Click here to read Amazon's press release:
I must say I'm a bit surprised, because it wasn't that long ago that the Goodreads people were in a mad rush to combine ISBNs because they were no longer going to be using info from amazon. The featured place to buy books at goodreads has also been via a Barnes and Noble clickthrough, leaving amazon way low on the pulldown list under "online stores." I wonder what happened!
I hope this doesn't mess anything up with goodreads...I am a regular there!
03/29: There is now a veritable sh*tstorm not only at goodreads' website, but also at their facebook page, with people wanting to pack up and leave due to what they feel is a major sellout. I'm not going anywhere at least for a while, but I am very concerned about my book reviews. I hate the idea of corporate sellout, but at the moment I'm much more concerned about my own thin skin. I feel good about posting at Goodreads (and LibraryThing for that matter, 2 places where most people are mature and act it); I rarely post reviews at Amazon because of all the unnecessary vitriol that some Amazon review readers seem to harbor and feel no qualms about posting. It's like there's a culture over at Amazon where some people feel it's their duty to slam whatever you say, then start unnecessary personal attacks just because you don't agree with what they have to say. It's not that I mind people disagreeing with what I have to say about a book, or saying that I'm full of bs (and then give their reasons why in an intelligent and adult way) but rather it's that for some reason there's just so much hate at that website and Amazon doesn't give a rat's ass. And now I'm not sure whether or not my goodreads reviews are going to provoke that kind of nastiness if they're automatically linked to the book on Amazon.
updates to follow if anything interesting comes up!
03/29: LibraryThing has now offered to give people coming to LT from Goodreads free accounts if they switch over by Sunday. You can read more at the LT Blog post but I'll repost it here:
"In the wake of Amazon’s acquisition of Goodreads, we’ve had some blow-back on the fact that LibraryThing charges for a membership to add more than 200 books. In fact, when you go to pay, it’s pay-what-you-want. The money helps pay for the site, and keeps us advertisement-free for members. Also, we believe customers should be customers, with the loyalty and rights of customers, not the thing we sell to our real customers. However, some people don’t like it. And we want everyone. So, as a test and a welcome, we’re giving out free year’s accounts to everyone who signs up through the end of Sunday. We’ve also upgraded everyone who signed up since 4pm yesterday."
Also, the news from the Goodreads founders has now been deleted from the Goodreads home page, likely in the wake of so much negative feedback.
As I stated, I'm in no rush to join in and delete my books from Goodreads -- I'm planning on hanging around to see what happens.
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I don't care what you say about what I write, but do be nice. Thanks!