Goodreads Grows By Leaps & Bounds (Infographic)
I love Infographics (and apparently a lot of other people do as well), so here's a new one posted on the Goodreads blog yesterday, showing how much they've grown this past year - in 2012 their numbers doubled! This is four times more growth than either Facebook or Twitter showed over the year (+125% each). Even more than Pinterest (+145%). Vastly more than Instagram (-25%).
From among the data provided, the most compelling figure given is the more than quarter-million books that have been given away to users during the year. How many social networking sites can boast a stat like that? And certainly, if you're looking for a book review, Goodreads is the place to go: with more than 20 million book reviews posted, whatever book you're looking for is pretty sure to have at least one.
And while Goodreads is not immune to fake reviews and planted promotions, you can be certain that the vast majority of these are from actual readers of the book, since that's what the site is all about. However, my main gripe there has always been with users who rate and/or review books they list as being on their "to-read" list, or which they state outright in their review that they haven't finished! Why would I want to read someone's review of half a book?! Even worse are readers who simply give books five stars because everyone else is, without adding any critical commentary of their own to the discussion. After all, Goodreads is a social networking site, not a "jump on the bandwagon" platform.
Still, you can get a general sense of what a book is like from the amalgamation of feedback given on the site, and usually there are one or two thoughtful reviews that provide real insight into a work you might be considering. And with the glut of reading material available these days - and so many other things competing for your time - choosing the right book can be a critical decision.
If you're interested in seeing how well other social networking sites are faring, check out the compendium of Infographics here for a look at further stats from 2012. In particular, the "Winners/Losers" section of one entitled "Current State of Social Networks" is interesting.
From among the data provided, the most compelling figure given is the more than quarter-million books that have been given away to users during the year. How many social networking sites can boast a stat like that? And certainly, if you're looking for a book review, Goodreads is the place to go: with more than 20 million book reviews posted, whatever book you're looking for is pretty sure to have at least one.
And while Goodreads is not immune to fake reviews and planted promotions, you can be certain that the vast majority of these are from actual readers of the book, since that's what the site is all about. However, my main gripe there has always been with users who rate and/or review books they list as being on their "to-read" list, or which they state outright in their review that they haven't finished! Why would I want to read someone's review of half a book?! Even worse are readers who simply give books five stars because everyone else is, without adding any critical commentary of their own to the discussion. After all, Goodreads is a social networking site, not a "jump on the bandwagon" platform.
Still, you can get a general sense of what a book is like from the amalgamation of feedback given on the site, and usually there are one or two thoughtful reviews that provide real insight into a work you might be considering. And with the glut of reading material available these days - and so many other things competing for your time - choosing the right book can be a critical decision.
If you're interested in seeing how well other social networking sites are faring, check out the compendium of Infographics here for a look at further stats from 2012. In particular, the "Winners/Losers" section of one entitled "Current State of Social Networks" is interesting.
No comments have been added yet.
