MobileRead Discussion/Suggestion thread

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Here's an idea you may like...

We'll do the multiple choice (3 max) vote hidden for January and then an open multiple choice vote for February and we can see how both go and then decide what's what. But, when we do open voting, I'd like to have the names of who voted for what not to show.

I prefer the idea of an open vote, but I really agree with this part. At the very least, don't show who voted for each item until the end. I think these should be voted on based on the popularity/desire to read the book, not popularity of who has voted on it. We get to see who nominated books and some people will certainly second or third a book based on who nominated it if they have historically had similar tastes, but when it gets to voting I think it should be about the books.

[pilotbob]

I say we do a double-blind triple preferential hidden public vote. Then once all the votes are in the Grand Muckity Muck types the book titles into random.org and tells us which book we will be reading.

BOb

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I say we do a double-blind triple preferential hidden public vote. Then once all the votes are in the Grand Muckity Muck types the book titles into random.org and tells us which book we will be reading.

BOb

We have a winner!!!

That site is so cool. I'll never have to make a decision again.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Will it matter if people vote for 3 or for 9? It can be people signalling all choices that they'd be happy to read and discuss. I'm not sure it's that important to keep it to an arbitrary figure. True, some may vote for all selections, but others may only vote for one or two. It would certainly be interesting to see the outcome...

Originally Posted by Synamon

Good points. If choosing a book that the greatest number of people are willing to read is the goal, then multiple voting should work towards that and it doesn't really matter how many books someone votes for. There might be more ownership and incentive to read the book if you voted for it, even if it was not your first or even third choice...

These are both good points.

I think any way we do multiple choice will work well and be better than single choice, though I think non-restricted multiple choice voting may be best for our club because of the above, and also because:

-Simplicity - There's nothing to worry about or keep in mind as one votes besides choosing which books one would like to vote for.

-No Extra Work/No Errors - There is no extra work for Tom, nothing to check on, nothing to adjust if a voter messes up, no chance of errors.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I prefer the idea of an open vote, but I really agree with this part. At the very least, don't show who voted for each item until the end. I think these should be voted on based on the popularity/desire to read the book, not popularity of who has voted on it. We get to see who nominated books and some people will certainly second or third a book based on who nominated it if they have historically had similar tastes, but when it gets to voting I think it should be about the books.

I have a hard time believing that someone would vote or not vote for a book based on who's already voted for it. The complaints about lemming votes seem whiny to me. I like a free-for-all with full information and campaigns. What are people so afraid of?

[orlok]

Originally Posted by issybird

I have a hard time believing that someone would vote or not vote for a book based on who's already voted for it. The complaints about lemming votes seem whiny to me. I like a free-for-all with full information and campaigns. What are people so afraid of?

This .

[jemc]

Originally Posted by issybird

I have a hard time believing that someone would vote or not vote for a book based on who's already voted for it. The complaints about lemming votes seem whiny to me. I like a free-for-all with full information and campaigns. What are people so afraid of?

This! ^^^^

While I generally do not participate, I love reading the nomination, voting and discussion threads. Their value for me is in the exposure to new books I would not normally consider. Unfortunately, the threads have been cluttered with way too many club rules and book category nit-picking which to me have zero value to the discussion of the books themselves. I thought this is supposed to be a book club, not some super secret society with special handshakes and such.

[Synamon]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Actually, even if the vote thread has only one post for the entire post, it will still be a the top as it is stickied.

At the top of the Bookclub child subforum of the Reading Recommendations subforum, sure. That's great if someone unfamiliar with the bookclub happens to click through to the subforum on a whim.

It has no bearing whatsoever on the new posts list, which is what I was talking about. Plenty of people use the new posts search in the forum toolbar to browse the forum and new posts in a thread are what pop a thread up to the top of the list. Having the bookclub voting thread pop up in that list because people are posting to it would help visibility of the bookclub and possibly attract new members.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jemc

This! ^^^^

While I generally do not participate, I love reading the nomination, voting and discussion threads. Their value for me is in the exposure to new books I would not normally consider. Unfortunately, the threads have been cluttered with way too many club rules and book category nit-picking which to me have zero value to the discussion of the books themselves. I thought this is supposed to be a book club, not some super secret society with special handshakes and such.

So, why not do away with categories? Just nominate some books each month and pick one to read? That is actually a great idea. It would eliminate trying to decide if a book is in a category... or if Sci-Fi is separate from Fantasy, etc.

Yes.. the founding members of the book club meant it to be very informal way to get a group of people to discuss the same book after having read it. Matter of fact, the first book was selected without nominations or votes.

But, the secret handshake.... it is COOL and will never go away.

BOb

[jemc]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

But, the secret handshake.... it is COOL and will never go away.

BOb

[Hamlet53]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

So, why not do away with categories? Just nominate some books each month and pick one to read? That is actually a great idea. It would eliminate trying to decide if a book is in a category... or if Sci-Fi is separate from Fantasy, etc.

Yes.. the founding members of the book club meant it to be very informal way to get a group of people to discuss the same book after having read it. Matter of fact, the first book was selected without nominations or votes.

But, the secret handshake.... it is COOL and will never go away.

BOb

I'd vote to see that given a chance. Maybe as one of the categories for a month; “the no category category.” My concern for making all months operate that way is that it would turn into selection of the latest flavor of the month book, and that would likely kill my interest in the book club entirely. Not that that would be a tragedy.

[Hamlet53]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

These are both good points.

I think any way we do multiple choice will work well and be better than single choice, though I think non-restricted multiple choice voting may be best for our club because of the above, and also because:

-Simplicity - There's nothing to worry about or keep in mind as one votes besides choosing which books one would like to vote for.

-No Extra Work/No Errors - There is no extra work for Tom, nothing to check on, nothing to adjust if a voter messes up, no chance of errors.

Yet another

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

I'd vote to see that given a chance. Maybe as one of the categories for a month; “the no category category.” My concern for making all months operate that way is that it would turn into selection of the latest flavor of the month book, and that would likely kill my interest in the book club entirely. Not that that would be a tragedy.

We do currently have a free for all category... at least during my tenure we did.

BOb

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

I have a hard time believing that someone would vote or not vote for a book based on who's already voted for it. The complaints about lemming votes seem whiny to me. I like a free-for-all with full information and campaigns. What are people so afraid of?

But some have already said they do vote based on who voted and.or how many votes were already cast. So we know this to be what does happen in an open vote.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

I'd vote to see that given a chance. Maybe as one of the categories for a month; “the no category category.” My concern for making all months operate that way is that it would turn into selection of the latest flavor of the month book, and that would likely kill my interest in the book club entirely. Not that that would be a tragedy.

I tried to nominate that for January as "Free-for-all".