Re: Harry Potter

I agree that the Internet has greatly enhanced the reach of Harry Potter, but the popularity? Not so sure. I mean you see people across all age groups reading the book. This was the effect of an information cascade--word of mouth, then the Internet. For the original HP readers (like Andrew and me), we didn't start reading the book because we saw the movie or the Halloween costume advertised, we heard about it from other people. So suggesting the Harry Potter hype is a lot of luck and downplaying it's quality is a way to hit people's (fanatic's) nerves. The series was good and people liked it. If they didn't, all the HP paraphernalia and movies wouldn't have followed. It's things that have products and such made about them before they start becoming popular that are the "fakes."