Information from Goodreads & Staff - happenings within our site...

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

I do and I just intend to ignore it. Between the discussions tab and my profile page I have all I need:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Yes it sure is front and foremost! Did you do the survey? Maybe if enough people do it, it might give them pause!

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

I doubt that but will do it anyway:)

[Kathryn]

Phrynne wrote: "I do and I just intend to ignore it. Between the discussions tab and my profile page I have all I need:)"

What I miss seeing is that "Phrynne has commented on ....... thread:" And then it would have your comment following - and they may not be threads I'd commented on, or necessarily want to keep track of, but still want to see whether something a friend is saying might be relevant to me or make me want to comment on that thread. But I didn't see any of that even when I was looking at the home page the other day, so maybe that's gone as well.

Also, if I avoid the home page, I can't see what friends are wanting to read, currently reading or rating and/or reviewing, but maybe that will be helpful for my TBR to not see those things!

[Andrea]

I just stumbled across something that made me a bit happier. I was thinking about how I didn't mind the homepage so much on my iPad (safari) where it it only 2 columns. In the 2 column format the content of column 3 gets tacked onto the bottom of column 1. As column 3 contains the two most obnoxious things - GR recommendations the the Featured Group - I thought this was quite lucky.

Just now I've been able to replicate it on my PC by zooming out the text enough to push it into a 2-column format. I have poor eyesight anyway, so it doesn't hurt to have large text ;-)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

B the BookAddict wrote: "I guess the phone app is different from the version I use on my laptop because when I use the new Home page, (after the end of my bookshelves) everything is on the Right side of my screen.

Brenda,..."

I was using Firefox too Bette and it started to slow down a few months ago. I'm now using Chrome and it's a million times better!

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

On my lap top with Windows 10 I use Edge. It has a wonderful feature in that the Goodreads bar at the top stays there all the time. So you don't have to return to the top of the page after you post a comment. Little things:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

So many features! I certainly know I wouldn't use any of it to its ability... don't know how :) Basic for me ;)

[MaryG2E]

Brenda wrote: "For those of you who would like to make your feelings known, there's a survey about the new home page!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MWN8LVZ"

Thanks for this link Brenda. Will the GR staff bother to read the comments though? Who knows...not hopeful of any changes :(

[MaryG2E]

I've got nothing against Oprah, but I am SOOOO sick and tired of looking at her face and the big hair gazing out at me on that horrible new home page...all the push advertising really gets on my goat.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Install adblock Mary :)

[B the BookAddict]

Mary, from memory, I just selected not to have ads anymore, from somewhere at the bottom of the ads. The ads used to annoy the heck out of me too. I'm a bit over the Oprah thing too but for different reasons than you. It seems to me that every book she read is 'a must read, a best novel about ..., a novel she could not put down' etc; is everything she reads a great novel? Oh, and by the way, Oprah, the average GR Joe works so can't be up all night reading your recommendations...

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

I am just happily avoiding the home page altogether. I have managed at last to teach my fingers not to automatically hit the home key.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I didn't use the home page a lot, but will be using it even less now! It's a shame but...

[Ace]

MaryG2E wrote: "I've got nothing against Oprah, but I am SOOOO sick and tired of looking at her face and the big hair gazing out at me on that horrible new home page...all the push advertising really gets on my goat."

Haha, so true. She's all over the place. I have to keep modifying my GR behaviours to avoid her!!!!!

[Andrea]

Something positive! I do rather like the new Goodreads/Kindle integration that allows me to share my reading notes and highlights. I'm not sure what it looks like yet, to see someone else's jottings, but I've just gone through and made some of mine visible for my friends and followers.

[Jülie ☼♄ ]

Andrea wrote: "Something positive! I do rather like the new Goodreads/Kindle integration that allows me to share my reading notes and highlights. I'm not sure what it looks like yet, to see someone else's jotting..."

Yes I just got three notifications telling me about your notes and highlights Andrea with links to read them..they are fine, but what about mine?? I highlight all sorts of things which are not relevant to anyone else...such as words/places/information I wish to follow up on later, as well as fave quotes :( do my friends all get emails everytime I do that...linking them to my irrelevant highlights?

[Andrea]

☼♄Jülie wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Something positive! I do rather like the new Goodreads/Kindle integration that allows me to share my reading notes and highlights. I'm not sure what it looks like yet, to see someone..."

No Julie, each one has its own toggle which defaults to the private setting. To share, you have to make a deliberate choice.

I'll desist from any further updates to stop the notifications!

[Jülie ☼♄ ]

Andrea wrote: "☼♄Jülie wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Something positive! I do rather like the new Goodreads/Kindle integration that allows me to share my reading notes and highlights. I'm not sure what it looks like yet..."

No, don't desist Andrea, I wasn't complaining about yours they were fine...just concerned my "scribbles" might be getting sent out to everyone lol!

[Andrea]

I notice this morning I have a new button in top right corner to access Discussions. It's not really the solution I was hoping for, so I doubt if it will change my user behaviour at all. I'll still default to Discussions page and only look at my Homepage every now and then.

[Sally906]

Andrea wrote: "I notice this morning I have a new button in top right corner to access Discussions. It's not really the solution I was hoping for, so I doubt if it will change my user behaviour at all. I'll still..."

I spotted that too - will be your most recent 'chatting' groups (top 3 I think) - so I belong to quite a few groups - only the 3 groups where someone has posted will appear. Chances are my Aussie Reader posts won't appear unless someone has just posted

[Carolyn]

☼♄Jülie  wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Something positive! I do rather like the new Goodreads/Kindle integration that allows me to share my reading notes and highlights. I'm not sure what it looks like yet, to see someone..."

I've never seen your highlights Jools!

I highlight random phrases and things I like too and have my kindle set to private so they're not shared.

[Jülie ☼♄ ]

Carolyn wrote: "☼♄Jülie  wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Something positive! I do rather like the new Goodreads/Kindle integration that allows me to share my reading notes and highlights. I'm not sure what it looks like y..."

Oh that's good to hear, not that there is anything to be concerned about just, like you I highlight lots of random stuff as well as quotes I liked..which I don't mind sharing.. but spell checks and save for further research stuff could appear pretty oddball at times when read out of context lol ⊙⊙

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Yes I just noticed it when I turned the laptop on too :)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

It doesn't add anything to my current use. Like Andrea I am quite happy on the Discussions page:)

[Ace]

I noticed the change too, it kept popping up a box to show me the new feature. Definitely not the solution GR group users asked for but at least they tried something. I won't be using it!

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

For anyone interested in keeping track of rereads there is a good announcement from Goodreads today:)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

It is so good! But reading through the comments, there are already people whinging about it!!! OMG!!! Can they do nothing right???!!!

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Well it has already annoyed me in a small way! I put a book into currently reading and it says I am reading it for a second time. I cannot work out why it thinks so but I guess it doesn't really matter:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Oh dear! Hopefully they'll iron out the bugs pretty quickly. I'm sure they'll constantly be working on it :)

[B the BookAddict]

At least they acknowledge there has been a demand for this, and are working on supplying that demand. All new things have kinks which need ironing out. Personally I'm very happy as I often re-read books.

[Sally906]

I don't re-read all that often - but am going to be re-reading the first two books in the Hary Potter series as I have got the new illustrated versions.

So this couldn't come at a better time :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I don't re-read, but I can see there are lots of people who do, and the lack of being able to mark it was noticed. Good they've done this at last :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Phrynne wrote: "Well it has already annoyed me in a small way! I put a book into currently reading and it says I am reading it for a second time. I cannot work out why it thinks so but I guess it doesn't really ma..."

Following on from this - last night it happened to me also. When I looked around under the review box I noticed an X on the right hand side of the dates (started and finished) (it had me down as the 2nd read) So I clicked the bottom X and the "2nd read" disappeared. Now it's showing as read only once :)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Have you checked your duplicates lately? I had four, all of them caused by the changes. It's a bug which they are fixing though.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

No I haven't - thanks will do that :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Hhmmm just clicked "stats" and they've dropped 104 books from my total read for last year!!!! I hope that sorts itself!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Phrynne wrote: "Have you checked your duplicates lately? I had four, all of them caused by the changes. It's a bug which they are fixing though."

There are 11!!!!! I won't do anything yet though (going on the above!)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

The stats thing is a bug they say they are fixing too. I am trying to keep up with this on the Feedback site but it is hard work labouring through all the criticisms and complaints. And people can be very nasty on there too! I cringe reading it:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I haven't bothered with the Feedback group in months for that very reason. Your link was my first visit in ages! There's one person in particular who ALWAYS is horrible!

[Kathryn]

And now the iOS app won't load my notifications :-( On the plus side, when I checked in Safari, they now seem to have fixed the fact that you had no idea from the notification how many people had commented on a thread since you last checked, so that's good!

Just checked my duplicates, and none for me... And I agree about the feedback thread - sometimes the comments can be amusing (at least up to a point), but more often than not, it makes me sad how little respect we show to each other online. On the other hand, I can understand the frustration that these comments are being born out of - but the feedback thread almost needs a time-delay on posting comments - some sort of feature that means your comment won't be posted for 5 minutes and not until you've confirmed that you want to post it. Although that might generate more frustration!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Yes, a moderator solely to check "bad" posts perhaps! Don't think it would work though....

[Kathryn]

Brenda wrote: "Yes, a moderator solely to check "bad" posts perhaps! Don't think it would work though...."

No - that definitely wouldn't work! Everyone would scream censorship! But I think most people can censor their own work if they aren't riled up at the time! But I really don't think some sort of delay would work either :-(

[Carolyn]

I just checked my books for duplicates (last done two weeks ago) and there are now around twenty, all labelled re-read. I'll also wait to see if they sort the problem before doing anything.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good idea Carolyn - or we might lose the lot!!!

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

I think Goodreads has gone mad actually. They seem to be changing all kinds of things. Think I might just go and hide until it is all over:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

LOL!!!

[Kathryn]

Phrynne wrote: "I think Goodreads has gone mad actually. They seem to be changing all kinds of things. Think I might just go and hide until it is all over:)"

At least the things they're changing at the moment are things people have been asking for (apart from the glitch with notifications in the app, and that's fixed now)!

[B the BookAddict]

Brenda wrote: "I haven't bothered with the Feedback group in months for that very reason. Your link was my first visit in ages! There's one person in particular who ALWAYS is horrible!"

Brenda, my reason for not reading the GR Feedback too!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

LOL! Don't need any more angst Bette!