SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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New GR book page
Does anyone have a workaround for getting to the editions list without visiting the book page? Author page is what I'm currently using, but it only really works for authors who haven't published much.Hmm, search (main, not My Books) maybe? It's not super convenient, but I can't think of a better way.
Anna wrote: "Does anyone have a workaround for getting to the editions list without visiting the book page?..."This link on the author's books listing?
I haven't found a way yet. Annoying because I've had to swap editions on several books this week since I'm finally getting around to seeing what edition my library has. Mostly just doing the work on the days I get lucky enough to sign in and get the old version of the book page.
Jemppu, that's exactly what I'm using, but you demonstrated nicely with UKLG that it's not convenient for authors who have more than ten or so books :(
I think I remember someone mentioning that author names and/or series names had disappeared on the new GR page, but I can’t find it and can’t be bothered to look around for it anymore. Hopefully, this will be helpful to someone regardless!Another GR user friend discovered that her adblocker was what was making the author’s name disappear from underneath the book cover and the series name disappear from underneath the title. I know it’s bizarre that that should even be linked, but she noticed a discrepancy between her work computer and home computer and that was the culprit. She was able to tweak something in the adblocker that fixed it.
BREAKING NEWS!!!Anna wrote: "Does anyone have a workaround for getting to the editions list without visiting the book page?"
I've never had format listed on my shelves, because I didn't need to see it there. But! If you add format, there's an edit link under it that takes you to the edition list!
I have officially found a workaround for everything I need to do! (Except librarian stuff.)
Oh, excellent. Thank you for that.
I admit that I've almost stopped using this site due to all these idiotic changes. I now come here maybe once a week (or not even that) when I usually came here almost everyday (or maybe like 5 days a week or so) and I only visit my groups and try to update my reading, which has been slow for a while, though. And I've stopped Librarian editing almost completely, because it's a waste of time now. It was fun once, now it isn't anymore. And opinion has been given to the Goodreads team, they just don't care about users.
Every time I go to a book page now it gives me the pop-up message "Welcome to the new GR page...."How can I let it know that I feel as welcome as I need to feel and don't want to see that message anymore?
Ed wrote: "Every time I go to a book page now it gives me the pop-up message "Welcome to the new GR page...."How can I let it know that I feel as welcome as I need to feel and don't want to see that message..."
I haven't been able to get rid of it - I've tried the X and I've ried the Got it button and it still persists
CBRetriever wrote: "Ed wrote: "Every time I go to a book page now it gives me the pop-up message "Welcome to the new GR page...."How can I let it know that I feel as welcome as I need to feel and don't want to see t..."
Same here.
My account defaulted back to the old page 🤷🏻♀️ I’m using incognito mode but I was using it before when I was defaulted to the new pages.
My account has gone back to the old page, too. It’s been consistent over the last few days, so fingers crossed that it stays that way.
It seems to randomly pick every time we sign in. I'm lucky and have the old page on my home computer right now, but it's 50/50 when I sneak in at work.
I have consistently gotten the new page when using mobile (Safari, Desktop website, NOT mobile version, and not the app). I am still consistently getting the OLD version on my laptop. It makes no sense. I've gotten a little more used to it (in the sense of at least I know how to change a book from "want to read" to "currently reading") but that's about all I use the page for when on my phone. Everything else I still use the laptop because I can actually USE the book page there.
Soon, I will have nothing. Sigh.
I've gotten pretty used to only working through the shelf, and I barely need to go to the book page. Mainly for mod things, which is difficult since my mod browser (Safari) doesn't load the page at all XD
Ed wrote: "Every time I go to a book page now it gives me the pop-up message "Welcome to the new GR page...."How can I let it know that I feel as welcome as I need to feel and don't want to see that message..."
1. The pop-up does get a bit irksome but, I keep using it to submit feedback so I'll allow it!
2. My cell phone continues to show the old page. That is a blessing because I use it to get Friends' Average Rating.
Tablet and computer show the new page.
I have yet to see the new GR page on my desktop but I'm now seeing the following threat each time I look at a book page there: "... Thank you for your patience as we continue to make improvements and prepare to bring the new book page experience to all our members. ..."
"Patience" isn't the word that comes to mind. At any rate, it sounds like my idyllic days will be drawing to an end soon.
My iPad Mini just started showing the old page again!I clicked on the pop-up to go to the form and enter some feedback, which I do as often as reasonably possible. Then something clicked in my brain ~Wait a minute! That wasn't the new page!~ Went back and looked -- sure enough, the old page with smaller serif font.
Interesting, I also suddenly got the old page back! I want to cry with happiness, but I know the monstrosity is coming back.And my mod browser, which hasn't been able to open the book page at all since rollout, finally did load the new book page for like a second, before going right back to the old page. I wonder what's up with that. (Yes I have informed them of this.)
Yay old page! I love you!
On my desktop, the new page came up, the screen flickered, and then the old page was there with the the same disclaimer/apology that Raucous had gotten.
I haven't gotten a patience notif, they know I don't have any.I'm very happy to be extremely patient and wait for the new page for several years! Decades even!
I did see the patience notif but... [looks around and whispers] I have yet to experience the new pages at all.
OMG It's back even on my phone! MIRACLE! What a glorious reprieve!
You’re scaring me, Anna! I fear your retribution!
I've been stuck with the new page since August, with none of the reversions reported here, until today, when the old page came back! Like Anna, I have infinite patience for them to work on the new page as long as they like before foisting it on me again!
DivaDiane wrote: "I did see the patience notif but... [looks around and whispers] I have yet to experience the new pages at all."Shhhhh Diane!!!
Got the same thing: starting on the new book page, with an immediate bounce to the old, and a message "Whoops, sorry, still under construction after all. Be ready for something even worse!"
Anyone know WHY GR saw the need to redesign the book page? Are they fixing known bugs or addressing complaints? A new boss who wants to 'shake things up' so they look like a go-getter on their annual performance review? Internal push to put the emphasis on buying books rather than user needs?
Mod
DivaDiane wrote: "You’re scaring me, Anna! I fear your retribution!"I wish GR felt the same.
Back to the new book page for me. I got used to whatever the major visual changes to the main feed happened a few years ago even though I hated it at first, so I'm sure that a little time will let me get used to this, too. If it stopped vacillating back and forth, maybe I'd have an opportunity to find out.
I'd like to think I'll get used to it, but the decrease in functionality is huge. I use the quicklink to my library almost reflexively and even I am amazed how annoying it's been to have to click through three links to get to it under the new set up. Coupled with the fact that I actually use the book page to do what turns out to be kind of a lot of book research for challenges and such (and half that info is now missing), I really don't think I will just get used to the new one unless they add back the previous level of function somehow.
Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "I'd like to think I'll get used to it, but the decrease in functionality is huge. I use the quicklink to my library almost reflexively and even I am amazed how annoying it's been to have to click t..."I miss several things (as opposed to disliking the font etc). Some of those things are there hidden under more clicks. E.g. Notifications, Book publication/edition info, My Activity...
One big thing I actively miss is my Friends' Average Rating. And having Friends' reviews grouped together.
What other functionality is actually gone? (asking for a friend, one who keeps sending them feedback forms)
😁
Bonnie wrote: "What other functionality is actually gone?"The link to see status updates for a book from other users does not exist on the new page. I like to view those as secondary capsule reviews.
No functionality is gone; it's all just harder to get to. A lot of it moved off the book page itself to other places, or as you say hidden under more clicks. I just meant that the page itself is significantly less useable now, and having to deal with the new book page the last few weeks has really driven home to me how very much I use the original book page. Sorry if I was unclear.
Most of the things are there, but the pertinent info used to be at the top, nicely visible, now you have to jump around the page and click on things. I didn't use to have to scroll for most things, now it's like scroll city and try to find the correct dropdown. And like with every GR update, all the useless shit is huge while the actual information we need is small and/or hidden.
Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "No functionality is gone; it's all just harder to get to. A lot of it moved off the book page itself to other places, or as you say hidden under more clicks. I just meant that the page itself is si..."Well, I think some things are gone. [Like @TheJoy] I count Friends' and Followings' status updates for each book as missing functionality.
But if you know another way to find that or Friends' Average Rating please pass it on! 🤓
😞
Bonnie wrote: "Well, I think some things are gone. [Like @TheJoy] I count Friends' and Followings' status updates for each book as missing functionality.But if you know another way to find that or Friends' Average Rating please pass it on!"
The only way I know how to access the status updates if you can't access the old book page is to have one of them bookmarked, and manually change the book link in the address bar to the one you want to see.
Mod
If I had to make an educated guess:
- steer users more into buying books directly from the page/amazon
- that also includes hiding information that would make users not want to buy a book
- modern look & feel to attract new (and younger) users
- mobile-friendly to eventually get rid of the app, which would save a lot of developer resources/money
At least that's what I would do.
It's back. I used my CSS extension to hide the GINORMOUS "Readers also liked" section, and that makes it at least not an assault on my eyeballs, but back to the workarounds for all of the things I go. It really sucks that they've made friend reviews, and reading reviews in general from the book page, so onerous.
Travesty.
On the plus side, at least Andrew's Library Extension plugin is visible to me now on the page. That's good.
A couple of things that are oddly excluded are "other books by the same author" and for series, the little sidebar with links to the first ten books of it.
Beth wrote: "A couple of things that are oddly excluded are "other books by the same author" and for series, the little sidebar with links to the first ten books of it."I found both of these underneath the review section when I looked at Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. For the 19-book Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series, all 19 books were viewable 5 at a time with the slider arrows, or you could click a link to see them all on one page.
I am happy that the pop-up is gone, and I don't have to click "Got It" each time I go to a book page.
Thanks, Brandon. My goodness though, those cover images are ridiculously huge. The whole thing is just ugly as eff and looks like it was designed for children with short attention spans, at least on a computer monitor.
*bangs head*I was really hoping for a reprieve through the end of the year.
Or that they had abandoned the whole scheme.It happened in my mind, anyway.
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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- to the discussion page (because of the homepage update)
- to the secret group (for all the other places I need)