Ceilidh > Status Update

Wow Wow WOw whats happening on August 2nd? i'm now officially lost.

The link Christina posted about that new law banning internet stalking where GD's HQ is goes into effect on August 2nd. I'm hoping that will mean Go Daddy will actually crack down on their users who abuse their domains.

Liz wrote: "Oooh, Like the old game Lemmings!"

Off topic, but Lemmings! <3 Can't tell you how much I played that as a kid.

Christina wrote: "The message is literally, "If you leave a negative review, we post private information about you, or just make up slander and libel. Also, give us your money and positive reviews!""

That's an apt summary of it, Christina.

Oh, ok! I didn't miss that, and I did read that.

Rose wrote: "Liz wrote: "Oooh, Like the old game Lemmings!"

Off topic, but Lemmings! <3 Can't tell you how much I played that as a kid.

Christina wrote: "The message is literally, "If you leave a negative re..."

Yeah it was fun to get a huge line of lemmings then run them off a cliff.
LOL!

Vanity emailed me after I posted a comment on her hate-post on her blog (which she didn't approve), and was like, "Well okay I just hope you'll be honest about your review and I just don't understand how people are misunderstanding my point of view this behavior is just NOT okay"

and I just couldn't even find words to reply.
Your behavior is not okay.

Thalia wrote: "Vanity emailed me after I posted a comment on her hate-post on her blog (which she didn't approve), and was like, "Well okay I just hope you'll be honest about your review and I just don't understa..."

Do you have her e-mail address?

Thalia she keeps playing the woes me victim and shes not. She needs to be commited for everyones sake.

Thalia wrote: "Vanity emailed me after I posted a comment on her hate-post on her blog (which she didn't approve), and was like, "Well okay I just hope you'll be honest about your review and I just don't understa..."

Thalia, I think I remember seeing her respond to you on the comment thread before that post was locked up. I really wish I had a screen shot of all the comments that were on there. I'm pretty sure some of the sock puppets or their responses make a reappearance on the site that should not be named.

No see the thing is that she emailed me a long time ago, asking me to do a review for her book sometime, and I told her it would take awhile, since I don't have an ereader. She said that was fine, and kept me updated on a lot of stuff, like asking my opinion about the cover design of the second book, etc.

And then I find out she's doing ALL this crap, and that apparently she's secretly crazy and just REALLY good at pretending to be normal. So in my comment, I was like, "Okay, you GAVE me a copy for my HONEST review, and when I read it, I'm GOING to be honest, whether you like it or not," etc etc. She already had my email address from our previous communications, etc. I'm pretty sure she's still in my contacts.

Seriously. She was so good at acting nice. But I guess that was before she found out I was friends with people who are "out to get her".

Thalia wrote: "No see the thing is that she emailed me a long time ago, asking me to do a review for her book sometime, and I told her it would take awhile, since I don't have an ereader. She said that was fine, ..."

Wow! Just wow. I thought about downloading the book, if it's still free just so that I could do a critical review on it. But given the syntax that I've seen from the various excerpts that I read. I don't think I'm going to even bother. That and I'd probably get attacked. It seems a little ridiculous that she kept contacting you like that...makes me wonder.

Christina, alas, hahaha.

Well, when she emailed me, I was still pretty new. She didn't email me directly--she contacted me here on GoodReads and asked if I would do the review, so I gave her my blog address (I have a separate one so I don't have to give out my personal address) so she could attach the PDF. Because, remember, I thought she was a normal author who just wanted review publicity for her new ebook.

I've come to the conclusion that she's either very good at this pretending thing, or I'm incredibly gullible. I don't know yet. >>

YAL, she titled the email "Missed Your Comment". But I don't think she publicly commented on it on her blog, since her comments were up for several days after and new ones in her support kept popping up, even as we were emailing. (Though I only responded the once.) I figure when I have free time/nothing to do or review for something else, I'll try and give it a shot. Now that the drama around her specifically has died down, I feel like it's safer to approach it, hahah.

I thought I saw your name on there...shrugs. Maybe I'm just thinking of something else.

Thalia wrote: "Vanity emailed me after I posted a comment on her hate-post on her blog (which she didn't approve), and was like, "Well okay I just hope you'll be honest about your review and I just don't understa..."

So in her world honest = positive.

YAL Book Briefs wrote: "I thought I saw your name on there...shrugs. Maybe I'm just thinking of something else."

Maybe. Maybe she eventually did and I didn't see it. Once I got her second email, I was definitely just done. But I saved them, just in case.

Emily:

I hadn't even heard of her book before she asked me if I would do a review. However, I didn't feel like it was spam then, and I won't hold her accountable for whatever publicity she offered to me later, before everything blew up. It's the now I have problems with, and if she continued to contact me after I didn't respond to her email, then I would be in the market to block her email.

I have had an author message me if I wanted a copy of their book and I was excited about it, thrilled even.
I was happy and a little awed that the author went out of their way to ask me a little peon in the vast review world of Goodreads to check out his book.
I still feel that way, and I can't imagine what a dirty feeling it must be to then have the author try to guilt or pressure their way into a favorable review.

Christina wrote: "!!!! Wow.

"Lulz I rote a thang u want in bro? U gots the time, I gots the wurdz." "

LMAO XD

I will never post another negative review. I guess they won.

"Lulz I rote a thang u want in bro? U gots the time, I gots the wurdz."

Ahhhhahahahhahah, I need that on a t-shirt. x)

Tina wrote: "I will never post another negative review. I guess they won."

Tina, don't be discouraged by all of these events. I think this website showcases a peculiar sort of unhinged individuals who are pressing for their own agenda. They're not accurately speaking for how reviews should be done, nor is their behavior commendable of any sort.

You shouldn't feel threatened by them. You have the right to write a review however you wish to write it - because it's your opinion, your voice. Remember that. Don't let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't do.

No one has the right to threaten others for speaking for or being themselves.

Rose wrote: "Tina wrote: "I will never post another negative review. I guess they won."

Tina, don't be discouraged by all of these events. I think this website showcases a peculiar sort of unhinged individua..."

Ain't that the truth!
No matter what, if I don't like a book, I'm going to give a reason why.
If people can't handle, then don't read the review! Move on...there's plenty more books out there to read and enjoy!

I recently had a two star review liked by the author of the book. There are plenty of interesting, mature writers on this site, and I'd hate to see them overshadowed by the bitchy minority.

I would just like to encourage anyone who is having their personal information put out to contact http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx as what they are doing is illegal.

Lutawolf wrote: "I would just like to encourage anyone who is having their personal information put out to contact http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx as what they are doing is illegal."

Nice find, I hope you guys so this!

Okay, I found this hilarious.

I'm on my Dad's iPad, and Vanity's book is on here, since she gave me that free copy and all. The last page is an author's note and it says something about please write a review, reviews are important and provide valuable feedback for the coming books, etc.

That is in the book!

Emily wrote: "So in her world honest = positive."

Didn't you know that it is impossible to write an honest negative review? Because we're all jealous of the authors whose books we don't like.

Rose wrote: "You have the right to write a review however you wish to write it - because it's your opinion, your voice. Remember that. Don't let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't do.

No one has the right to threaten others for speaking for or being themselves...."

As usual, Rose, your comments are right on the mark. This is exactly the point.

Thalia wrote: "The last page is an author's note and it says something about please write a review, reviews are important and provide valuable feedback for the coming books, etc....

Vanity emailed me after I posted a comment on her hate-post on her blog (which she didn't approve), and was like, "Well okay I just hope you'll be honest about your review and I just don't understand how people are misunderstanding my point of view this behavior is just NOT okay"

Emily wrote: "So in her world honest = positive."

My comments:

1) I believe that Emily's quote is precisely correct. In this author's world, an honest review is a positive review. You can find statements on STGRB that honest, negative reviews are okay. But I have not seen an EXAMPLE of an honest, negative review of this author's work that meets with STGRB 'approval'.

2) I agree strongly with Archer and Lissa, both of whom have been victims of this author's outrages over many months.

3) For record-keeping purposes, it would be helpful to have the exact quotes from this author that pertain to her position on reviews, especially of her work.

4) This phrasing is of particular interest, I think:

"I just don't understand how people are misunderstanding my point of view this behavior is just NOT okay".

I realize this was a paraphrase. But the sense of that statement is extremely revealing, in my opinion. The problem is that people are misunderstanding her point of view, and that is NOT okay.

The person who wrote that (the original quote) is self-appointed judge, jury, and avenger. And NONE of that is okay.

Jim, when I am on my real computer, I'll get on my email and get the direct quote. She thought it was crazy that anybody could misunderstand her position and should agree bullying wasn't okay in this form. I was so completely awed by her audacity at saying something like that.

Thalia wrote: "Jim, when I am on my real computer, I'll get on my email and get the direct quote. She thought it was crazy that anybody could misunderstand her position and should agree bullying wasn't okay in this form. I was so completely awed by her audacity at saying something like that..."

Thanks very much for the response and comments, Thalia. Very much appreciated. Please feel free to message me or others with questions, text passages or anything else - at your discretion.

Wow that is one of those things that really disgusts me about people. Plus, why do they need to know where someone is and what they actually look like? What a bunch of a**holes

I find it very interesting that they talk about how we didn't listen. What? Listen to whom? I certainly do not recall anyone of authority (AKA GoodReads' Patrick) emailing me, telling me my behavior was inappropriate. And that is the ONLY authority that matters here. Regular other readers and authors don't get to police other members. Have a problem? Flag it and file a complaint. And for the record, I've filled complaints about authors on GR only to be told no by them. So they aren't as biased as people think.

I'm really sick of authors and the like getting confused on what GoodReads is. We are not professional reviewers. This is a reader's site. Do not look for constructive critisim here. That is not what the site is for. If you don't like the site, news flash, you don't have to be here. It really is that simple.

Does anyone have a list of the authors names who run that website or are they hiding their identities, which would be pretty hypocritical but not surprising.

I would like to get on their website. I would like to see them try to post my foster kids' names and see the hell that would rain down upon them by the State of Washington Child Protective Services. They take the privacy of foster children VERY seriously. The post would remain up about five minutes and then an injunction would shut the site down.

Stephanie, they don't seem to realize this is a social networking site. We're just people posting our opinions. We are not obligated to like their books OR write uplifting reviews praising all they do. That is NOT our job. And nothing says they have to be here. It's OPTIONAL. I'm so fed up with people like this.

It's funny (in a not actually funny way at all) that they talk about how they have sooooo many supporters, but the few comments they have are from like the same five people (who probably aren't even people) over and over again - whereas this status and Lucy's post has HUNDREDS of likes and comments from hundreds of different people - she'll probably interpret it as a conspiracy, but it really just shows who is in the right and who really has the support.

The whole idea that there's a leader and we're all minions following orders is ridiculous. There's no target that everyone is out to get. I don't think she understands that this is a social networking site, and when you 'like' a review or post a status, other people will see it in your feed and they can like it too, and it goes into their feeds and so on. She actually thinks there are orchestrated maneuvers as opposed to, you know, SOCIAL NETWORKING.

Belle wrote: "whereas this status and Lucy's post has HUNDREDS of likes and comments from hundreds of different people"

If you have a couple hours to kill, google "stop the gr bullies" or just "gr bullies" and read through some of the blogs that come up. The outpouring of support from readers, reviewers, innocent bystanders, and numerous authors has been incredibly helpful to my sanity and well-being. DA has a couple of resident trolls and there's the Passive Voice post, but other than that there really hasn't been anyone else speaking up in favor of that blog. Seeing plenty of people who don't know us, and even some who don't even use this site, think it's heinous has definitely made me feel better, for sure.

I love you all. And of course, you are all right on the mark.

STGRB is a failure. Just let them (her) keep talking...

More than half the people that "like" my reviews are strangers to me. I have no idea who they are or how they stumbled upon my review. But if the comments on The Passive Guy, Dear Author and various other places are any indication, I think there are people out there that agree with that site. But I also think its because they have no idea what's REALLY going on. They don't understand the dynamic of this site and author/reader relationships at GoodReads. And that's incredibly frustrating.

The Holy Terror wrote: "Belle wrote: "whereas this status and Lucy's post has HUNDREDS of likes and comments from hundreds of different people"

If you have a couple hours to kill, google "stop the gr bullies" or just "gr..."

I've read a lot of posts on it and it is heartening to see that sanity and kindness are winning out - and it's good to know that it helps you guys, the victims! I just wish that site would be taken down!

Stephanie wrote: "But if the comments on The Passive Guy, Dear Author and various other places are any indication, I think there are people out there that agree with that site. But I also think its because they have no idea what's REALLY going on."

They don't know what's going on, they're trolls, or both.

Belle wrote: "I've read a lot of posts on it and it is heartening to see that sanity and kindness are winning out - and it's good to know that it helps you guys, the victims! I just wish that site would be taken down!"

Not that I don't love my friends for speaking up, but for me it's the authors who don't know us that have said something that's really made me feel better. N.K. Jemisin's tweet especially made me happy: "It's the *organized batshittery* of the whole thing that gets me. Individual batshit I get. This is A MOTHERFUCKING BATSHIT CABAL." :D

Those people have public careers/lives on the line though. Carolyn Jewel's thoughts were chilling, as she's been on the receiving end of stalking before. Someone actually made an account on here yesterday to rate all of Stacia Kane's and Meljean Brooks's books 1 star (spoiler alert: GR deleted the profile.) That doesn't mean that other, legitimate accounts on here might see their support and hold it against them, so for me, their support and their blogs and comments have really helped restore my faith in humanity.

Stephanie wrote: "They don't understand the dynamic of this site and author/reader relationships at GoodReads. And that's incredibly frustrating."

You know that's a good topic right there to blog about at Cuddlebuggery: what GoodReads is for. You know I always love your and Kat's GIF-filled, snark-licious editorials. Y'all don't write enough of them, IMO.

The Holy Terror wrote: "Belle wrote: "I've read a lot of posts on it and it is heartening to see that sanity and kindness are winning out - and it's good to know that it helps you guys, the victims! I just wish that site ..."

I can understand why - after all it goes against what STGB is saying about authors being victimised, when authors are on your side.

I can't believe someone did that to Stacia Kane and Meljean Brook's books - oh wait, yes I can, coz that person is freaking nuts.

Experiment BL626 wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "They don't understand the dynamic of this site and author/reader relationships at GoodReads. And that's incredibly frustrating."

You know that's a good topic right there to blog ..."

From the horse's mouth (emphasis mine)
"What Is Goodreads?
Goodreads is the largest site for readers and book recommendations in the world. We have more than 9,600,000 members who have added more than 340,000,000 books to their shelves. A home for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads users recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they've read and would like to read, find their next favorite book, form book clubs and much more. Goodreads was launched in January 2007.

Shelves
You start with three default shelves (read, currently-reading, and to-read), but you can also create your own bookshelves. Shelf names range from classics and coffee-table-books to childrens-lit and sci-fi — you can create any category that suits your personal taste. Some of our favorite shelves include to-reread, guiltypleasures, chicklit and overrated-drivel "

Belle wrote: "I can understand why - after all it goes against what STGB is saying about authors being victimised, when authors are on your side."

Lucy and I are planning on reading authors who were supportive all next month. It's a surprisingly long list so we won't get to them all, but we figured it was the least we could do.

Tina wrote: "I will never post another negative review. I guess they won."

I'm southern, and down here we call everyone sweetheart. This is one of those moments.

Sweetie do not let the actions and decisions of some hair brained jackasses stop you from being an honest reviewer. Really, they need professional help. I read your comment and it made me sad. Not that you give a negative review but that you feel like you're having your voice silenced. Whether you love a book or dislike it you've got a right to say what you feel honestly and safely without being threatened.

Taking this down to a damn basic level I fought for YOUR {Well, maybe if you're in the US lol} right to do and say any damn thing you please without feeling threatened by someone for it and it really pisses me off to see someone {I don't know} feel bullied because of a BOOK REVIEW.

ANY AUTHOR

who supports that site and others like it should feel nothing but shame for themselves and the others like them.

SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME

YOU=READERS

Are the reason that we write. We {{Us sane authors}} truly appreciate y'all whether you love our books or hate them. Without people like y'all reading our books what's the purpose of writing? I do it to entertain people and make them feel something.

So Tina do not let these

MAJOR JACKASSES

Bully you into discontinuing something that you enjoy doing.

Belle wrote: "Experiment BL626 wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "They don't understand the dynamic of this site and author/reader relationships at GoodReads. And that's incredibly frustrating."

You know that's a good t..."

Those are great descriptions, Belle. I concur. :)

The Holy Terror wrote: "Belle wrote: "I can understand why - after all it goes against what STGB is saying about authors being victimised, when authors are on your side."

Lucy and I are planning on reading authors who we..."

That's a great plan. I look forward to reading your reviews!

Belle wrote: "Experiment BL626 wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "They don't understand the dynamic of this site and author/reader relationships at GoodReads. And that's incredibly frustrating."

You know that's a good t..."

That's a good start. I wish that text was more in-your-face than in-the-fine-print. It would kibosh, I don't know, 70% out of the readers vs. authors arguments out there.