Goodreads Librarians Group discussion
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Revert to old reading challenge view?
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Questions about site functionality should go to support. This is not a librarian issue.
Spartak wrote: "Hello everyone,I have clicked on Try now for the reading challenges beta functionality, and now I can't revert back to the old reading challenge view (on both iOS and desktop), that I definitely ..."
Let me know if you find out please, the new reading challenge landing page is just a vast expanse of white space and all my reading arc notes from the comments below have disappeared.
When I tried it on the app a while back I could get out of it, but now I don't see a way either there or on the web site. Looks like we are stuck with this latest "improvement." Thanks, Goodreads.
I just checked my reading challenge (desktop view) and have the new unannounced version. Definitely not an improvement. *smh*
You also can't view old challenges now from your profile page. Clicking on them just brings you to the current challenge.
Hi everyone,Yes, it is a downgrade indeed, it doesn't look good, you can't see past challenges and you can't see friends' challenges.
However, here's what support replied to me:
"Hi there,
Thank you for your patience. It’s not possible to opt out of the new reading challenges experience. The new reading challenges experience was created using feedback from our community and we’re always looking to improve. To share feedback directly with the reading challenges team, open Reading Challenges on apps or desktop, select Help & feedback and then Share feedback. Fill out a survey and add specific comments in the text box."
So I suggest you all provide feedback and let them know you hate it.
I doubt anyone said they wanted the books as a long list if they read more than 12 books a year.I liked the confetti but that's about all.
I have given feedback, but it won't do any good. Once they change something it is gone, I'm afraid.
Christmas Carol ꧁꧂ wrote: "I doubt anyone said they wanted the books as a long list if they read more than 12 books a year.I liked the confetti but that's about all.
I have given feedback, but it won't do any good. Once t..."
I doubt anyone said anything at all, they've just done it to make it look like storygraph as if thats the reason people are leaving Goodreads. Its short-sighted and ignorant.
I've left feedback too, I wasn't polite, they are very close to driving me away from Goodreads, I can do a better job with a spreadsheet.
Spartak wrote: "Hi everyone,Yes, it is a downgrade indeed, it doesn't look good, you can't see past challenges and you can't see friends' challenges.
However, here's what support replied to me:
"Hi there,
Tha..."
I can still see past challenges, they've just changed the format to the same as the 2024 challenge.
What's the point of having "on Goodreads shelf" on every book. What does that even mean?I don't believe for a second that any user feedback went into this. This is yet another clear example of the programmers needing to justify their existence to their superiors so they made some arbitrary change no one asked for or wanted. Christmas bonuses all around!
Paul wrote: "I've left feedback too, I wasn't polite, they are very close to driving me away from Goodreads, I can do a better job with a spreadsheet."I keep hoping someone will develop a "clone" of the classic GR, just different enough to avoid copyright infringement.
Don't know if it has anything to do with this but kindle just replaced Reading Insights with Reading Challenges. Calendar is gone as well as other info or requires additional click to access. Challenge achievement bookmarks are less important to me than access to real information such as the books read.I quit doing Goodreads Challenge a couple of years ago and just create a shelf for the year.
Yes I don't care if I read one autumn book or whatever. All I care about is the count.
I'm so disappointed by this change. The reading challenge was one of the reasons I haven't switched to storygraph.One of the biggest downsides of the internet is how things just randomly get worse sometimes, for no reason. Anything you like can get taken away at any time.
If they're not going to improve goodreads I wish they at least wouldn't make it worse.
ErinFlight wrote: "I'm so disappointed by this change. The reading challenge was one of the reasons I haven't switched to storygraph.... If they're not going to improve goodreads I wish they at least wouldn't make it worse."
+1!
ErinFlight wrote: "I'm so disappointed by this change. The reading challenge was one of the reasons I haven't switched to storygraph.One of the biggest downsides of the internet is how things just randomly get wors..."
+1000
As it is now, its just a total waste of time.I'll just ignore it, so that's another feature gone down the drain.
They sure know how to piss off readers, maybe they want us all to leave for somewhere else?
What you said. I'm not going to do the 2025 Reading Challenge. I've already set up a "2025 Read" shelf instead. Between that and my spreadsheet, I'll have the information I want to track. Bummer, but it is what it is, and we're just collateral damage.
ErinFlight wrote: "I'm so disappointed by this change. The reading challenge was one of the reasons I haven't switched to storygraph.One of the biggest downsides of the internet is how things just randomly get wors..."
this is called "enshittificaiton" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshitt...
I can adapt to the change going forward, but I'd really like some way to see the comments on my previous challenges. I used them to track various subgoals and now all that data is lost.
The new layout sucks. They should give us the option to change how the read books display at least.
It wasn't my imagination, aka paranoia, the change in GR challenge is linked to change in kindle challenge.https://www.goodreads.com/readingchal...
I'll still do it as a way to keep myself going (not that I really need it at this point) but I'll never look at the page. Achievements are for video games not reading. Don't need someone to congratulate me for reading one book in a month.
Scott wrote: "I'll still do it as a way to keep myself going (not that I really need it at this point) but I'll never look at the page. Achievements are for video games not reading. Don't need someone to congrat..."The Congratulations!!! and other needless emails and notifications are annoying time wasters that drove me to quit Challenge.
Scott wrote: "I keep hoping someone will develop a "clone" of the classic GR, just different enough to avoid copyright infringement.."Nobody will. The problem is data maintenance and storage - from where would you get all the past editions and who will provide you with all the future ones? What would be your business case? How could you make money or at least cover running cost?
The frustrating thing is really that they are sitting on an enormous (but badly structured) database with a crappy user interface made worse by permanent unsolicited and uninspired enshittification (see above)...
I'm wondering the same. I really hate this long useless list. The books' titles and authors are right there on the covers, so this is new view is useless...
Linda wrote: "I can adapt to the change going forward, but I'd really like some way to see the comments on my previous challenges. I used them to track various subgoals and now all that data is lost."Same, I had so much data there and its all just been snuffed out.
Paul wrote: "Same, I had so much data there and its all just been snuffed out."Paul, I just figured out that if I click "Comments" on my profile drop-down menu, I can find my old challenge comments (among others). If you comment a lot, it might be a pain to find them, but I don't comment much so they were pretty quick to find. I'm going to go save all the past years' challenge comments that I can find.
Linda wrote: "Paul wrote: "Linda wrote: "I can adapt to the change going forward, but I'd really like some way to see the comments on my previous challenges. I used them to track various subgoals and now all tha..."Oh well done! You've saved me so much time rebuilding those. I really appreciate it.
You're quite welcome. Unfortunately you can't edit them - so I couldn't add the final few books I wanted to track - but it's a relief that they're not just wiped clean.
Does anybody know how can I see my friends Reading Challenge's, I was able to see that.
Igor wrote: "Does anybody know how can I see my friends Reading Challenge's, I was able to see that."1. If you want to see your Friend's Challenges somewhat like the old format you need to bookmark (ie. save the url address) their challenge when it shows up in your feed. Because most of these are done in the early part of the year, they may never appear again, so you have to grab them now. You can get the address by clicking on the time of posting when it shows in your feed. If you scroll down far enough in the feed you may still find the posting as it is still early January.
2. If you can't find your Friend's Challenge posting, it is possible they have not done it yet, so keep watching for it.
3. If your Friend posted it and you missed it, and they are a close enough Friend, you could ask them to tweak it i.e. add 1 book or more to their target. It would then show up again in the feed and you could catch it the next time it shows up.
Alan (the Lone Librarian) wrote: "Igor wrote: "Does anybody know how can I see my friends Reading Challenge's, I was able to see that."1. If you want to see your Friend's Challenges somewhat like the old format you need to bookma..."
I am still waiting for my friends challenges to pop up on my feed - and it’s been 10 days since the year. I am pretty sure that everyone has set up their goals/challenges but not a single one appeared on my feed. Even when going to their profile I cannot find their challenges. They are completely gone and not there anymore
I agree to what everyone said. The new reading challenge is so bad. I don’t care for extra challenges or other books. I have lots and lots of books to reads on my tbr, I don’t need any more books to add. They should just switch it back to the old one. This sucks.
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I have clicked on Try now for the reading challenges beta functionality, and now I can't revert back to the old reading challenge view (on both iOS and desktop), that I definitely liked more.
Any suggestions on how to do that?
Thanks.