Sandi

Edmund Burke, Preface to Brissot's Address to His Constituents (1794) from On Empire, Liberty and Reform: Speeches and Letters

I sent an email to BookLikes customer support asking if a few features I'd like are going to be implemented. This has probably been covered elsewhere but I didn't know where. Anyway, I said to them:

• I want to be able to click on an author’s name and see all their books on a page together.
• I want to click on a book and see ALL the reviews and ratings for the book on the SAME page. I don’t want to have to go to each edition of a book, e.g. paperback and Kindle, to see all the ratings and reviews.
• It would be nice to have a dashboard for authors so we can see at a glance how many ratings and reviews our books added to BookLikes have.

The email I got from them said:

"I want to assure you that works are in progress to fulfill all the requests mentioned in your e-mail. For the time being, BL uses book data bases of numerous book sources from all around the world (you can see them all in Settings/Search http://booklikes.com/settings/search and in book search box options) that's why each book edition received its own book page.

"However, for the past several weeks we're working hard on new book data base where all editions of one title will be together and there will be one book page per title (and not per edition) where all ratings and reviews will be visible. This will also allow to present author' pages and all books by a given author. The process requires time and advanced tech systems that's why it cannot be done overnight but I can calm you down it's on its way.

"We want BookLikes to be a comfy place for writers, reviewers, bloggers, readers, all book lovers that's why we're undergoing these big changes and more are in our future plans. We're also planning releasing panel for authors with stats regarding their books on BookLikes, on BookLikes shelves and mentions in BL reviews."

(Bolding for emphasis mine)

Anyway I just wanted to share this with you guys.

Love and smooches, Mona <3

This book was on Ellen yesterday, just the title.  It made me laugh, thought I would share it with you.  It actually sounds like a good book.  

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           Shakespeare: This was the most unkindest cut of all. (Julius Caesar 3.2.184, MARK ANTONY'S oration on the murder of Julius Caesar)

           KillerRabbit hops up.

           KillerRabbit: You sound upset, Shakespeare. What seems to be the problem?

           Shakespeare: Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not 'seems' . (Hamlet 1.2.76, HAMLET TO GERTRUDE)

           KillerRabbit: Let me guess, some reviewer called you a derogatory name, like Quean Quill, and you want to have their post deleted.

Shakespeare: What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; (Romeo and Juliet 2.2.47-8, JULIET Capulet contemplating the unfortunate reality that Romeo is encumbered with the Montague surname)

KillerRabbit: Well if you're not offended by name calling, then what is the problem?

Shakespeare: Art made tongue tied by authority. (Sonnet 66.9)

KillerRabbit: Wait…are you upset about the censorship policy that's been instituted by the Amazon folks who now own goodreads?

Shakespeare: The demi-god, Authority. (Measure for Measure 1.2.120, CLAUDIO TO THE PROVOST)

KillerRabbit: I've been calling them Amazon Overlords, but I guess demi-god works, too. So you think we should do something about the censorship?

Shakespeare: If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well it be done quickly. (Macbeth 1.7.1-2, MACBETH)

KillerRabbit: Rabbits are all about the now, buddy. What do you have in mind?

Shakespeare: Action is eloquence. (Coriolanus 3.2.6, VOLUMNIA)

KillerRabbit: Agreed. So far, I've written some protest reviews. I also created a shelf called 'Really Bad Egg Author', and put Mother Teresa on it.

Shakespeare: Though she be but little, she is fierce. (Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2.325, HELENA's retort )

KillerRabbit: People always underestimate the ferocity of rabbits. But to be honest, I'm not sure that protesting will make any difference.

Shakespeare: Every man's conscience is a thousand men. (Richard III 5.2.17, OXFORD TO COMPANIONS IN ARMS)

KillerRabbit: Yeah, I'm sure that's going to overwhelm the power of the Amazon Overlords. But the thing is, they haven't actually deleted any of my own reviews.

Shakespeare: A wretched soul bruised with adversity, we bid be quiet when we hear it cry; But were we burdened with like weight of pain, as much, or more, we should ourselves complain. (Comedy of Errors 2.1.34-7, ADRIANA TO LUCIANA)

KillerRabbit: Are you saying I'm a selfish, short-sighted swine if I don't do anything? That it's just a matter of time before this place becomes a totalitarian review-state like Amazon.com?

Shakespeare: One for all or all for one we gage. (Lucrece 144)

KillerRabbit: big ol' sigh Fine, I'll keep up the protesting.

Shakespeare: Was that not nobly done? Ay, and wisely too. (Macbeth 3.6.14 LENOX TO ANOTHER LORD)

KillerRabbit: Yeah, I'm super-noble. But I really don't think this plan is the wise choice. It's just a matter of time before the Overlords assign somebody to shush us. Maybe we should just leave to Booklikes.

Shakespeare: No! - I defy all counsel. (King John 3.3.23, CONSTANCE TO PHILIP, KING OF FRANCE)

sound of approaching footsteps

KillerRabbit: Run away! It's Kara from the Customer Care Department!

(Taken from ParisLemon.com)

Press Release - March 06, 2014
Synchronize BookLikes with your Kindle

March 6, 2014 -- BookLikes, free and independent blog platform designed for book lovers, introduces reading progress synchronization for Amazon Kindle.

Book lovers use BookLikes to share their reading milestones, connect with book bloggers and share book reviews and book recommendations with their followers. Today BookLikes is making all of that even easier by allowing its users to synchronize their account with Kindle e-readers and reading apps.

BookLikes presents Kindle reading update synchronization which lets each BookLikes member keep their BookLikes followers up to date on reading status and the latest information about read and rated ebooks straight from Kindle device. If you read on Kindle and share the reading progress and ratings across your social media, it will be updated on user’s BookLikes account. Each member can configure his/her synchronization option in BookLikes Settings and share ebook reading flow and ebook ratings in real time manner directly from Kindle e-reader.

BookLikes, an independent global platform designed for book lovers, integrates functions of a blog platform and book social site. The service lets users create a personal webpage with a blog, virtual bookshelf and reading timeline. Redesigned BookLikes launched in May 2013 and during ten months

The service releases one new feature every week and the most recent news include customization features and new blog designs, giveaways (including ebooks), discussion rooms, book blog directory, open API and BookLikes ISBN Scanner iOS app.

More information:
david@booklikes.com

__________________________

Some comments:

"...[G]athered tens of thousands of the most influential book bloggers from all around the world and became one of the biggest competitor to other popular book social sites like Goodreads."

Tens of thousands? I'd like to meet just a few not from Goodreads, but that perhaps is a function of BL that it is difficult to meet anyone who isn't connected to you by a friend anyway.  And why did we come to Booklikes? Because Goodreads sold out to Amazon, got a new boss, head of the Kindle division, and it's like that old song, here we go, here we go, here we go again...

Can't anyone resist Amazon?  It's just plain contemptuous to ignore the obvious dislike of Amazon and sharing information with them (see the comments yesterday's Thursday Candy, sour candy, garnered). I had a message yesterday from a friend who had commented who asked me if I felt that Dawid was being disingenous with his answers. As it turns out, the answer is yes.

The tone of the press release, wow. So positive, so aren't you all so pleased that now Amazon will know not only what book you have purchased rented from them, but they will know your rating, when you update your blog and which social media you are sharing it with and your screenname Goodreads, the review you wrote there. If you are sharing with other social media, the data they will have on you is amazing, BookLikes just adds to all that. I am sure that Amazon has algorithms that once it finds yet another screen name for a user they will look it up all over the net, see what else they can find out about you. Sure they are 'only' using it to make money from, to sell you everything on the sun, to sell you and your friends and family's data, sure it isn't anything malign. But.... how long before some government covertly or not, wants the information on you, or on all of us? Don't say it wouldn't happen, Google's done it...

You and I may have nothing to hide, but it doesn't mean we want to share with the world either. Even if you life in a gated community, you still lock your front door.

Yesterday there was a furore going on about Ann Rice's attempts to stop all negative reviews being published by getting Amazon to make everyone who posts use their credit card name. (She doesn't however think that authors should stop using pen names).  Amazon is about sales. To that end it has deleted a lot of reviews (Temple of Words here, a very non-confrontational and thoughtful blogger lost all hers), mine among them, a 2 star review at that, didn't mention the author, deleted comments, deleted whole threads. On Goodreads, Amazon have changed the culture from bookclub to authors' marketplace and gone in for review deletions, shelf deletions, and allowed, if not passively encouraged, paid reviews. Once there was only Fiverr, yesterday I found over 40 companies offering fake Amazon and Goodreads reviews.

And now we have Dawid saying that Booklikes is independent... Depends on your definition of independence really doesn't it?

• You should read the book that you hear two booksellers arguing about at the registers while you’re browsing in a bookstore.

• You should read the book that you see someone on the train reading and trying to hide that they’re laughing.

• You should read the book that you see someone on the train reading and trying to hide that they’re crying.

• You should read the book that you find left behind in the airplane seat pocket, on a park bench, on the bus, at a restaurant, or in a hotel room.

• You should read the book that you see someone reading for hours in a coffee shop — there when you got there and still there when you left — that made you envious because you were working instead of absorbed in a book.

• You should read the book you find in your grandparents’ house that’s inscribed “To Ray, all my love, Christmas 1949.”

• You should read the book that you didn’t read when it was assigned in your high school English class. You’d probably like it better now anyway.
• You should read the book whose author happened to mention on Charlie Rose that their favorite band is your favorite band.

• You should read the book that your favorite band references in their lyrics.

• You should read the book that your history professor mentions and then says, “which, by the way, is a great book,” offhandedly.

• You should read the book that you loved in high school. Read it again.

• You should read the book that you find on the library’s free cart whose cover makes you laugh.

• You should read the book whose main character has your first name.

• You should read the book whose author gets into funny Twitter exchanges with Colson Whitehead.

• You should read the book about your hometown’s history that was published by someone who grew up there.

• You should read the book your parents give you for your high school graduation.

• You should read the book you’ve started a few times and keep meaning to finish once and for all.

• You should read books with characters you don’t like.

• You should read books about countries you’re about to visit.

• You should read books about historical events you don’t know anything about.

• You should read books about things you already know a little about.

• You should read books you can’t stop hearing about and books you’ve never heard of.

• You should read books mentioned in other books.

• You should read prize-winners, bestsellers, beach reads, book club picks, and classics, when you want to.

• You should just keep reading.

By JANET POTTER

[source]

(If this is from the book, the it sounds like a good book!  Sandi)

 

 

"Women are the bloodthirsty sex," said Ric sadly. "We get the reputation, but it is only because the women stand behind us, and say, 'Kill it. Squish it.'"

LMFAO

I just posted this as a comment to Rose's excellent post of this morning, but I am going to post it here, as a post, too:

I think that it is time to throw in the towel. There will be BBAs. But, the thing is that the whole BBA thing has blown up to the point where being a jackass is a way to market your book. That crazy bitch Elizabeth Llewelyn is bragging about how her trolling of a reviewers 3 star review has helped sell books. Her ranking has steadily increased as the drama has increased.

And I'm absolutely certain that this is true.

So, now what? 

Well, I would say that perhaps it is time to consider responding to BBA behavior with total radio silence. The person being attacked could delete the author comment and move on. If people want to shelve the BBA, they could wait a few days, and shelve them under something innocuous like "pot pie" and move on. If the nonsense occurs on amazon, the reviewer can't delete the comment, but there isn't any need to pile on. Perhaps a quick reply to say, "hey, great review. Ignore the tantrum." No tweets. No calls for solidarity. It benefits the jerk.

Radio silence.

Radio fucking silence. You are irrelevant.

Because right now, there are actually incentives to behave badly. It is a way to get exposure for a book that the author is unable to accomplish by not behaving like a douchecanoe. Change the incentives. Let them sink into the obscurity that their crappy writing deserves.

Helping them to attention whore is counterproductive.

Just a thought.

Good choice!