Amazon has certainly changed the book business, but did you know it also spawned an entire community of its online reviewers? To join, just go out to Amazon, select a book (or any item), and scroll down to: "Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers." Or for the unlucky author: "Be the first person to review this item."

I always tell authors to make sure somebody - anybody - reviews their book on Amazon, and I was showing someone just that when I noticed something called Spotlight Reviews. These are Customer Reviews which Amazon says "are based on how well the review was written and how helpful it was deemed by our customers."

"Helpful" - that word "helpful" sure sounded familiar. So, I decided to investigate.

Amazon reviewers number in the thousands, and one of them is none other than Newt Gingrich, who identifies himself as living in "Washington, DC United States."

There was Newt himself, giving up 5 stars and declaring one book to be "A Gem: Puts mystery, romance & discovery back into science." And I wondered - how could I have missed this? Romance … in science? Somebody should tell the gals on "Sex and the City."

I returned to reading his extensive bio, when I realized I could click on an icon and add Newt to my "favorite people" list. Momentarily stunned by the idea, this was the precise moment at which I slipped down the rabbit's hole and into the community of online reviewers.

You see, I always thought that Customer Reviews were just that: Simple customers who were moved to write a review. But beside each one, you see something along the lines of "3 of 5 people found the following review helpful," and at the end you are asked: Was it "helpful?"

This turns out to be a vote ranking the reviewers systemwide.

Harriet Klausner is #1 with read 9,405 Amazon reviews and read 58,442 helpful votes. Number 2 is Lawrance M. Bernabo, who tops Harriet with a thousand more reviews and even more helpful votes. He must have given some un-"helpful" reviews to only be rated #2. Either that, or Harriet has gamed the system.

Which the reviewers discuss openly in their online discussion boards, and personally made me a fan of the fellow who writes, "No loyalty votes, please." As well as the guy who declared "I write negative reviews." Apparently, you want to scope out the most popular books and then write positive reviews.

And don't forget your badges. Break into the top 1,000, or top 100, or dare we think it: top 10, and you get a special icon to display below your name, sort of like in the Boy Scouts, only temporary. Slip out of the top ten, and your badge summarily disappears.

Which is sad considering one of the discussion board topics is: "Know of any PAID Internet writing jobs." And even these entries are rated: high, neutral or ignore.

Which leads me to ask: Must everything be rated?

In describing all this, Amazon says "Let's hear it for democracy!" Democracy? Democracy is all about being able to voice your opinion, and not getting grief for it. Now, for the very first time, I actually wanted to cast a vote. But there's no voting on Amazon descriptions! "This isn't a democracy," I stammered, "This is a popularity contest!"

So to all you unpaid Amazon reviewers out there, know this: If you only contribute on occasion, and only when you are moved to do so, I want you to know I'll be reading your reviews, especially if you don't have a badge.

I'm Moira Gunn. This is Five Minutes.

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