From: psperson@old.netcom.invalid   
      
   On Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:29:10 -0800, Bobbie Sellers   
    wrote:   
      
   >   
   >   
   >On 11/19/25 09:00, Paul S Person wrote:   
   >> On Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:22:46 -0000 (UTC),   
   >> wollman@hergotha.csail.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) wrote:   
   >>    
   >>> In article <10fipp3$1rpcl$1@dont-email.me>,   
   >>> William Hyde   wrote:   
   >>>> It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the resulting   
   >>>> trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit  tiring.   
   >>>   
   >>> I preordered a book on some non-Amazon site whose name I've forgotten   
   >>> a few months back, and now, in addition to the name of the site, I've   
   >>> also forgotten which book it was, so I guess it will be a surprise   
   >>> when two copies of it show up at my door on the same day.   
   >>>   
   >>> That's the real lock-in of Amazon.   
   >>    
   >> That's what financial manager programs are for -- recording pre-orders   
   >> with the expected reception date so you can always tell what it is and   
   >> who you pre-ordered it from.   
   >>    
   >> Alternately, a spreadsheet or text file (even a plain-jane one) can   
   >> serve the same purpose.   
   >>    
   >> The idea is to take /some/ control of one's life. At least enough to   
   >> not order the same book twice!   
   >   
   >	With the current prices of real books as opposed to kIndle and other   
   >formats that is a worth objective and I wish I had though of that some   
   >years back.  I got two of the same manga as a result.   
      
   Spreadsheets, unlike text files as I know them, are easily sorted.   
   Unfortunately, they are also easy to mess up. All you need is one sort   
   that omits a column followed by a File/Save and ... poof!   
      
   Personal database programs are a lot harder to mess up and just as   
   easy to sort. But not really suited to pre-orders.   
      
   Financial managers can handle pre-orders and search.    
      
   Note that I use all three. But I like complicated systems. Simplicity   
   is ... simpler. And more practical for many people.   
   --    
   "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,   
   Who evil spoke of everyone but God,   
   Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)