World, Writing, Wealth discussion
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Goodreads forever or a little shorter?
I enjoy Goodreads. I'm in another group that has face to face get togethers, where we all swap books and eat lunch together. For me, it's about being part of a reading community, and also a place to connect with 'fans' should they so wish. Generally, most groups aren't keen on authors promoting their own stuff (this one is actually an exception) which is quite understandable.
I enjoy the discussions in this group.
Leonie wrote: "I enjoy Goodreads. I'm in another group that has face to face get togethers, where we all swap books and eat lunch together. ....
I enjoy the discussions in this group. .."
Cool. I'm thinking how we can organize a lunch and beers too. Allowing for different continents and time zones, not an easy task, unless Bezos offers sponsorship for such a get-together -:)
Nik wrote: "So, what is goodreads about? :)"The true purpose of Goodreads is bringing all book lovers together from all walks of life and having everyone together in one place to share their passion of books! :)
On a more personal level - the place is wonderful to me as it truly does connect people from all parts of the globe so that we can all share not only books, but thoughts about life and the things that we all deal with in our lives.
For lots of people this site is their social media as compared to other social media sites it has more appeal because of the book thoughts that everyone can share.
There is no other social media site truly like it as it not only brings authors and readers together, it really defines our passion for the books we as readers love to read and you the authors love to write. :-)
Where else can you go on social media that draws that type of connection together? That is why there are millions on this site. I didn't realize how many millions of people were on here either until just recently when I did a search - there is about 90 million book lovers on here - give or take! :-)
So that is what Goodreads means to me! :-)
I love Goodreads. Not only do I keep track of all the books I read, I get to discuss books as well. I am on different groups here and I love talking books with them. I have a buddy and we read books together and we can discuss them. I also find other books I want to read. Goodreads is my go to. The only thing I hate about Goodreads. I have a lot of men who try to pick me up on here. So if you have experience this who are ladies be warned. When you get a friend request and it a man who only read a few books to accept them as friends. Most are scams or they are after your money. Stay away!! I will they all would leave me alone!!
This is my prime social media site and not just because I'm a would be author but this group and a couple of others is where I have debates and global interaction. I've learnt a lot here and hopefully helped others understand some different points of view.I read too of course, but not as much and with more criticism - not translated into reviews for a while - I'll rate or DNF
I approached this thread with trepidation, Nik, as I would like to see Goodreads, and especially this group, go on forever or at least as long as I'm able to participate. I've learned so much here about other cultures and points of view, and always in a safe environment. That's due to you moderators and to those of us who can discuss just about anything with impunity. That's priceless and well appreciated by our members, I believe. Don't know anywhere else on the web where this is true.
I joined GoodReads in 2012 as a must to build an online presence for marketing as a would-be author (same as Philip and others) which hasn't been wildly successful because the discussion boards in other groups get so flooded with people self-marketing their work that you can't help but glaze over it and move on. So there's probably a lot of good stories that will never be as popular as they should be but GoodReads is, at its core, more about a place for readers to discuss books.That said, as a reader, I have found the reviews on GoodReads to often be more useful and detailed than Amazon and other sites and I use it frequently when I am searching for books to put on my TBR shelf. However, as with everything these days, you have to be more careful with people who post fake reviews, etc.
But in terms of participating in groups, I was starting to become a little disenfranchised until I stumbled upon this group which has very meaningful and pertinent discussions about current events, social, and pertinent topics. In just a few months, I have more than doubled my number of posts in any other group on GR, even ones that I joined years ago.
I credit this to the excellent job the moderators have done. (And I've said it previously in another post: you guys had me with the "A day in the office" thread! Those are absolute gold! You should compile them all into a book one day.)
And what's the deal with the foot in the group image? For the longest time I thought it was a hand.
G.R. wrote: "I joined GoodReads in 2012 as a must to build an online presence for marketing as a would-be author (same as Philip and others) which hasn't been wildly successful because the discussion boards in.... And what's the deal with the foot in the group image? For the longest time I thought it was a hand."Oh that is a good question G.R.! That is funny you should bring that up as I haven't paid much attention before now - I just glanced at it as I thought it was a hand too! LOL :) Oh my gosh!! I think I need new glasses!!! :)
Maybe it is symbolic of "walking through money"? :)
I joined Goodreads in November, 2013 at the request of the publicist assigned to promote my novel. Since I prefer not to socialize via the internet, I was hesitant. After the publisher agreed to create a brief biography and photo to post on my Author's Profile, I agreed to give it a try. I have no regrets.Although I choose to post a comment within a group discussion only if and when I feel that I have something constructive to add and prefer to just observe and learn, I have become acquainted with several novice writers who have shared their personal experiences within the literary field and received suggestions for several fantastic books from avid readers that I may not have discovered otherwise.
I will no doubt remain an active member until either Goodreads tires of me or I of it.
G.R. wrote: "I joined GoodReads in 2012 as a must to build an online presence for marketing as a would-be author (same as Philip and others) which hasn't been wildly successful because the discussion boards in ..."I have put a few onto my One Day in the Office onto my blog - mostly my own meagre contributions. It's great when others take part in all discussions.
Speaking for myself I like seeing new contributors, whatever their point of view or sense of humour. If I get time and the mood takes One Day will get a slot in my schedule.
Glad to hear the positive feedback about the group. Apart from moderator's status, there is no difference between members and moderators and all members that care to bring up new themes for discussion and participate in the running ones form and make this community interesting and its ambiance hospitable. Many thanks! Yes, I've sacrificed a foot to tread on all those banknotes. As one of the group's motto's is "Get rich", I hope all will improve their financial standing sufficiently to tread on the dough and not assign too much importance to it:) Hope by stomping on them, I'm not "burning somebody's flag".
Some time ago under group's auspices we've managed to compile a short stories anthology (not very successful in terms of sales I should say), maybe "One day..." can be complemented and turned into something more organized and designated. Should be fun, even if it doesn't gain a tremendous exposure. Wonder whether all those who contributed support the idea and want to expand it?
Nik wrote: "Glad to hear the positive feedback about the group. Apart from moderator's status, there is no difference between members and moderators and all members that care to bring up new themes for discuss..."Support the idea.. i was thinking of asking for permission from contributors to re-publish in my blog to connect dots, but always willing to look at alternatives
Philip wrote: "Support the idea.. i was thinking of asking for permission from contributors to re-publish in my blog to connect dots, but always willing to look at alternatives..."As of my parts, you have my permission and I'll be honored with whatever parts you choose for the blog. We can maybe also try to compile an anthology, co-authored by all participating contributors and launch it on Amazon
I don't remember how or why I ended up on Goodreads. Someone's suggestion, a search for a free book or a book review... But, being able to keep a list of books I read was what I used it for primarily. I joined and posted in a few groups, but there really wasn't a lot of activity.Being invited to join this group resulted in me spending a lot more time in Goodreads. I barely check my FB. It used to be one could have discussions like we do here on various topics, but FB deteriorated into constant memes and boring political comments. As Scout stated, in Goodreads, and especially in this group, I get to "talk" to a lot of people from around the world with a varied view and multiplicity of experiences from which I have learned much. I can express my opinions and ideas without being insulted or denigrated.
I like it here. :)
Lizzie wrote: "....I like it here. :)..."Until they add a "like" button, one needs to write it fully :)
Glad to hear!
Until 2015,I had never heard of goodreads.And I guess I never would have if someone on another site hadn't mentioned it.Out of curiosity,I checked it out.I had never used a social network before and apart from goodreads,I still don't.The site actually rekindled my interest in reading,something I had been doing less and less of.Also made me remember so many books I had read years and years ago.I read them again,and add many to the goodreads database.Writing reviews of each book I read has become a hobby too.There are some good groups,met plenty of interesting people from around the world and I'm a bit addicted to goodreads.
There is another site,librarything,which is similar to goodreads,but it isn't as well organized and I didn't find it much fun.There used to be a site called shelfari,which closed down.I sometimes wonder if a similar fate were to befall goodreads.Then,all these goodreads friends would just disappear.That would be a tough thing to deal with.
But hopefully,that won't happen as Amazon seems to be in robust financial health.
W wrote: "There is another site,librarything,which is similar to goodreads,but it isn't as well organized and I didn't find it much fun...."Me too, didn't find library thing that engaging
Same here. GoodReads really manages to capture my...whoa, hey, squirrel!
I see that GR has added a Captcha (a box one needs to check to declare s/he's not a robot). Am I the only one suspected or other encountered it too when opening a new thread?
Nik wrote: "I see that GR has added a Captcha (a box one needs to check to declare s/he's not a robot). Am I the only one suspected or other encountered it too when opening a new thread?"I haven't seen that Nik. Is it still doing it when you open a new thread?
I am a co-mod on another group on here and I haven't seen the captcha box come up at all. Of course some weird stuff has been going on here lately as well with notifications being shut down for a few days about a week ago and weird things are still happening as sometimes Goodreads will just lock everyone out with an error message - has happened twice to me in the last three days.
I've been using this website for years. I had an account from around age 10 up until age 15, but I lost access to it. I've had this one since my sophomore year of high school, and now I'm a freshman at a university.I'll say that for me it's more of a way to log my reading for personal reasons - sort of like a time capsule. I can go back right now and see all the different genre phases I've gone through so far. I don't log on and talk here actively, but I do read forum posts from others often. It's also good for finding new books to read.
Marie wrote: "... I haven't seen that Nik. Is it still doing it when you open a new thread?..."Haven't tried lately ... Yes, GR has its glitches every once in a while :)
jessica wrote: "...I don't log on and talk here actively, but I do read forum posts from others often. It's also good for finding new books to read...."Good to know and you're welcome to participate more actively, if you so choose :)
Jessica, I agree that it's a great place to find new books to read. Do you get the weekly summaries of reviews from friends? I love that feature and expand my reading horizons by seeing reviews of what others are reading. I've been lax lately in writing reviews. I need to get back to that. Just takes a little more time and effort.
The lag btw notifications and actual events is a few good hours already for a couple of days. Jeff might have tech problems operating the site?
The lag is around11-12 hours it seems. Kinda negates the instant chatting. But maybe not everywhere?
Looks like the problem is finally solved and synchronization returned
I was a bit early to cheer about things being back to normal. They are not. The lag is back
Nik wrote: "I was a bit early to cheer about things being back to normal. They are not. The lag is back"You poor thing - have you been talking to yourself over here? lol :-)
I will tell you what is odd - for some reason I am not getting notifications from some of the groups I am in and I even went into my profile settings making sure that everything was marked to receive notifications.
Also there is still a lag with updates and it seems to happen during the night for some strange reason but then by the morning time I will have 20+ notifications. So does that mean Goodreads slows down the notifications during the hours when people are asleep or is that just my imagination? LOL :)
Marie wrote: "You poor thing - have you been talking to yourself over here? lol :-)..."Mostly :) As well as updating the gang about the development.
Yeah, notifications - it seems the site has problems delivering them instantly, so it sends them in weird bulks. The situ seems better the last few days. Hope it won't just disappear one day
Speaking in general and not in terms of this group, I think I came to Goodreads to talk about my books. What you find is most of the groups are hostile about authors talking about their books, banishing self promotion to a section of the groups no one goes to or engages with. And you're ostracized if you talk about your characters or your story in relation to a discussion in the rest of the group. The flip side to that is most authors don't want to talk about their books, they just pop up in a group to say "Buy my book," before moving to to spam the next group. It feels like it's rare to have something like here where the authors are allowed to jump into a discussion with "In relation to this topic, I had a character who..." or "I created a world with a government just like the one we're talking about. I admit I don't click on the threads "My book is 99 cents on Amazon this week!" But it is interesting following Graeme's advertising journey in his promotional threads, and it's interesting hearing about the stories others craft when they shoehorn it in a discussion on inflation or something.I guess GR isn't much different than Twitter where the authors just shill their books like I do, or they ask an insincere question to lure in the likes and retweets.
Hmm... a novelty. Now the site won't let me post on a "religion" thread
The site is down today on replying to someone on threads so if you were trying to reply to someone in a group it is not working today. The reply status has flew the coop! Lol! :)
Exactly, took me sometime to figure it out :)
One more frustration for us Nik - just one other thing to make us grind our teeth with this site! :)
For me the site was just "down" tonight for a while. I use a website "is it down right now" to check if it's just me or my internet glitching or if it's the site. Personally, it's always a relief to find out it's not me.
I came when I found out about the site due to the books and I stayed for the books and discussion. Mostly good times, but had a heartbreak or two with past groups.
I became a member in November, 2013 at the suggestion of the publisher of my novel, released in 2011. The novel ceased to be commercially available in 2016; however, I remain a member because I enjoy the book reviews and recommendations, as well as occasionally participating in a discussion or debate.I actively participate in a discussion only when I have something new to add to the conversation. I enjoy a lively, intelligent debate regarding a variety of subjects. That said; I cease to follow the discussion if it devolves into a spitting match. In such a situation, everyone just ends up covered in spit and nothing gets resolved.
Due to the great moderators here, I've never had the spit thing happen, but in other groups, it's been bad.
The app seems to be down. Able to access from my comp, but not from the cellphone
Scout wrote: "Due to the great moderators here, I've never had the spit thing happen, but in other groups, it's been bad."What is the "spit thing", Scout? :)
Some groups there are moderators, but they just let the groups run amok without getting involved. I have seen some wild things happen on one group on this site that has quite a few mods, but they never jump into any fray or straighten anyone out. It is a free for all basically. I only pop over there to peek in (lol) and then I come back to my cozy groups if I don't like what I see over there. lol :)
Nik wrote: "The app seems to be down. Able to access from my comp, but not from the cellphone"The phone GR app is not that great and I find it down quite a bit. I am mostly on my laptop anyway so I just get on it to do some serious commenting and the like. With the GR app you cannot reply back to individual comments for one thing on here and sometimes the updates will not load. Sometimes with the updates I just get blank screens or it will say that update is not available.
Marie wrote: "Scout wrote: "Due to the great moderators here, I've never had the spit thing happen, but in other groups, it's been bad."What is the "spit thing", Scout? :)
Some groups there are moderators, bu..."
Check out post 43.
Scout wrote: "Check out post 43. ..."LOL! Or people extend their claws as well and start ripping! :)
Problem with notifications again. Bezos must be somewhere in outer space too busy to fix this up
Each has his/her own purposes: for authors it's kinda a must to be here, where so many readers are, for readers too - it's a place where you can discuss lit with fellow readers, while dodging desperate authors -:) Some others see it as another (maybe better) outlet for internet social mingling.
What are your goals and does Goodreads meet the expectations?