> madness
Why shouldn't something be patentable, just because it's easy to replicate? > madness
Why shouldn't something be patentable, just because it's easy to replicate?Amazon's real innovation was combining one-click ordering with easy order cancellation for a few minutes after the order. This makes enabling one-click ordering low-risk. Many on-line sales operations still don't get this, as I mentioned the last time this came up on HN. Most shopping cart programs have a built-in attitude of "We have your money now, muhaaa haaa". Yes, you can "contact customer service to cancel." ("Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed... Due to unusually high call volume...")
Now the people who don't get this will implement one-click ordering without easy cancellation and anger their customers.
> obvious in advance, not obvious in hindsight
Thanks! That's what I was looking for. Many things we take for granted, which are so simple and obvious, are not obvious at all when they don't exist... I remember exactly those experiences everywhere - you have to register to add an item to a shopping card... And yes, you MUST give us your mother's maiden name...