Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion
Goodreads Tips, etc.
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Carol:I hope they are able to make this happen!!!
Carol/Bonadie wrote: " It would be nice if once one edits a post, there was a checkbox to indicate if you wanted it to appear as "new" again. .. "
Teresa wrote: "um how do I get there teresa"Teresa:
Click on the link at the top of the page that says "groups". That will bring you to the Groups home page.
Look to the right and you will see a field that says "find groups". Type "Goodreads Feedback" into the field and click "find groups." That will bring you to the Goodreads Feedback page.
You will be able to read the posts, but you can't respond or comment unless you are a member. You join that group the same way you joined this one. Also, once you are a member the name appears in your My Groups list and you can cut out the part where you have to do a search to find it.
Hey I did this quite easily, now if I can only manage my bookshelves LOL and I signed up for good librarians too
Carol or Cheryl or ? How do I permanently uncheck "add to my update feed & "email me when people reply" boxes?
How do I format comments, e.g. underline, or have bold or italics?
I am definitely not sold on Goodreads.
Julie wrote: "Carol or Cheryl or ? How do I permanently uncheck "add to my update feed & "email me when people reply" boxes?
How do I format comments, e.g. underline, or have bold or italics?
I am definitely..."
julie-
at the top- go to my account. when that opens, click on notifications. you can choose what gets shown, what gets emailed, etc.
Julie asked: " How do I permanently uncheck "add to my update feed & "email me when people reply" boxes?How do I format comments, e.g. underline, or have bold or italics?"
Julie,
So good to see you here! I hope you'll become sold on Goodreads once you get used to it. It does take some adjustment.
To uncheck your updates and notifications, go to the link that says "Hi, Julie" at the top of any page. Click that and then click My Account. Click the "Notifications" tab and you can uncheck stuff to your heart's content.
Several of us have found that unchecking doesn't fully "take" for a while. What I found is that for discussions I'd joined before unchecking notifications, I'd still receive notifications until the discussion died its own natural death. Some people may have found out more about this and can chime in here.
For the full dope on how to do the html, click "(some html is ok)" just above the reply box and you'll get an instruction screen. The html is more difficult than the AOL buttons, but not really too hard at all.
The quick answer is that you start any formatting just before what you want to format with a left carat (<)then the initial of what you want to do (i=italics, b=bold, u=underline), followed by the right carat. At the end of the group of words you're formatting, use the same cluster, but with a / in front of the letter.
So let's say I want to do formatting "x" for the first words of the Pledge of Allegiance. Here's what it would look like in the reply box:
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Clear as mud? Really, look in the "some html is okay" link. It will help AND there are also cool other things you can do like make the title of a book or an author's name into a link.
Jan O'Cat
Julie:Once you get the hang of it I predict you will be addicted to Goodreads! We'll help you!
Julie wrote: " How do I format comments, e.g. underline, or have bold or italics?
I am definitely not sold on Goodreads. "
Julie, I made my way over here about a month ago and now that I am so much fun with the bookshelf, it is so much better than AOL. I really like that the posts are there and I don't have to search since AOL never allowed me to search. For example, when I finish Absent friends, I can just scroll to that topic and read. And if you have questions, ask away. I did LOL teresa
I can't tell if this is new, but if I click on the "unread" link to get a list of unread posts, I see a link next to the "unread" link in the new list that says "mark unread". Unfortunately it looks like it marks the entire thread unread, which isn't usually what one wants, but I was wondering if that had always been there or was new. Anyone else know?
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I can't tell if this is new, but if I click on the "unread" link to get a list of unread posts, I see a link next to the "unread" link in the new list that says "mark unread". Unfortunately it loo..."i just noticed that, too ,carol. not sure what it does, though..lol
Carol, it hasn't been there before tonight. I'm also assuming it marks the whole thread unread or at least the whole page. I'm afraid to try it so I'm going to wait for some other intrepid person. It would be good to find a short thread to try it, but I don't have the energy right now.Jan O'Cat
Hmmm. I tried it when I only had one thread with an unread comment and couldn't see any discernable change. I'll have to experiment again. perhaps the link is there, but the functionality of the new mark unread link is still in the works.
JanOMalleycat wrote: "Carol, it hasn't been there before tonight. I'm also assuming it marks the whole thread unread or at least the whole page. I'm afraid to try it so I'm going to wait for some other intrepid person. ..."
Yes, mark unread is a brand new feature. I am deliberately getting Goodreads Feedback in digest in my e-mail so I can keep up with changes to the site. It does mark an entire thread unread. I don't think Goodreads is designed to do anything with individual posts. When it marks read, it marks the entire thread too.Shomeret
Shomeret wrote: "Yes, mark unread is a brand new feature. I am deliberately getting Goodreads Feedback in digest in my e-mail so I can keep up with changes to the site. It does mark an entire thread unread. I don't think Goodreads is designed to do anything with individual posts. When it marks read, it marks the entire thread too...."
Oh, that's a great idea, Shom, getting that group in digest form. The volume of posts there is overwhelming.
This raises the issue of post versus thread (or topic, as they call it). I wonder if it is worth encouraging people to create new topics rather than piggybacking on old ones. I know this will raise the threaded vs. unthreaded conversation, and some people really like the ebb and flow of a long range of posts in one topic. I don't feel strongly about doing more threaded than we already do. There are two reasons to -- 1) you can mark topics unread but not mark individual posts unread, and 2) moderators can only move topics, cannot move individual comments within topics. So being able to mark a topic unread when it has 5 comments, if you're doing it for the purpose of finding a particular comment later, is more manageable than marking a topic unread when it has 50 posts.
For the purposes of marking unread, it does sound like a good idea to proliferate threads. OTOH, if you're trying to read the entire board and it has fifty topics instead of ten, that could look overwhelming.Shomeret
Shomeret:I haven't been able to figure out how the new mark unread option will work yet. Did your digest of feedback indicate it was functional now? Just curious.
On the idea of more topics vs. longer threads, the threads with 100+ messages are rather daunting when I visit other groups where I am not caught up as I am here. I don't usually want to devote enough time to read that many comments in one sitting, and being unable to mark where I stopped, have left those alone. I suppose that makes a case for more threads with shorter lists of messages, but I do think a ton of unread topics could be considered a bit intimidating too.
It is too bad there isn't an unthreaded option for reading comments in chronological order as an additional option too. That would certainly lead to more topics!
Shomeret wrote: "For the purposes of marking unread, it does sound like a good idea to proliferate threads. OTOH, if you're trying to read the entire board and it has fifty topics instead of ten, that could look o..."
Ann wrote: "I haven't been able to figure out how the new mark unread option will work yet. Did your digest of feedback indicate it was functional now? Just curious."Ann, I just used the Mark Unread over at BNC for our monthly read nominations thread. It worked exactly as we've expected: the entire thread (only 4 or 5 posts at this point) was marked unread. When I went back to Unread Topics it came up as if I'd never touched it.
That would be unwieldy on the threads that have over 100 posts, although it might be worth it if you wanted to remember to come back to a particular post or thread very, very badly. Especially if it were a topic that might be inclined to be neglected and disappear beneath the "most recent" system Goodread employs. I'm thinking that spoiler posts for a particular book would be a good use of Mark Unread, especially if you wanted to stop midstream but didn't want to have to look for the thread again.
Jan O'Cat
I should add my true confession: On BNC I mindlessly immediately clicked the thread I'd just marked unread--it's such a habit just to click the little red print. And then I realized that thread will be in frequent use for the next few days, so I didn't really need to "Unread" it at this point. LOL!Jan O'Dumbcat
I just noticed something interesting about the "Mark Unread" link that appears at the top of the topic. I thought it marked everything unread, including messages that were read in previous sessions. So I tried it on a small topic that had 5 posts, 2 of which were marked "new" when I opened it. When I came back to the thread later, the only posts that were marked "new" were the ones that had been new when I marked it, in other words, the 2 referenced above.
I tried it on another topic and the same thing happened.. the only posts that were marked as new after I'd read them and then clicked the "Mark Unread" link were the ones new when I opened the thread.
If this is the way it works, it's tons more useful to those of us who want to use it than we had feared. At least for those of use who keep fairly current, which isn't so hard on this board as it isn't super-active.
Carol:Two things are great about the new "mark unread" link for saving as new again the latest new messages in a thread - it works great and it shows how responsive Goodreads is to user feedback.
What a refreshing experience it is to have such a supportive, accessible, well rounded website with easy to use features to keep up with so many aspects of our favorite books and book friends!
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I just noticed something interesting about the "Mark Unread" link that appears at the top of the topic. I thought it marked everything unread, including messages that were read in previous session..."
Ann wrote: "Two things are great about the new "mark unread" link for saving as new again the latest new messages in a thread - it works great and it shows how responsive Goodreads is to user feedback.What a refreshing experience it is to have such a supportive, accessible, well rounded website with easy to use features to keep up with so many aspects of our favorite books and book friends!...."
You said it, Ann. In fact, I think I will go over to the feedback group and say a word of thanks.
Carol:I also discovered today there is a 'Goodreads Librarians' group for any corrections to be made to the book or author listings here. I joined the group today. You could find it from my profile page list of My Groups. I had posted on Goodreads Feedback about a duplicate odd entry for Laura Lippman reversed as Laura, Lippman and they quickly corrected it, and referred me to that group for any other issues.
Ann wrote: "Carol:I also discovered today there is a 'Goodreads Librarians' group for any corrections to be made to the book or author listings here. I joined the group today. You could find it from my profi..."
Ann, I did know about that group but thought I'd hold off joining it until I had something to report, which I haven't so far.
One thing I need to pay more attention to is the version I am reading, especially CDs of books I'm reading. I haven't figured out how to record my progress on disks... do they list them by disk or do you still have to figure out a page? I can do it through amazon.com, which has search-able versions of most books, but certain pages can't be searched (they probably don't want you reading the entire book online) so it's a little tricky.
Carol:Re: tracking the status of our progress as we listen to audio books. I have a pretty good method that has worked for me. I use the GR book edition with page counts and then after I have read the book, I change the version to the audio.
Since we know the count of either the downloaded segments or number of total CD's with an audio book; I "do the math" by dividing my progress by the total CD count to get a percentage of the book listened to and then multiply that percentage by the book's total page count.
Example. Say I am at the end of CD 1 of The Book Thief. I divide 1 by the total disk count of 11 and come up with 0.090 or 9.0% read and then multply that times the total page count of 552 equals approximately page 50. When I am midway through disk 5, or four and a half disks in, I will divide 4.5 by 11 and then multply by 558 (40% of the book complete or 226 pages approximately)
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "One thing I need to pay more attention to is the version I am reading, especially CDs of books I'm reading. I haven't figured out how to record my progress on disks... do they list them by disk or do you still have to figure out a page? I can do it through amazon.com, which has search-able versions of most books, but certain pages can't be searched (they probably don't want you reading the entire book online) so it's a little tricky."
Ann wrote: "Since we know the count of either the downloaded segments or number of total CD's with an audio book; I "do the math" by dividing my progress by the total CD count to get a percentage of the book listened to and then multiply that percentage by the book's total page count...."Wow! I bet you are good at word math problems too! LOL.
I'll remember that if I can be so organized. But I thend to upload my audio files into iTunes so that I can then load them on my Shuffle. So that's another layer in the process. I'll stick to my method of searching the amazon.com posted version .
Carol:Do you like using your Shuffle for audio books? I read an article online that commented the lack of a screen for viwing and the limited controls weren't "good" for audio books on anything less than a Nano. I suppose the new tiny Shuffle with the control on the headset cord is even harder to manage. I am glad I pulled out my Axim PDA for attempting Overdrive downloads again. I am enjoying Lethal Legacy A Novel this week, and I appreciate the screen for the status of minutes and the segment I am listening to.
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "But I tend to upload my audio files into iTunes so that I can then load them on my Shuffle. So that's another layer in the process. I'll stick to my method of searching the amazon.com posted version "
Ann wrote: "Carol:Do you like using your Shuffle for audio books? I read an article online that commented the lack of a screen for viwing and the limited controls weren't "good" for audio books on anything l..."
Ann, I LOVE using my Shuffle for audio books, I use it for that exclusively (well, I also listen to podcasts of radio sports shows, NPR programs, etc.). I love that it is lightweight, can just be clipped to my blouse or jacket, and I can easily pause without taking it off if I need to listen or talk to someone.
It's probably not for everyone for two reasons.
(1) It is labor intensive to manage transfer of books onto it. I upload library CDs into iTunes and then drag the tracks onto the Shuffle. The upload takes the time (I think that is in part due to a sluggish computer), dragging takes seconds. How much it will hold depends on the capacity of your iPod. I usually only load about 3 or 4 disks on because of the second reason.
(2) There are two options for playing disks.. shuffle (random play) and sequential. Obviously sequential is what you want for a book on CD, but heaven forbid you should accidentally press the button to switch between shuffle and sequential (it is possible to do because it's on the same side of the Shuffle as the on/off switch). Once I had a ton of tracks loaded on, and I accidentally switched to shuffle mode. Since you can't see exactly where you are on the Shuffle unless you attach it to your computer, the only way to find your place if you've turned shuffle mode on (and have already advanced to the next random track) is to skip around until you get to a track you've already listened to, and then switch to sequential till you advance to where you're stopped.
You can move forward and backward through tracks manually by pressing on a part of the wheel on the front. You raise and lower volume by pressing on the other two sections of the wheel. Because the wheel is small (the Shuffle is small) you have to be careful about where you press or you'll advance the track when you were trying to raise or lower the volume, and vice versa.
One other quibble... I find I can't raise the volume as high as I want to in limited situations, like when I'm walking on a busy street and the noise of passing cars competes with the Shuffle.
Okay, I can see I'm probably not convincing anyone a Shuffle is the way to go, but as I say, I love it. I'm thinking about buying a second one, and it will not be a Nano. I just love the portability of the Shuffle. And the price is right, I think they're down to about $49.
Carol:My first comment is a double thanks! I was able to read this post last night and then save it as new to read again today and respond. I appreciate your asking the Goodreads Feedback Admins to add this helpful feauture! I saw from the Goodreads Feedback group that if a message time is in "hours and minutes ago" instead of a date and time, those will be marked as unread too even if previously read in that thread and marked read - and I found that to be true.
Anyway thanks for the helpful info on the Shuffle and the laugh over the idea of random tracks book reading by accident.
and a tip. I almost bought one and didn't. Avon.com offers a special gold Shuffle for $29 with a purchase of a couple of items online and has a book promo that is similar but slightly different for customers ordering from a representative - in case anyone is tempted to buy a Shuffle. The older models that Carol described and in that offer sound easier to use than the new tiny one offered on the Apple store site. (Type ipod in the search box on the Avon.com site)
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "(2) There are two options for playing disks.. shuffle (random play) and sequential. Obviously sequential is what you want for a book on CD, but heaven forbid you should accidentally press the button to switch between shuffle and sequential (it is possible to do because it's on the same side of the Shuffle as the on/off switch). Once I had a ton of tracks loaded on, and I accidentally switched to shuffle mode. Since you can't see exactly where you are on the Shuffle unless you attach it to your computer, the only way to find your place if you've turned shuffle mode on (and have already advanced to the next random track) is to skip around until you get to a track you've already listened to, and then switch to sequential till you advance to where you're stopped."
I have an ipod shuffle, but use it exclusively to listen to music. I absolutely LOVE it! My DH has a regular ipod. We do not have high speed access, so we can't use itunes to download. What we've done is put all the CDs we have collected over the years on the itunes ap. THEN, we stared borrowing CDs from the Library to copy for our own use. I think he has abour 5,500 songs on file. I have my own "Donna's music" file with about 425 songs on it. The Shuffle will hold about 200 songs. When I plug the Shuffle in and hit 'autofill' it will delete and add about 110 or so songs. So I can rotate through them, and it's like I'm programing my own radio station.
I like Carol's suggestion and instructions about how to load audio books; if I'm ever in that situation, I'll know how to do that now.
Who can believe how far we've come since the days of 45 RPMs and turntables???
Donna in Southern Maryland
Ann wrote: "Avon.com offers a special gold Shuffle for $29 with a purchase of a couple of items online and has a book promo that is similar but slightly different for customers ordering from a representative - in case anyone is tempted to buy a Shuffle. The older models that Carol described and in that offer sound easier to use than the new tiny one offered on the Apple store site. (Type ipod in the search box on the Avon.com site) ..."Ann, thanks for this tip!! I'm going to check it out. And you're welcome about the Mark As New feature. I keep meaning to go over and thank them or adding that. Isn't it great to have a board managed by real people who respond to your feedback?
Donna:Indeed! Now we have youtube where you can also catch live performances that we would never have been able to view before too .... My niece for example, who is a talented songwriter and singer - Kalisa Ewing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJwu0C...
Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "Who can believe how far we've come since the days of 45 RPMs and turntables??? "
"This has probably been asked before but I couldn't find a reference.
It would be nice if once one edits a post, there was a checkbox to indicate if you wanted it to appear as "new" again. The wiki I use at work has this feature. If I'm just correcting a typo I wouldn't bother checking the update box, but if I had added new content to a post that I wanted people to see, I would."
There have been a couple of "I agree with this" posts, so I'm hopeful it will get action. Someone else made the point that it would be useful for others as well, if you wanted to mark a post as "new" again in order to return to it quickly later, instead of bookmarking or trying to remember where the post lived. I KNOW this is something M/T-ers would appreciate.
If any of you are members of the GR Feedback Group you might look for that post under the Suggestions folder and add a comment. I'm sure they're inundated with suggestions and it could be that number of positive responses to a suggestion have some impact on how quickly they get addressed. Of course we may also hear back that there is a practical reason why this can't be done in this platform, but it would be good to have that answer too.