GoodReads versus BookLikes

This is just a kind of "I liked this better on this, but that better on that" type post. So, here's what I really think, after these last couple of weeks! If you haven't heard, I had a very public break-up with Goodreads, which resulted in me seeking out other alternatives. BookLikes was the one that I picked. And since I started using it, I've noticed that there are some things that I like better, but there are also some things that I miss. So, without further adieu, Goodreads versus BookLikes.

What Goodreads has going for it:

• While booklikes has a more interesting interface, goodreads has more of a "clean cut" design, making it easier to explore on.

• When you search for a book, it brings up it's own page. While I like booklikes' feature of bringing it up on the home page, it's impossible to link to the individual pages on booklikes. Goodreads, however, has a link for each individual book page.

• Listopia, groups, polls, quotes and giveaways. Goodreads is a lot more popular with the "giveaway crowd". So while booklikes has giveaways, the ones on goodreads are getting a lot more entries. BUT. Booklikes does not have a listopia-like feature, groups (that I can tell) or a "quotes" page. Which saddens me, because quotes were always my favorite thing. (You can, however, share quotes on Booklikes.)

• Recommendations. I love recommendations, and booklikes just doesn't appear to have a "recommend" feature. So that cuts out a bit of my rec fun.

• You can comment on personal profiles & send personal messages. I love commenting back and forth and "talking" to people on goodreads. It's most of what I do there, other than stalking books.

• A currently reading status-- there is one on booklikes, but it's just not working for me. (It still says I'm reading a book that I've finished & updated.)

• You can sort your shelves by publication date. Booklikes doesn't have this feature. :/

What Booklikes has going for it:

• Booklikes has a more interesting interface. Where goodreads has a lot of groups and stuff going on, the home page of Booklikes is more clean cut-- reviews, book adds and giveaway entries + statuses only. I like that, because I often just got caught up in all the in-between stuff on goodreads.

• When you search for a book, it's information will pop up on the home page, which I think is awesome. The only problem with this is that I can't link to books on Booklikes because of this feature. So as awesome as it is, I wish that it was a little different.

• It's much easier to add books on Booklikes. They don't require you to be a librarian, which makes it very easy. All you have to do is add the title, author, blurb, cover and ISBN. Then you're done. I can see how it might be hard to keep track of without "librarians" though. As far as I can tell, it's impossible to edit a book after you add it, though.

• HALF STARS HALF STARS OMG HALF STARS! If you can't tell, their "rating system" has a half stars selection! Yay! (Remember, goodreads doesn't have half stars.)

• Full reviews are displayed on the home page-- no "read more" button!

• They have a daily deals page! They display a lot of discounts and deals from Amazon on this page, which I think it really awesome! (:

• The shelves look very pretty, and I like the "personal blog" feature. I think it's cool that you could start your own "blog" on a book social media site! (You can also add personal links to the sidebar of your "blog"!)

• Exclusive book statuses (you create them, they don't come with booklikes) such as DNF, Re-read or whatever! :D

• They have a yearly reading challenge as well!

• Last, but not least-- if you do decide to switch to booklikes, they have a "publish to goodreads" setting, so each review you publish on booklikes will go to goodreads, for those of you afraid of losing goodreads followers. (:

So honestly, in conclusion, I can say that there are lots more things that I like about BookLikes, but there are many things that I miss about Goodreads. What do you say, folks? Do you have an opinion?

Goodreads, We are NO Longer Friends

Normally, as today is Wednesday (if I had scheduled it) there would have been a wonderful, drool worthy Waiting on Wednesday up. But today is a special day-- know this, my friends. I am going through an ugly, horrendous breakup. With the book social media site, "for readers" formerly known as Goodreads.

The reason why we're breaking up? Well...Goodreads announced a new plan last Friday. A plan to make "authors" and not readers happy. About how they're going to start censoring us and deleting reviews and shelves that they feel are "about the author". To make matters worse, they're not deleting "favorable about the author" type reviews, only unfavorable. That's a total double standard. Honestly, who holds the gavel on this one? I'd like to have a nice long, proper chewing out with them.

Now, to better explain, here's a link (and lowdown) on their new policy. To make matters worse, NO ONE KNOWS, unless you're a member of the Goodreads Feedback group. Which honestly, I'm not. Before this week, I would have had nothing but good feedback on them-- but that's changed. The ONLY reason I found out is because a good friend of mine, Sarah from Book-A-Holic, commented to ask me if I knew about the recent drama.

The recent drama being that Goodreads, a formerly awesome book social media site has taken freedom of speech into their own hands. And they're not being subtle about it. One commenter on the forum remarked that she has had NINETY REVIEWS deleted WITHOUT prior notice-- she got an email after they were mass deleted telling her the news. Since then "that policy has been changed" but I think it stands to reason that this user deserves a formal apology. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. Suddenly, not only has goodreads become a place for the "STGRB" (which BTW, loved GR's new changes) but it's also become a site that is quickly losing it's mass following.

I feel like this entire crock of shit will never end in the book community-- because this new "policy" popped up soon after all of that stink with that one gal author who "decided not to publish" after being assaulted by "the goodreads bullies". She brought up allegations against reviewers who reviewed ARC's of her book, saying that they couldn't possibly have read it, took shelf names as personal threats, tweeted immaturely and otherwise made a fool of herself... you can read about that here.

That, not to mention the MANY author/blogger/reviewer scandals over the past few years, was a huge pile of bullshit from the very beginning. So, why exactly is Goodreads giving in? Why are they receiving so much flack for something that shouldn't be an issue (hello, freedom of speech)? I have freedom of speech, so do you, why on earth would you ever want to censor that? It's a simple question with a complicated answer; because it makes the people we want to please happy.

That's all it is. A freaking huge pile of reviews and "due-to-author" shelves are being deleted as we speak-- and I just don't stand for that. I don't care how downright rude and f***ing mean you are to me, I have a right to dislike you or like you and a right to tell you-- and I'll be honest. Not only is Goodreads censoring readers' thoughts, they're censoring author rights too. Suddenly authors aren't allowed to comment on reviews of their books-- not even to thank people... because it's not Goodreads/socially acceptable.

A simple author interaction. A thank you. That's an absolutely capital offense. DOWN WITH THE CAPITOL! I never thought that Goodreads and I would be having such a public breakup, but... for all intents and purposes, it is what is. This is why we aren't friends anymore-- bad politics.

I feel such outrage-- I'm proud of every single ounce of sweat or brain matter I've put into my reviews, and although I'm positive at least one has offended at least one person, they're my personal thoughts and my right as a human to express them. I don't stand for being censored, and although I'm keeping my Goodreads on the off chance that they straighten out, I won't be on as often. I'm looking at booklikes, which I'm hoping will turn out to be awesome in time. But one last thing-- I'm so disappointed in Goodreads. They were a site built on readers, and now they're catering to a different crowd. I'll miss you, Goodreads. Honestly. But we aren't friends anymore.