Starting a Straight Dope Goodreads group

[Misnomer]

@Shoshana

I think loading the book cover images can hang it up sometimes. Also, if you set the number of books displayed to 20 a page it will load faster than if you set it to 50 or higher.

I mean even just editing a book’s shelf info, where all that needs to open is that small pop-up window, or saving changes to a book review. Sometimes, every now and then, the system just seems to slow down in general … have you ever noticed that?

[Eleanor_of_Aquitaine]

@Misnomer

I find that the site can suddenly become very slow, though most of the time it respons well. At first I thought it was just my connection at work, but other sites still responded normally – and then I noticed it at home last night, too. Has anyone else noticed this? Is it normal for Goodreads to take forever to connect every now and then?

I also have a question about book editions: is anyone going to care which edition I add to my shelf? Usually I take the time to add the “correct” one, but for classics sometimes I don’t bother. I also haven’t been bothering much when I’ve read a lot of books by the same author: I tend to add the first edition that I come across. So my shelf might say that I read the paperback edition of P.D. James’s The Lighthouse when in fact I read the hardback. Will that kind of thing ever matter on the site?

The site has been slow for me lately, too. Not only in loading, but in doing things like changing the shelves for a book.

I think mostly the multiple editions are a problem when you’re comparing books with another user. You can use the “combine editions” function, which is supposed to aggregate all of the reviews and statistics for a book. (Click on a book and then find “other editions” in the right-hand column, click edit, then “combine editions”.)

[Idle_Thoughts]

I’m in the process of friending everyone…but it’s slow since they only allow you a certain number of friend requests a day.

[gardentraveler]

I don’t remember having limits on friends when I first added friends.

There’s definitely been very mixed response time (today, at any rate). I was watching movies while adding books today so that it wouldn’t get too frustrating. When it got too slow, I took breaks. Of course, I also wandered off on amazon a couple of times, so I slowed myself down, too.

I tend to pick the edition that has the most reviews. Don’t you have to be a librarian to be able to use the combine editions function? (You just have to have 50 books on your shelves to qualify; I just applied.)

I’m having fun seeing what everyone is reading/has read and reading reviews. And I’m actually getting back to reading more, which is why I joined in the first place.

GT

[wonky]

@gardentraveler

Of course, I also wandered off on amazon a couple of times, so I slowed myself down, too.

Be sure to use the Goodreads Amazon bookmarklet where if you are on Amazon and see a book you want to add you can just click on the bookmarklet and it adds it to your books.

[gardentraveler]

Thanks for the tip! I’ve about doubled the number of books I have (I’m working from the spreadsheet that I’ve been using to keep track of my reading for the past 5 years or so). I keep finding authors I ought to go look for more books by…

Also, they approved me as a librarian, so I’ve also been out there combining books. Cleaned up several authors that I have multiple books by (Isabel Allende, Richard Russo, Sue Grafton among others).

It’s been a pleasant way to while away a Sunday.

GT

[brendon_small]

I just signed up as Brad McN-something. Hmm, could be a real name, eh? I didn’t even think to use Brendon Small, as I didn’t think screen name, just name. I have no problem if you dopers know my real name, so long as you keep it a secret from those crazies out there on the interwebs.

Thanks for a link to a great site…

Brendon Small

[scareyfaerie]

So I signed up to Goodreads, but it won’t let me into the groups list yet, it just keeps saying that the page is unavailable. Ho hum. Perhaps it doesn’t like us furriners…

[scareyfaerie]

Just in time to miss the edit window, it finally let me join! Be nice to me, I’m shy…

[susan]

I was updating my list in the middle of the night and it hung up, never coming back. I still can’t get in this morning. Maybe later.

[Misnomer]

@Eleanor of Aquitaine

You can use the “combine editions” function, which is supposed to aggregate all of the reviews and statistics for a book.

Thanks, but apparently I have to be a Goodreads librarian to do that. I might apply to be one, but I haven’t decided yet.

I mentioned the site to my mother and her best friend on Saturday (both of whom are big readers), and they’ll check it out as soon as I get around to sending them the URL. Don’t know if they’ll be willing to invest the initial time to get shelves set up, but I hope so!

So far my only disappointment with the site has been that their static image widgets seem to be broken (LiveJournal doesn’t support the cool flash widget, and I don’t use MySpace or anything else). So right now all I have on my blog page is a Goodreads badge saying “click to see what I’m reading,” but I was really hoping to have a picture of whatever book is on my currently-reading shelf – with this, I’ve had to make my profile public so that non-Goodreads members can see my shelf. Oh well, I guess this will have to do.

[gardentraveler]

You should apply, Misnomer. Being a librarian just means you have additional access to combine editions, edit book info, etc. It comes in handy to be able to fix errors and combine editions.

GT

[DataZak]

Thanks to the OP for highlighting this site. Gonna start cataloguing my books now. I haven’t joined the SDMB group yet, though. Maybe later.