Peter Bartlett wrote:
Maybe the ISBN page could be re-worded to include make
the amazon link a
referrer link but also include a notice that this is a referrer link and
a link to , e.g., [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia's use of referrer links#Why link
to Amazon]] which spells out why someone might prefer NOT to click that
page, but to go to another bookseller instead.
Also, I have never seen an ISBN reference in Wikipedia unrelated to the
actual book title. I'm sure that if someone feels so strongly against
Amazon/Wikimedia or their relationship they can still use their minds
and skills to make a decision they're happy with regardless of where and
how we link (e.g. go to Amazon via direct URL and perform the search
manually, search at other booksellers, search on Google, ask friends,
place an ad, physically search in bookshops, etc).
The only possible "unethical" possibility would be to actually surcharge
the buyer for the reference to Amazon. As long as that's (obviously) not
happening, Wikimedia is clean and its spirit is pure--after all, it's
offering what most of the commerical community would call a free
service: it spares the poor buyer of the agony to manually search the
Amazon database (the horror!).
Just my 2c,
--Gutza