A customer who can't tell one P&S from another wanders away (as discussed extensively on TheOnlinePhotog yesterday) thinking maybe he doesn't need this aggravation. To me the real question is whether the DPReview type of exhaustive factual review helps simplify or accelerate buying decisions, or you need Mike Johnson telling you they are all crap, but you just might get good pictures with this one.

scott

PS, my understanding of the startup buyout market today is that few entrepreneurs get so rich that they are off to the Carribean. I'd expect Phil to buy an even fancier BMW (or two) and tell us all about it, but stay at the helm of DPReview for at least a year or more.
 

Steve Saunders

New member
This sort of acquisition is common. I know EBay bought out a motorcycle site and forum a couple of years ago for almost $50k, then of course they gutted the site and ruined it. Seemed they just wanted the domain name to take advantage of the hits.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
DPReview and Amazon make a good match. Phil's cataloging of so many similar cameras is a great resource for pople who think the cameras are really much different and leads them to Amazon where at least they will get some chance of more security since some stores to date that might not show so well in resellerratings.com.

Phil's testing really was important at the beginning of the flood of digital cameras. Now, less so. He doesn't get Canon DSLR's first anymore! Maybe now that will change.

This obsessional testing must be soul destroying as it brings one lttle. Digicams are pretty well commodities like sugar or potatoes!

Asher
 

MArk Le

New member
But in the context of the m&a world the transaction was probably petty cash

thanks for the link!


so, sold it for free?

I mean... why? Amazon must be really good closing deals! I am speechless.. dunno what to say

still a review must be independent, if not then it's not a review but something else. in my opinion.
 
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