Bookcrossers discussion

HI. my name is stephanie. i noticed that there is not a lot of activity in this group. i would like to change that, but unfortunatly, Ann has not returned my email about becoming a mod. if i were to become a mod, i was thinking about adding group reads or challenges. something to get us more active and have more members, what are your thoughts?

stephanie wrote: "HI. my name is stephanie. i noticed that there is not a lot of activity in this group. i would like to change that, but unfortunatly, Ann has not returned my email about becoming a mod. if i we..."

I probably wouldn't join in any group reads or challenges but would be interested in swapping books through BC as I live in Canada and the bookswaps don''t apply to us.

That is something we could do. I'm just waiting for anna to make me a mod.

Cool, welcome and congrats on being a mod.
Good to hear for some welcome changes!

thanks!

To be honest I had completely forgot that I was part of this group on goodreads until I got the message from you Stephanie. I would be open to group reads and swapping.

well welcome back! i started a swap folder. go ahead and list.

Obligatory post so as not to be deleted from the group.

I have a few books to swap. I was planning a few releases in SoCal this week.

I would be up for group reads and for more general discussion about bc. I guess bc's website also has threads as well so people who are really into bc probably post there more (obv. if they are not on goodreads).

This might be a good thread also to post announcements of live bc meetings and conventions and such.

Hi stephanie. Glad that you are thinking of new ways to get the group moving. I confess taht I don't go much to the forums at BC dot com. I find the interface 'clunky'.

I agree with Hubert. I already belong to too many book clubs/groups here at GoodReads and struggle to read all the books I need to each month. I joined this group to discuss BookCrossings.

Just my 2 cents.

Ciao, Jon

I am a very active BookCrosser and an avid reader. I am on Goodreads every day too, though not active in the forums (I do read many, even if I don't participate.) The thing I've liked about both sites is that they leave open how I interact within the site. I've welcomed the ability to dip in and participate in whatever ways I choose. I am unlikely to participate in a discussion that duplicates something (such as a challenge) that I am doing over at BookCrossing, but might participate in a discussion *about* challenges.

As to Group Reads, I've tried those with both BookCrossing, with other book sites and with IRL book clubs. I've read so many books, that often the book chosen is one I've already read, often a while ago, and am not interested in re-reading. Or the book read is one I am not particularly interested in diving into at the time of the group read. (There are a couple of sites I belong to, such as the Stanford Univ. Book Salon, where the discussions are so darn interesting that I get a lot from reading the discussion even if I don't read the book.)

I'd be a little distressed to see forum/group participation become mandatory anywhere, but especially on a site that is focused on that mind-opening action of reading.

I didn't even remember I belonged to this group until Bookczuk's comment showed up in my Goodreads feed. I don't need for this to be active - I'm fine interacting on BookCrossing from time to time, and interacting here with friends on books they're reading and I'm reading. Not looking for anything else from this group. In fact, if I can remember how, I'll just quietly withdraw from this group!

I might be interested in some challenges or group reads on occasion, depending on what they are.

ok so maybe i worded it wrong. the people who will be deleted are the people that joined in 2008 but have not made a single post. if you can't even introduce yourself when you join, then what was the purpose of joining? the plan was not to just delete people without telling them. that is why i stated that anyone with 0 comments in the group by the end of the month will be deleted. even then i did not plan on just outright deleting them. each person would get an individual email asking if they would like to remain part of the group. i understand that not everyone posts all the time. i admit that i am part of groups but only post once in a while. but as i see it, why join something if you aren't going to participate. the main focus of this group will be so we all can post bookcrossing information and to open goodreads swap to members of bookcrossing that are not in the US as GR swap if for US only at the moment. the idea of challenges and group reads was just to get some peoples attention and attract more activity. you are not obligated to join. i will be sending this out at a message to all members later on today (you can only send one message every 24 hours so i have to wait).

and just to let you know, when i posted the original message about becoming a mod, i recieved quite a few emails about it would be a good idea to delete members who are inactive. so the idea was not my own.

i'm sorry for any confusion.

Thanks for the clarification, Stephanie. I like to affiliate with BookCrossing on various other sites (ie facebook, livejournal, ravelry, and others, not just book sites) but would rather forge my own relationship than be told how it has to be. People have their own reasons for doing or not doing things. I appreciate how the BookCrossing forums are self-policing and only monitored for spam and flaming, and was just surprised that a more heavy-handed approach seemed to be indicated.

Good luck with your planned activities. My advice would be to just let those inactive members remain inactive, rather than delete them from a group. Who knows? They may have just the book you're looking for available in trade and all it takes is a gentle reminder that they're missed. If you cull them out, you might miss out. Besides, it's much more hospitable to keep the door open for them to return and what does it hurt to let them stay on the list?

Again, just my thoughts, but I'm all for keeping opportunities open rather than possibly hurting someone.

Oh I just answered you notification. I did not saw this has already happend... hihihi

Thanks for the alteration. I hope it will makes this group more vivid.

Stephanie, glad to see some new energy on the group. I might be up for a group read or challenge. I will probably stick to swapping domestically, but if someone from abroad really wants me to ship stg specific from here (USA), I might be able to do it. I tend to read these forums often, but don't post unless I really have something to add. So I guess I am another voice for letting people lurk. Again, thanks for breathing some new life into the group!

Mini-challenges might be fun - but please don't do them like another group to which I belong does, where the points accumulate over time - new people should be able to jump in any time and still be on the same footing as founders.

No worries there. I don't understand the whole points thing.

Dropping members for the reasons you stated strikes me as a very negative way to begin a moderator-ship.

zz-neena wrote: "Dropping members for the reasons you stated strikes me as a very negative way to begin a moderator-ship."

I'm sorry if you can't argee that members should post at least once when they join.

I look forward to the increased activity (redpumpkin)

i added a couple books to my swappable thread, just to get us going. i will add more over the next week.

I updated my "available for swap" shelf, but the pickins is slim I'm afraid.

Hi, I've just joined and I'm lakelady2282 and if I don't post regularly it's because I'm busy writing. I'm currently working on a psychological drama and mystery set in Newcastle, Australia in 1920.

welcome. i can't wait to read your book!

Hayes wrote: "I updated my "available for swap" shelf, but the pickins is slim I'm afraid."

can you post a link under the swappable folder?

So I'm guessing that if you want to only swap with BookCrossers, not to list on the general swap page, or else you get requests from non BCers, too? I think I'll just go back to looking at BC wishlists for now. It's easier for me.

i have books listed on GR swap. but GR swap is for US members only at the moment. in the swap folder, you can list some books that you don't mind swapping with non US members.

So what's going on with the whole idea of kicking people out who don't ever post? I think that's a daft idea - plenty of people like to just read other people's posts. I'm not sure I want to be part of group that forces people to introduce themselves - I'm quite happy for people to lurk happily if that's what they like doing. Are the group rules decided by the group or by just one person?

Gail wrote: "So what's going on with the whole idea of kicking people out who don't ever post? I think that's a daft idea - plenty of people like to just read other people's posts. I'm not sure I want to be par..."

I absolutely agree with Gail!

As I have said both publicly and in private to both our moderators, I, too am a bit baffled and dismayed by some of the new "rules" that have sprung up, especially since the site that this GR group is an offshoot of does not moderate *their* forums at all (except for spam or flaming).

I can see bumping people for lack of participation from a personal facebook feed or dropping someone you've "friended" on a site such as livejournal when they don't interact. But this is a community group, not a personal page. Communities are made up of people with a common interest. They can be active, enthusiastic, reclusive, tyrants, total nutters or moderates etc. There's a word for kicking people out of groups because they don't fit criteria -- what was it again?

Don't bother keeping me in the group if you're going to indulge in such high-handed behaviour. Some of us just like to sit quietly and see what's going on unless we have something in particular to say.

Requiring one post when you join is not a major problem. If you don't like the rules then either don't join or leave. I'm sorry some of you don't like that you will have to post once but that's the way it is. Again I'm sorry.

Don't say you're sorry when you're not, that's just irritating and condescending. It's not about how easy or not it is to make a post, it's about someone waltzing in here, changing the rules without consulting the group members, and expecting us to agree meekly. I think you'll find a lot of people leaving if you carry on like this. Of course, if that's your intention you're doing a fine job...

I am sorry that everyone doesn't agree with me. That is your own opinion. And I never expected everyone to just agree. I was approached by a lot of members asking for this to happen. No one is forced to be in the group. If you don't like that members are required to post at least once, then you are free to leave and may join again if you ever want to.

You were asked by a lot of members to kick out everyone who had never posted? Can I ask... how many is a lot?

stephanie wrote: "I am sorry that everyone doesn't agree with me. That is your own opinion. And I never expected everyone to just agree. I was approached by a lot of members asking for this to happen. No one is for..."
Of course it's my own opinion - who else's would it be? Like Moem, I'd love to know how many is a lot? And how many people did you actually *ask*? You know, like taking a poll of the membership. No one is forced to be in the group.' No, but I don't see why people should be forced to choose between being kicked out or following rules they never signed up to.

I guess I'll be the first lurker who chooses to leave. I'll continue to lurk over at the BC forum and on other forums (fora?) here in GR. For those of you who do interact, try to focus on the good things Stephanie is trying to implement, I'm sure she was just trying to make this group more active, which is a good thing. I was/am against the no lurking rule, and I did PM her about it. I was going to wait to see what happened, but this is turning ugly and my lurker nerves do not need this right now. See you all over at BC, hugs, Elisa/blackteiwaz.

Stephanie, the point of a group, unless it is a dictatorship, is for people to work out together what they want. You will alienate lots of people if you simply say 'Sorry you disagree with me - you're free to leave' rather than 'Let's work together to create a group where everyone feels comfortable'.

It shouldn't be about you, and whether people agree with you. You are just one person. This is a group. Moderating a group is about facilitating what the group wants, not descending upon a group and dictating what you want to happen to it.

I don't believe for one moment that lots of people asked you to kick out anyone who doesn't post. People may have asked you to help the group become more active, but there are plenty of positive ways of doing that. Messaging everyone to announce they'll be kicked out unless they make a post probably isn't the best way. Welcoming everyone in a friendly way and asking how you can make their experience of the group more positive might work. Good luck!

zz-neena wrote: "Dropping members for the reasons you stated strikes me as a very negative way to begin a moderator-ship."

I'd have to agree with this. The email I got from Stephanie was very off-putting. I have been a member of bookcrossing for a long time, and rarely update on my profile here or BC but am still involved with the people there. Life just happens, you know? Have made very few posts on goodreads, and saying one would be deleted if posts aren't made isn't the best way to go, really. If there's a reason to post then one would, a person shouldn't feel like they have a gun to their head. Deleting is a poor tactic, and won't win over.

I used to run a meetup, and never deleted those who joined because they were inactive; you never know what could spark someone to become involved or maybe they just like getting the notices but because of scheduling they can't do something.

Try again. Good luck to you, Stephanie.

I agree that the group has been a tad inactive. Its one of the reasons why I've been more active on the bookcrossing forums. I do have to agree with the concerned comments though. It does seem a bit harsh to drop someone because they don't make a single comment in one month.

What happens to the person that regularly contributes then disappears for a month? Do they get booted? Some people may be shy or just have nothing to add to a discussion. I appreciate that this may not have been your idea Stephanie but I can understand why people may have taken offence. If you want people to interact maybe gently try to encourage people to join in by introducing one or two of the BC forum ideas...swapping wild release ideas/advice maybe!?!