It's Day 1 and we are already talking about the end...

[Rick]

Kevinb -

yeah, but... we're also a community and it's good practice to try to balance the interests of everyone. One problem inherent in the structure of the club is that it doesn't mirror real world clubs where everyone comes together at once to talk about the book. We start talking and then continue for a full month (or longer as you point out). However, this is also a positive to this format - you can join in a discussion that's spread out over a month vs having to be ready by Day X and if you're not, tough.

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

You know, I've been thinking about this issue, and I think the real problem is that the first few threads to appear are often only ones that can be understood with a knowledge of the book, leaving those who have just started reading at a loss for how to participate. I have a little extra free time at the moment, so I've started a couple of threads with this in mind for the current book. I think it would be easy enough for those that have finished to share thoughts on and discuss the earlier parts of the book as well as the end, and then discussion doesn't seem so weighted in favour of those who read early.

Just an observation and suggestion.

[Rob, Roberator]

The 2 threads I started really don't require you to read much past the first part of the book, though you might have better examples/feeling about the dated ideas after reading more of the book.

I partially started those threads with few/no spoilers in an effort to be accessible for people who read it and hadn't.

I'm not sure if that was successful or not.

[terpkristin]

After coming back from a long weekend to 60+ GR emails about updates to S&L threads, I remembered why I don't think it would work for me to not follow along with the book. Even if I end up reading the book later, this group is just sooooo verbose (not a bad thing!) that I'd be overwhelmed if I tried to save threads until after I finished reading.

By the by, even if a thread says "spoiler," people should still use the spoiler tag. This ensures that people who get updates in digest form get the spoilers clipped and aren't accidentally spoiled (I almost always click through and read spoilers, even if I'm not through it yet, but I know others really worry about them).

But yeah. If there's too much discussion going on in a book before I get a chance to get to the threads or dig too far into a book (as can happen on the first day, especially if it's announced way far in advance), I find myself not participating. I get too overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of posts and almost literally get anxiety attacks over it.

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

Rob wrote: "The 2 threads I started really don't require you to read much past the first part of the book, though you might have better examples/feeling about the dated ideas after reading more of the book."

I guess I assumed there would be a greater understanding of both topics if you read further into the book, but I have no gripe about any threads, and people should feel free to discuss whatever they like. I just felt that those who finish early and rush to start threads discussing later events or the book as a whole could also start threads about earlier parts of the book, then it is easier to join in even before you've finished the books. I think it seems less daunting that way. :)