I confess that I had never thought of Amazon as a social network. Especially since the pandemic, we buy a lot of items there to avoid going to stores. We’ve tried to use other mass providers, like CVS, but more often than not, either the product is not available or the prices are way out of line. That said, we do try to buy from others – most recently from Holabird Sports.com who delivered just as fast as Amazon. We also wasted a trip to the Container Store to find the in-store selection was not close to what they claimed online. Since we wanted to see the item before committing, we did not buy.

All that aside, I was surprised to discover that Amazon functions as much more than an electronic marketplace. I have called it a “social network” because it appears to be used that way by a large number of people. Examples follow. Buckle up. I have not corrected spelling or grammar. It is what it is.

If you are sensitive, as I tend to be, about what other consumers have said about something you’re considering for purchase, you have likely taken the time to look at the Questions and Answers by other buyers. This is one of the advantages of a digital world. You don’t need to know someone to find out what they think. But, and this is the point, many of the answers come from people who did not buy the product but who have elected to answer anyway. I promise I did not make any of this up. These are an actual small sample of questions and answers from Amazon pages:

Question: “Does the paper towel holder have a non slip bottom?”

Answer: “I did not purchase this. Not me.”

Question: “Is this acutally tilex or clorox with tilex? is the product just as photo shows? i ordered a bottle of tilex and received the clorox replacement.”

Answer: “Can’t answer your question …. but I had a serious mold problem & this stuff is amazing be sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting bleach on & wear safety goggles. Some of the product hit the wall & bounced back in my eye 😦 no perminet damage”

Question: “Does it kill flu virus”

Answer: “It does not.”

Question: “I got clorox with Tilex. Did i get the wrong thing? It looks different than the picture?”

Answer: “I did as well. I don’t think they sell the Rolex.”

Question: “Does they remove things off of outdoor bounce houses”

Answer: “Not sure what an outdoor bounce house is. We use it inside the house primarily. It’s not so secret ingredient is highly concentrated bleach which removes most stains on the white tile, porcelain and Wood. Very wise to test on a small spot before using it widely. Hope this helps”

Question: “Can I use this on concrete walls down my basement?”

Answer: ‘Never tried that so I don’t know”

Question: “Can I use this on front loading wash machine?”

Answer: “I don’t know. I use it on shower doors.”

Question: “will this work on wood ?

Answer: “I have no idea I can tell you it did not work on tile”

Question: “Can this product be used on a 23 month old. He has a case of ringworm that won’t go away.”

Answer: “I dont know but it a safe soap i think u can u should google it n see”

Answer: “YES! It is gentle enough for your babies soon and powerful enough to combat the ringworm, I recommend you also use the Globe Clotrimazole cream with it and it should be gone within a few days”

Answer: “I’m sure it is as it is very gentle.”

Question: “I have fungle in my toe nails. Will this stuff help.”

Answer: “Haven’t used it for that, so sorry. But I think it is worth a try as part of a multi-treatment approach. :)”

Answer: “For toe nail fungus get pure tea tree Essential oil therapeutic grade and apply a drop on the nail twice a day only on the affected nail, if you’re wearing sandals. If you’ll be wearing socks and shoes, apply on the affected nail and on the sock on top of the nail. I hope it helps, it’s working for me.”

Answer: “If you soak your feet, it might help a little but you’ll probably want to use an ointment or see a podiatrist. If it’s bad enough, a doctor can laser your nails.”

Answer: “I didn’t buy for that purpose however I think, as the promotion says, it may help guard against it but I don’t believe it will clear it.”

Question: “Why can we see the ingredients?”

Answer: “I don’t know! Good question.”

Question: “Porque me cobraron siempre lo de el envio para ahora? Si no lo recibi el producto cuando pague para entrega rapida”

Answer: “I dint speak Spanish”

Question: “How many dish detergents are there, 1 or 4?”

Answer: “Unfortunately I can’t answer your question. I haven’t received my orders.”

Question: “How many Dawn soaps are there actually and how many ounces are they a piece?”

Answer: “Haven’t received product yet”

Answer: “I have not received this order yet. It is due to deliver 11/7.”

Question: “How many oz per bottle”

Answer: “I do not remember & no longer have any.”

Question: “Has anyone tried this to cover blemishes on embossed croc handbag?”

Answer: “Not to my knowledge.”

Answer: “Nope. I Do not recommend this .. it will ruin the smell and it will transfer on your clothes when in contact.. buy leather lotion for Bags ..”

Answer: “Sorry, I can’t help you with that.”

There are some obvious explanations for this, such as “pandemic loneliness,” but I can assure you I observed this behavior even before the pandemic. Another is simply that some people want to be helpful to others, but one wonders what “I don’t know” does to support that explanation. I leave this mystery to the reader because I’m sorry, but I don’t know.