Hmmm, didn't think of the copyright issue regarding the reviews Richard.
Pingggggg. That was the sound of a penny dropping. You're saying it should be a professional site where people get paid.
Oh dear. there's a bit of a problem there, actually a few.
Firstly, it would take a lot longer to set up. Not the mechanics of the site but the infrastructure behind it.
The real deal breaker for me and I'm sure millions of others, is that if there's money and people involved then corruption will ensue.
There's no way a start up entity could get it's shit together and actually become, not just start a campaign to become a household name.
I would never ever believe a word on a review site where I knew they needed to have financial affiliates, and they would, in order to keep the paycheques coming. I would take the word of a fellow member of a community like MR because most likely they would have a history of posts and karma to judge the worth of their opinion by.
I agree that we need this thing now, not later.
To boil this down, think about this.
If you are given two eBook review sources to choose from:
The first being a Forum in MR where you can research a reviewer to your heart's content. Where you are reading the opinions of a community of like minded people who give their few minutes here and there to spread the joy of reading.
Second, an essentially corporate site where the mighty dollar is a deciding factor in it's day to day routine. A place where you are reading what someone is being paid to write.
Hmmmmmm, bit of a no-brainer me thinks!
Come on let's just do it. Set up just one more forum called, gee, oh I don't know, "eBook Reviews" maybe
Reviews could be posted by any MR member, or maybe anyone at all. I know that it is usually best to forgo quantity in the belief that will lead you to quality but in the case of reviews on something I want to read I reckon the more the merrier. Multiple reviews makes it easier to spot the genuine ones imho.
As far as the reproduction rights of reviews already out there go, that would be up to the participating library sites to sort with their members. Certainly any new reviews would be posted under revised conditions and the reviewer would do so knowing that a copy of the review would also be posted on MR.
I can tell you that library sites would fall all over themselves to participate, at least those with nothing to hide or fear. I for one am jumping out of my skin over the idea
