Play Book Tag discussion

Ok, I have to say, I really enjoy how PBT lets us post reviews how we feel like posting. And unless it's a game or challenge that has specific rules, it's basically a free for all. I don't feel like I have to check and double check before I post.

Are any of you on groups where you feel they are just too strict? I'm on a group that I've gotten "scolded" twice now for how I posted. Once, I didn't include a comma in my title and the 2nd was because there was already a thread for the book I reviewed. Makes me not want to participate in that group. :(

No, I'm not in any really strict groups and am not likely to stay in a strict group--no point for me since this is supposed to be recreational :).

That said, if I participate in a game or challenge I do follow the rules, of course, and always try to be polite (not sure if it always works in print, though, especially if I'm in a rush and get terse by accident).

The group I'm in is a challenge group. I guess I could continue the challenge on my own and just not post reviews.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "The group I'm in is a challenge group. I guess I could continue the challenge on my own and just not post reviews."

If it were me, I'd weigh how fun it is in that group with how strict they are. One of the groups here I'd liked for years on Shelfari ( because the people left were snarky about things important to me (NOT TO ME, but in general comment) and more into things I didn't like. ie, it wasn't enjoyable anymore.

We are glad to know you like it here! We really do try to be as relaxed as possible, but when we do have rules it is for fairness in games with prizes.

It is nice to know that our laid back style is welcoming and encourages you to participate!

The other group sounds kind of stressful! But I agree with Karin about weighing the pros and cons.

I so appreciate the option of books I can read and still participate. These options are important to me as I rely on the library and a very few books I buy used.
At first I had a difficult time understanding the directions, but different people kept showing up, helping to the next level of understanding of what to do.
Good Time to Say This: I was sick for awhile--respiratory and kidneys. One of those winters. So I really bungled things the 2nd month I was here. I was not very polite I am afraid and not understanding how to do much. A couple of people helped even when I was not particularly polite. You know who you are better than I can remember. Thank you for letting me stay here until my body and my brain righted themselves.
Thank You Group.

Glad you are doing better, Cynda!

The ability to choose whatever I want to read, as well as the great people and awesome admins, are the reasons I stayed with this group and became active. I've tried traditional book groups that have a single monthly read and I just don't like being "forced" to read a book I'm not in the mood for. Also, it means I'm exposed to a greater variety of books, and consequently have expanded my reading horizons considerably. I became a member in November 2008 (tag was poetry), and from the beginning it felt like "home". Thanks everyone!

Lisa A wrote: "Glad you are doing better, Cynda!"

Thank you Lisa :-)

Kim- I agree with Nicole's and Karin's advice, especially if it is just a few things they are strict about but the group is otherwise fun.

To answer your question, I was in a group that seemingly had rules about everything but it became tiresome to have so many group members constantly being scolded for various reasons. Based on that, I wasn't have much fun reading discussion updates or participating, so I left the group. I am usually fine with the rules in most groups but this was a little much, even for me.

I think you should ditch the other group! Honestly.

Reading is for fun. There are enough other areas in our lives where we have to obey the rules. Meet the targets. Reach the standards. Make the hours. Use the protocols.

For goodness sake, if any group makes it feel like hard work, walk away!

I love how flexible PBT is and how lovely everyone is even when we have different views or approaches. It makes it a really rich community and a safe place to debate things and to experiment with new ideas or styles :)

Very occasionally, as Nicole says, there's a rule, but there's *always* a reason for it. For instance we might need to record a book title and author in a particular format in a challenge post so that a hardworking admin can collate information from multiple posts without creating additional hassle for her. If people don't get it quite right, they can just fix it - it's never a drama.

I wouldn't personally stick with a group that had a load of rules that I didn't understand, or where people get snotty over preferences about commas. At least not unless I was learning so much that it was worth while. I learn heaps here but I haven't found anything else on GR that would fit that bill! A F2F book club might be different. But probably only if it had wine ...

Oh, My Stars! Really? Someone scolded you for a misplaced comma?!!? THAT person should have been booted from the group. Get a life.

Okay off my rant ...

I've become addicted to challenges and I do appreciate having clear rules for those, and I follow them. But for posting reviews and getting comments back and forth among readers, no other group is as great at PBT! Even if no one comments on a review I've left, I know that people have looked at it and that this is a community of readers who enjoy different perspectives and different books. Sometimes I'll see that someone has read a book I raved about a few months later and I'll be so happy that my review might have helped influence their choice.

So, welcome to all our new members and post away. Even if we don't all comment on each review, we're reading and enjoying them.

KateNZ wrote: "A F2F book club might be different. But probably only if it had wine. ...."

Lol!

I'm a member of 9 ! groups on here but I only comment on PBT and one other one frequently. And the other one is just to track my challenge progress - PBT gets all the reviews and comments!

Jenny wrote: "I'm a member of 9 ! groups on here but I only comment on PBT and one other one frequently. And the other one is just to track my challenge progress - PBT gets all the reviews and comments!"

Me too! I'm in nine but two are for specific authors and a couple are for specific genres. I like this one because it is so wide-ranging. I get lots of good ideas here! But if someone complained because, a, co,m,m,a was, o,u,t, of place I think I'd resign in protest!

Jenny wrote: "PBT gets all the reviews and comments!"

And we love your reviews and comments!

WOW! You guys are in 9 groups?!! I can barely keep up with PBT!!

Sue wrote: "But if someone complained because, a, co,m,m,a was, o,u,t, of place I think I'd resign in protest! .."

LOL! Ok, that made me laugh!

Glad that you are enjoying PBT. It is a very special place because of all the great members.

As someone who has also been the challenge admin in another very large group, I will say that sometimes the rules are there to try to make it easier to administer the challenge. A comma out of place seems odd though — unless they have figured out a way to dump posts into a spreadsheet and the comma triggers some type of logic. However, everyone is new or makes mistakes, so you should never be made to feel bad about it.

annapi wrote: "I just don't like being "forced" to read a book I'm not in the mood for"

It's not so much as being forced to read a book, it's more of the posting and how it's done.

Sue wrote: "But if someone complained because, a, co,m,m,a was, o,u,t, of place I think I'd resign in protest! "

ROFL!!! I think that would drive those admins crazy.

I think I'm going to use the group just to track the challenge and not post reviews any more. I noticed I got another "scolding" (this makes 3) about my review already being a topic. That topic was from 2015!!! I tried searching for the book I'm already reading to see if there was a thread for it, and it came up with 26 pages of results. Like I have time (or the energy) to go through 26 pages. Geez!

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I think I'm going to use the group just to track the challenge and not post reviews any more. ..."

If you haven't already, you could continue updating challenge progress in your PBT member challenges topic. Then you wouldn't need to give up on the book challenge and also wouldn't need to worry about updates in the other group. Just an idea......

~*Kim*~ wrote: "Ok, I have to say, I really enjoy how PBT lets us post reviews how we feel like posting. And unless it's a game or challenge that has specific rules, it's basically a free for all. I don't feel lik..."

Thank you for sharing your (positive and encouraging) thoughts on how we run PBT. It's good to hear what we are doing right (and conversely what we can improve upon).

It's funny because my inherent personality is pretty detail oriented and compulsive, but I really want all kinds of people to enjoy PBT . . .so our goal has always been to be easygoing, but fair. It's a balance! Sometimes it does need to be situational, but I have to say that if someone takes you to task for improper placement of a comma, that's just crazy.

Fortunately, in the groups I'm in, there's never been anything remotely like that!

~*Kim*~ wrote: "Sue wrote: "But if someone complained because, a, co,m,m,a was, o,u,t, of place I think I'd resign in protest! "

ROFL!!! I think that would drive those admins crazy."

Ha ha ha, omg, that is pretty hysterical!!

I recently came to this group, because I got tired of my last group and their comments. The two that stick in my mind is that I once posted to much info in the wrong spot. Second was it was my turn to pick the monthly books we voted on for our group read and someone didn't like my choices.