SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Testing a new BOTM thread thing! :)
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I like the way Howl is set up, both on my phone and laptop (both using the browser; haven't gone the app route yet). This seems very cool, and I've just friended mod, so am looking forward to how this works out.
I'm using a browser and both look good. I'd appreciate seeing more updated threads that are not BOTM on the My Group Discussions listings page
I’m in my iPhone on the app. I see little difference in the 2 formats, or rather, I see the difference (I like Howl better), but I am not bothered by either because there’s not much text in either.
Mod
CBRetriever wrote: "I'd appreciate seeing more updated threads that are not BOTM on the My Group Discussions listings page"I'm not sure what you mean by this?
Ryan wrote: "It should reduce the risk of a RSI from scrolling through my notifications. Not forgetting the hassle of reviving older threads, which is usually a 10+ clicks chore."First, reminder to all that I don't use the Android app and I have no idea how things look there. So is having the links, which are still links, in the review field easier/better than having them in the BOTM link thread? Is the difference (on Android) that navigating to the link thread is harder than on iOS, because links don't work inside the app?
So essentially what I'm trying to ask and should've included in the original post is that is this style really better for app users, because I am not an app user and I have no idea? On the browser the only difference is that finding the review might be easier, because you can search the mod account's profile, but (imo) going through Current Events is pretty easy, too. I like having the links in the review field, but adding them there only makes sense if there's added value vs. the link thread.
Anna wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "I'd appreciate seeing more updated threads that are not BOTM on the My Group Discussions listings page"I'm not sure what you mean by this?"
when I click on the My Group Discussions (between the bell and the envelope), I go to a page where I see all the groups I belong to with 4 titles of threads shown for each and when I click on the expand, I see 10 titles. Currently, at this moment, 3 of them are BOTM threads but often, it's 4 or more.
CBR, that's not something mods can control, you'll have to ask people to chat more in non-BOTM threads! :D
Anna wrote: "CBR, that's not something mods can control, you'll have to ask people to chat more in non-BOTM threads! :D"I guess i was thinking that if the threads were under Your Reviews they wouldn't show up as threads in the listings. In other words, I'm confused
Oh yeah no that wouldn't happen, we'll still have the BOTM discussions in threads here in group, not as comments in reviews.(I think I know what you're talking about, but possibly not :D )
It's finally cooling down a bit so I think I can try sleeping. If anyone comments something surprising, please take a moment to ponder WWAA (what would Anna ask) and then answer it, so I can hit the ground running when I'm awake and had coffee :DWhile we're here, is there something else that should be included in the review field? I didn't even think to ask earlier.
(Please don't say nomination theme, because that's one thing I'd like to have there, but that info isn't already in the spreadsheet, so it'd mean manual work :P )
Mod
Agreed, it’s much easier if you’re friends with mod, but not I think if you aren’t?
I guess that means YES add the review but NO don’t remove the link thread? Have I managed to make things more complicated again despite trying to make them simpler?! It *is* my super power 😅
Anyone else find this useful or is it just Ryan? I'm sorry Ryan, I do like you, but I'm not gonna add these just for you!More comments from people who currently use the BOTM list (group discussions thread) would be appreciated, would you miss it if it was replaced by this?
Generally when I've looked up previous bookshelf book threads I would have to figure out what date we read (I use my personal copy of the master spreadsheet) and then could use the excellent thread filing system to find the correct threads. It does seem easier to friend the mod and click the links through the reviews though. I also don't really use the app but having the book show up in friend reviews helps me skip the hunting steps for the previous threads.
Anna wrote: "Anyone else find this useful or is it just Ryan? I'm sorry Ryan, I do like you, but I'm not gonna add these just for you!More comments from people who currently use the BOTM list (group discussio..."
I like it better, too. I'm sorry that I didn't say anything before now. I guess I just let Ryan speak for me :)
So... I have read through this a couple times, and I'm just not sure what this would change for me. Or if it would change anything for me. LOL As long as BOTMs are still added to the group shelves, I don't really know why I wouldn't be able to use that to see what the group is reading or has read. Or is that going away?
As long as I can still get the broadcasts, I think I would be good with keeping up with what the group's got going on, and choosing whether to participate.
I do like the BOTM Link thread, for convenience, but I can't say that I use it all that much either, so if it were to go away, I would definitely survive. Searching discussion posts is something I do all the time. I could also just look at the Mod account shelves/books as needed, without friending/following. (Unless you make that account private just to thwart me. :P)
As far as friending/following the Mod account, I don't know that I see much benefit - though if I'm missing something, let me know. I don't like a lot of clutter in my update feed, so I pretty heavily curate whose and what types of updates show up there. I just don't see myself wanting to see the Mod account updates/thread posts for this group there. (Love you all, and this group, but that's just not how I want to use my update feed.)
All of that being said, I don't really oppose or have a problem with the change... it just wouldn't be something I would take advantage of. If the BOTM link thread goes away, I would survive, and as long as the BOTMs are still added to the group shelves, I wouldn't really lose anything by not following/friending the Mod account.
So... I guess my question would be - is anything changing about the GROUP management (shelves, broadcasts, etc), or is this just another option for utilizing Goodreads tools to help make things easier for people using the app?
Thanks all! No hurry, we have all month before the next BOTMs go up :)Becky, nothing else is changing, I'm just trialing adding the discussion thread links to the book review, to see if that's something people would find useful.
Everything about following or not following the mod account really belongs in that thread, but in short of course we won't private it because it's there as a resource for everyone :D And no one *has* to friend it, the reason I keep hammering on about FRIENDing it instead of following is because we kept telling everyone NOT to friend when we launched it, and then I found out that no one could see any of the updates we kept posting because only friends see those :S But like I said, that's not really the main point here, I only mentioned it because finding the review is much easier if you're friends with mod, at least that's how it seems to me. I completely understand not wanting spam in your feed, and that's why we asked (in the mod account thread) what updates people wanted to see. Mostly it's just the BOTM thread start and voting reminders and stuff like that, it's listed in the thread, although we don't necessarily follow it 100%, especially since there are three of us and we might all do things a bit differently. But for the most part I think we've managed to keep it to a minimum.
I'm happy to do both this and keep the BOTM link thread, but the thing is, I'm not always going to be a mod. I wouldn't want to add even more stuff for future mods to do, because when people get used to having things a certain way, it sucks when they're taken away. (Ahem, GR.) I originally wanted to add the links into the review this way, when we started the mod account, but I felt like it was maybe weird since they're not actual reviews. I was already nervous about having an extra account, even though the mod account doesn't rate books. I kept thinking what if someone reports it to support and they think this isn't cool and delete it?! I guess I've stopped worrying about that now :D
So, even if this wouldn't affect people in any way, that's good! We can ditch the link thread and use the review field instead. Same amount of work, but maybe possibly better for app users? (Not that posting links into the BOTM link thread is much work, but my idea of lots to do and someone else's might differ.)
Everyone, keep chiming in, even if it's to say that you don't care, because that's also useful info! The options are:
1) I want the links in the review field (+ any comments on format and what else might possibly go there)
2) I want to keep the BOTM link thread
3) I absolutely must have both, I will explain why I can't live if we don't have both!
4) I really don't care either way?
5) Something else, please explain
OK, thanks for clarifying Anna. :D I did read through the other thread as well, but I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something new that changed my "meh" to a "must". So... I'm in the "I don't really care either way" boat, with a little floating cooler filled with "I'd like the BOTM link thread to stick around, but if it doesn't, my main boat won't sink". ;)
Haha, noted!I babble about the mod account friending thing all the time because there are still lots of people who originally followed it, as instructed, and haven't friended, which is of course fine if that's what they want! And it's also a way to let new people know about that option. So even though it might sometimes feel like we're trying to force people to friend the mod, we really aren't! :D The main point of the mod account was always to be a resource you can go look at when needed, and the feed updates are just a bonus for those who want them.
And since I personally don't use the GR feed or have GR friends, I'm always positively surprised when I see something cool re: friends :D (As I am now friends with mod, to see how it looks.) Everyone else knows how that stuff works, but I'm all "Ooh! Did you know you can see that thing there when you're friends?!" XD and that's why I harp on about it everywhere.
I rarely look at reviews before reading so I like discussion threads. I almost never vote, just check what books are selected, already have it on my TBR or read the synopsis and decide if I want to join for the month…. So basically I am of little help, lol 😂
I feel like I'm not explaining this very well! Here's a new attempt with pics.First with links for those on the iOS app:
Current
Review: https://i.postimg.cc/Cxz3qM12/review-...
Book page (if you're friends): https://i.postimg.cc/ZKKtJxh4/review-...
Proposed new style
Review: https://i.postimg.cc/JhXSpTjc/review-...
Book page (if you're friends): https://i.postimg.cc/7YsvhJx7/review-...
Feed: https://i.postimg.cc/dVpzmMZV/review-...
Same for everyone else:
(view spoiler)
The new style all the way! It's cleaner, more clear, and easier to find. I really like it, although I'm a peon in the grand scheme of things.
I am a terrible person, I hardly ever check my feed🙄. Again not helpful ….🙄 but new way looks helpful✅
When I'm on my laptop, I use the list of past BOTMs a lot to find the old discussions (of bookshelf books I'm reading, which aren't a scheduled reread).On my phone (iOS app), I use the discussion threads in the group for current month. For group re-reads, I use the listing either in the reread discussion thread, or in the "Everything you need to know" post. I use that post a lot to get to things in the group when I'm on my phone.
I can see using this new arrangement to find discussions for bookshelf books the way I use the list of past BoTMs on my laptop. Otherwise, it is difficult to get to the discussions for the books that aren't current group reads of one sort or another (lots of scrolling, even if you know the month & year they were read).
I tried to find the review on the iOS app (without using the friend section) and I think I couldn’t (?) so I see your point.
Pics made this much clearer. I like the new format - it was complicated to find the threads before & this appears to help shortcut that. Yay, Anna!
I decided that I'll use this style for new BOTMs as I add them, but I won't add them to old BOTMs.Yet.
I might in the future, but I don't want to have to redo it, so let's see how this goes, and any comments are still welcome!
The BOTM list is safe for now :)
(Anyone on the iOS/Android app who regularly uses the app to do stuff, can you DM me if you're willing to be a test subject for things like this? I can test iOS myself, but I never actually use the app, so it's possible that I'll miss something. I don't have an Android device, so I have no idea how things look there.)
Mod
I know :D but I need a couple of people who can test stuff, so it's not just the mods looking at stuff :) Not that I'm planning on doing anything right now, but I do usually go from getting a random idea to implementing it in about five minutes, so you never know when the next one happens!
I use the iOS app probably 90% of the time.
Can’t DM you because our friendship is pending. LOL
You can dm me, you’ve done it before! 😄 Unless this is an app thing?
I’m on the app now, ugh, and if I click to your profile (via your name in this thread) I can see message at the top?
It’s not really clicking on the app tho, tapping? 😅Anyway, I’ll assume you’ve volunteered as tribute without a dm!
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Howl’s Moving Castle (other topics)Solaris (other topics)
Howl review
Solaris review
If you're friends* with mod, you can also see these on the book pages, in the friend review section:
Howl’s Moving Castle
Solaris
* Why should you be friends with mod? See Meet the Mod, and please do note that there is a difference between following and friending, with the latter being the more useful option.
The idea is that if we had this type of "review" for all group books, maybe it would be easier (easiest?) for people to find the discussion threads? Searching the mod account's shelves (again, see the Meet the Mod thread) should be the easiest way to find group books already, so why not make that the default way of finding the threads, too. And maybe (?) this is one thing that possibly (?) works somewhat similarly on all devices? Before we make this the default, we'd like to hear from you!
Howl is formatted prettily, Solaris is just a string of text. Howl is definitely clearer, but it also takes up more space on your screen. Which do you prefer and why? Are you on the app or on a browser? Any other comments? (Yes, if this becomes a thing, we might be getting rid of the BOTM link thread.)
If you're reading this after July 2022, don't expect things to look as described in this post.
(It's super hot, please excuse my brain for not being able to come up with a better thread title. You can figure out whose brain it is by the fact that this comment is in parentheses. I guess my lack of eloquence is also a clue :P Also, spreadsheets are cool!)