SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion

I'm open to any suggestions you may have on how to improve the site. So, if there's anything you don't like about the site or would like to see done differently ... Give it to me straight, I can take it.


Suggestion Box
☑ Help! In-box overload! (a lighter in-box makes me happier)
Suggested by: chucklesthescot / COMPLETED! Offered ways to stop the influx of group emails (Opt-out options listed @ post #5-6)
☑ Create a space where we can track "specific character names/location names for certain challenges"
Suggested by: Judithe / COMPLETED! Created Book Database
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LOL! No suggestions at the moment, but will let you know. Thanks for letting me know and this is a brilliant idea! Hoping it will make series tracking easier, and help me find some new ones:)!

Yes, Pls do. I'm already re-thinking the way to post releases, messing around with the group bookshelf to see if I can come up with something easier to quickly view. We'll see. It's a work in progress! :) hehe

Thanks, Me2!

A way to opt out of receiving group emails?!! I'm not a fan of getting these things and having to choose replies for them all. Keep looking for ways on site to opt out but nothing has worked so far.

chucklesthescot wrote: "A way to opt out of receiving group emails?!! I'm not a fan of getting these things and having to choose replies for them all. Keep looking for ways on site to opt out but nothing has worked so far."

There are several ways you can do that.

(1) In each thread you've commented on, you have the option of how or if you receive emails notifying you of new posts. To edit: Above the "comment" window is a link that says "you are following this discussion". Click "edit" and you'll see options: digest (batched daily or weekly), individual or none.

(2) In each group you belong to, you have the option to edit emails you receive from that group. To edit: Look at the group's main page, top(ish) right side, under the main group links. You'll see "You are a member of this group (edit membership)". When you click on "edit membership", you'll have the option to change how/if you receive emails regarding the group's upcoming book reads and overall group discussions. The "group discussion update emails" will list all discussions you have participated in since joining that group. The default is typically "instant" notification when changes are made to a thread you have commented on.

(3) You can also edit all notifications on "your account". On your home page, click on "hi chucklesthescot", then click on "my account". Once there, click on the "notifications tab". There you can edit all (I believe) spots where you'd like or not like to receive emails from GR.

Hope that helps. :)

chucklesthescot wrote: "A way to opt out of receiving group emails?!! I'm not a fan of getting these things and having to choose replies for them all. Keep looking for ways on site to opt out but nothing has worked so far."

Yes, everything Steph said, and also, when you join a group, right away it gives you the option to choose how you'd like to get notifications. You chose "individual emails" when you joined groups (I'm pretty sure that's the default), but from now on, if you don't want individual emails when you join a group, you can also choose either "daily digest" or "no notifications".

It's not anything the group mods can do from their end, you have to change it in your account settings. :)

Recently, I've been looking for specific character names/location names for certain challenges. I haven't yet seen any place with that collected on GR and am wondering if anyone else would be interested in such a list?

If so, where could we (or I) start it? I kind of envision it as a section with a master list at the top (maybe divide the alphabet into several posts) and members can add name suggestions below that would be added into the master list. Some names are easy, but I'm ready to pull my hair out at the extreme lack of female characters whose first or last names start with "U"....

Judithe, that would come in handy for challenges. I just did a search on the shelves list on GR and nobody has any shelves like that.

Although we input characters into the book edits, we can't search it. It's just an information line.

I'd be willing to help. And once it's set up I imagine that most members would be willing to post names and book info.

I would suggest a couple of letters per post.
and perhaps eg:
Under A

Amber Diamond - Amber Diamond Goes to Town by Ruby Rose

and then we do the same for D

Using links for book names so it would be easy to search.

Open to all suggestions, just some thoughts....

That's pretty much what I was thinking...and maybe one list for first names, another for last.

Section: Book Details (catchier name)
Sub sections First names
Last Names
Settings

Include genre info (YA, PNR, UF, etc.)

Maybe using a couple of tags also Judithe, ie vamps, wolves, etc.

I wondered about putting that in too...worried this project might become too big...and I just can't let something go until my part in it is finished!

My children would suffer due to dirty laundry, barely-there-meals, and dust bunnies the size of T-rex accumulating! Too bad my obsessiveness doesn't include housework as well! Speaking of which, I think I have laundry to be hung out....

Understand the 'joy' of housework, so not.

I think if we keep it really simple, the tags would be ok.

Not sure exactly how you mean "tags"...lots of possibilities...
So... sample entries something like this:

Characters (last)
Thompson, Mercedes by Patricia Briggs Moon Called (UF??series) (Shifter, were-wolf, dragon, fae)

Characters (first)
Mercedes Thompson by Patricia Briggs Moon Called (UF??series) (Shifter, were-wolf, dragon, fae)

Settings
USA: Washington, Tri-Cities: Mercedes Thompson by Patricia Briggs Moon Called (UF??series) (Shifter, were-wolf, dragon, fae)

(Country/State, etc./City, etc.)

Or create another sub group:
Character Types in books & Series:
SHIFTERS
Mercedes Thompson by Patricia Briggs Moon Called (UF??series)
WEREWOLVES
Mercedes Thompson by Patricia Briggs Moon Called (UF??series)

Etc.

What do you think?

What a headache I'm sure but, like what you have going on in the top half of your possibilities.

That's a fantastic idea, ladies! And can I just say that, I'm with you, Judithe, on the whole "U" fem issue! UGH! That on has been holding up my A-Z for a while! LOL

I'll create a new folder called something like "Challenge Reference Center" and we can create threads within that however you guys think would be easiest to reference. I could also start a Google document/spreadsheet with headers like: character first name, last name, genre, tags (ie: were, witch, etc), location, and so on. The different columns would allow us to sort by any of those listed and then make it easier for each member to find what they're looking for. Make sense? I would obviously make it a shared document, so anyone of our members could add to it and use it to find whatever they happen to be searching for, just a thought.

I would be a bunch of work, but with everyone pitching in, we should be able to get a good size list going rather quickly. It could be a spot we go to after reading a book, plug in the info and move on. Plus, I think the help it would provide for the group's members would make it a rewarding task. I like those .. rewarding tasks. :)

I'm happy to create a new folder and just go with individual posts, if you'd rather. What do ya'll think?

I agree Amber. Judithe your 1st thought looked easier. I'm assuming you want to list them according to first name?

Book Name: (link) & Author (Link)
First name:
Last Name:
Settings:
Genre: (YA, PNR, UF, etc.)
Tag: (Vamps, Werewolves, witches etc)

What do you think?

That looks good and simple.

Are ya'll looking to sort only by character name or have another list for locations as well?

Who knows? Settings are the locations though. I was thinking if we keep all the book info simple and together we could manipulate it more easily.

We would need to do female and male names.

LOL I know that. (settings are locations) I meant, are ya'll looking to have a 2 lists going - one for character names and one for locations (or settings)? :)

I'll got ahead now and create a "Challenge Reference" folder and we can go from there. We can chat about it there and then I can delete our back&forth posts once we've got a plan. How's that?

ETA: New folder created and Q&A thread, as well.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...

Good. lol. I knew you knew that! Brain just wasn't working, husband just walked in the door. Had to go say hello.

I think Judithe was thinking of having a male list and a female list. So maybe a location list would work also.

Yeah! I was thinking we don't have to have separate m/f lists as long as we make a notation...

How would creating and linking a spreadsheet work? I'm not so savvy on getting those set up on the web...that might work better because we can add "necessary" categories. The categories in Amber's post, plus m/f, and maybe a note if it's a series (trilogy, duology, singleton)...popping over to see what's been set up so far!

Hey Japan dwellers! Have you read Battle Royale? Lots of Japanese names to fit in for the harder letters--that's where I got my female U & my male Y. :)

Oh...I'd forgotten about that completely...there was such a raging debate when the book and then the film first came out. Will definitely try and get ahold of it now...might even work to beg the library to buy it!

Ick! 600+ pages? You gotta be joking! LOL! Ok, ok, I'm being bias, not nice passing up the book just because it's a bit heavier than I normally like. I'll check the library.

LOL! I didn't even check the pages...maybe I'll have to start a 500+ pager challenge next year and include that in it!

Chickens.

HEHE @ CHICKENS was thinking the same thing...WOW
that sounds so good right now. I might have to take that out for dinner tomorrow.

LOL! At you ALL! @Judithe, you can count me outta the 2x4 challenge, thank you. LOL! @Laura hear me *bwak*bwak*bwak! YEP! hehe @Amber .. chicken for dinner. Too funny!

I'm just teasin' ya. :) I didn't even think the book was that great, so if you are going to read a 2x4, pick something else. :)

People say that The Hunger Games was a copy of Battle Royale, but I liked Hunger Games much better.

It's not that Battle Royale was bad, it was actually really good, but it was way too long--if they would have edited out about 100 pages it probably would have gotten another star from me. It wasn't a "can't put it down" book, just too much filler.

I know. I was just playing the part because I really am a chicken when it comes to "larger" books. Shame, I know, but that's the truth.

LOVED Hunger Games! Can't wait for Mockingjay!

Laura Lulu wrote: "I'm just teasin' ya. :) I didn't even think the book was that great, so if you are going to read a 2x4, pick something else. :)

People say that The Hunger Games was a copy of [book:..."

I read Battle Royale a couple of months ago and I agree about it being too long, I preferred The Hunger Games too. I really hated the ending. Lots of macabre humour though. One character (the serial killer) reminded me of The Terminator. I actually gave it an extra star because I figured it inspired Collins to write The Hunger Games.

LOL...think I'll just rent the movie!

Just a self serving suggestion :) I just started a book related blog - could we maybe have somewhere in the group to post a link to our book related blogs to share?

Sounds good Shellyrae, we'll get onto that, asap.

If a new spot hasn't already been created, you can post blog info in the 'WWW Resources' folder. When I wrote that 'book review sites' should go in that folder I was thinking about blogs that review books. Any blog that would be enjoyed by our group can be linked and discussed there.

Looking forward to checking out yours, Shelleyrae. :)

Thanks ladies - its pretty ordinary lol but who knows

Resurrecting old thread for future suggestions

Hi. I just want to know when the next bingo round is going to be? I wanna sign up but I always end up missing it

Joanne, Steph is moving countries in March, and it will be after Fantasyland finishes, so probably at least end of March / April.

Keep your eyes peeled towards the end of March ;)

Hope you'll be able to join us, Joanne. I'll give everyone a head's up before we start the next round. Need to get through this country jump first. ;)

I was wondering, is there a thread for recommendations? Say if someone's feeling a gritty urban fantasy (when are we not?) or maybe a YA dystopian without romance or a book that centres just on witches, for example. I know there's one in the GR recommendation bit of the site that is for friends (or maybe the whole of GR I'm not sure) to suggest books/series but tbh, I would rather the recs come from SOSers as they seem more trusting.

We haven't got one per se. I'd say we've been using the currently reading thread to do that.

I'll run it by the other mods & see what they say, Josie. Thanks for thinking outside the box :DDD

Yeah I did think of the currently reading thread but that's more:

I have just finished ______ and it was amazing!

Whereas this would be:

I'm looking for a book with gargoyles in it, anyone read some good ones?

But it probably wouldn't get used so I won't be offended if you don't do it lol :)

Jumping ahead and will definitely chat more with the mods, but wanted to mention that we do have the folder called something like book recommendations and favorites: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_.... You are welcome to create a thread there in the meantime. :)

How about a readathon week maybe a couple of times a year, in summer and at the end/beginning of the year? I know Steph and Sandra usually do one in the Who's Your Author? group every year but I thought it'd be nice to have one here as well.

Thanks for the suggestion, Ames! That could be fun. I have a great time w/Sandra when WYA has theirs. Miss Sandra is a WYA mod too, so she can help us discuss the logistics of possibly doing something similar here.

That does sound like a good idea Ames.

We'll definitely be discussing that one :)

What was the outcome of the readathon discussion?

We're going to do it Ames, just deciding when :)