Goodreads hits 10M users

afv011 · 08-13-2012, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Goodreads,the site that lets you share the books you’ve read, are reading, and want to read, says it has just hit the 10 million member mark.

That means the company has doubled its registered user base in a little more than a year — 15 months, to be more precise. It took Goodreads four and a half years to reach 5 million members back in May 2011.

Source

I find the site very useful to track the books I've read and to get suggestions on what to read.

JD Gumby · 08-13-2012, 01:23 PM

So, 10 million people signing up to give them free marketing data. Fun.

And they admit to using "web beacons" - aka 1x1 pixel clear .GIF images whose only purpose is to report to them and 3rd parties whenever it gets served up. And they also use them in email correspondance with their users for marketing purposes.

"In addition, we may also use clear gifs in HTML-based emails sent to our users to track which emails are opened by recipients. The information is used to enable more accurate reporting, improve the effectiveness of our marketing."

steven522 · 08-13-2012, 01:36 PM

What if your email client is set to not download images unless told to? Many times I read an email without loading the images...

Unless of course the entire email is nothing but an image. Those are harder to decipher otherwise.

pidgeon92 · 08-13-2012, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD Gumby

So, 10 million people signing up to give them free marketing data. Fun.

It's hard to get ad revenue if you can't show advertisers some numbers. Goodreads is a business, not a charity.

Myself, I like the service that Goodreads provides. I'm perfectly happy to share the details of what I read with them and they can do with that data whatever they like.

HomeInMyShoes · 08-13-2012, 03:17 PM

^Agreed. Although one has to wonder how many actual users as opposed to writer and reader accounts and sockpuppets are in that 10,000,0000 number.

pidgeon92 · 08-13-2012, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Although one has to wonder how many actual users as opposed to writer and reader accounts and sockpuppets are in that 10,000,0000 number.

No doubt about that. I'm sure there are a lot of junk accounts and users who signed up and never came back.

David Munch · 08-13-2012, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afv011

I find the site very useful to track the books I've read and to get suggestions on what to read.

Agreed! Loving the site, and I just discovered it 10 days ago!

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

It's hard to get ad revenue if you can't show advertisers some numbers. Goodreads is a business, not a charity.

Myself, I like the service that Goodreads provides. I'm perfectly happy to share the details of what I read with them and they can do with that data whatever they like.

Exactly. I'm happy and they are happy. Couldn't care less about them knowing my opinion about Twilight.

Edit: Post number 400!

NickyWithNook · 08-13-2012, 05:12 PM

I like their reviews better than the reviews at Amazon or B&N. Those seem to have too many cheerleaders. I like to read real reviews, including ones by people who didn't really like the books. People seem to shy away from leaving bad reviews at Amazon and B&N to some extent.

BeccaPrice · 08-13-2012, 05:33 PM

I signed up some time ago, but we have limited bandwidth, and all those book cover graphics ate up too much of that bandwidth, so I never went back.

Fbone · 08-13-2012, 05:59 PM

I found the GR's emails I receive that alert me when authors I've read have new books available quite useful.

As a free site, I have no objection to them using data to earn revenue. And if the data is useful to authors, publishers and marketing companies, that's shows they are taking a more in-dept interest in readers.

Canuck_in_Japan · 08-13-2012, 08:43 PM

This thread finally got me to sign up and I'm loving it. I've got my read and to read book up there, I have my yearly goal posted. I've been trying some trivia questions and contests and I can see what my friends are reading! Awesome! I've been keeping track of my books read on my own personal blog but this is way easier!

meeera · 08-13-2012, 09:27 PM

I love Goodreads. The best way to find a book I'm going to like is by recommendations by friends and acquaintances who share my taste in books, and GR is the go-to place for that. I also like keeping track of the books I've read and what I thought of them, and the notifications when my favoured authors are releasing a new book.

Ravensknight · 08-13-2012, 10:34 PM

I found GR to be the best way to easily keep track of what books I read when.
I used to do it on a blog, but man, searching a blog is a laborious process...

MikeOxlittle · 08-14-2012, 12:07 AM

9 million of the users are 14 year old girls who think Twilight is the best book ever.

haydnfan · 08-14-2012, 06:37 AM

I like Goodreads for tracking my books, reading reviews, following blogs of authors. It is an awesome site.

@Mike: Twilight has only 1 million ratings on goodreads, sorry to disappoint.

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08-13-2012, 01:23 PM	#2
JD Gumby Cynical Old Curmudgeon Posts: 1,085 Karma: 8495696 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Halifax, Canada Device: Kobo Mini, Kobo Arc, HTC Desire C	So, 10 million people signing up to give them free marketing data. Fun. And they admit to using "web beacons" - aka 1x1 pixel clear .GIF images whose only purpose is to report to them and 3rd parties whenever it gets served up. And they also use them in email correspondance with their users for marketing purposes. "In addition, we may also use clear gifs in HTML-based emails sent to our users to track which emails are opened by recipients. The information is used to enable more accurate reporting, improve the effectiveness of our marketing."

08-13-2012, 01:36 PM	#3
steven522 binomial: homo legentem Posts: 1,061 Karma: 25222222 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Alabama, USA Device: iriver Story HD; Archos 80 G9	What if your email client is set to not download images unless told to? Many times I read an email without loading the images... Unless of course the entire email is nothing but an image. Those are harder to decipher otherwise.

08-13-2012, 03:17 PM	#5
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	^Agreed. Although one has to wonder how many actual users as opposed to writer and reader accounts and sockpuppets are in that 10,000,0000 number.

08-13-2012, 05:12 PM	#8
NickyWithNook Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 3942770 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: American living in Australia Device: Kobo Libra Colour, Kindle Fire, Kindle Pwhite (Don't use Nook anymore)	I like their reviews better than the reviews at Amazon or B&N. Those seem to have too many cheerleaders. I like to read real reviews, including ones by people who didn't really like the books. People seem to shy away from leaving bad reviews at Amazon and B&N to some extent.

08-13-2012, 05:33 PM	#9
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	I signed up some time ago, but we have limited bandwidth, and all those book cover graphics ate up too much of that bandwidth, so I never went back.

08-13-2012, 05:59 PM	#10
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,284 Karma: 101696762 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	I found the GR's emails I receive that alert me when authors I've read have new books available quite useful. As a free site, I have no objection to them using data to earn revenue. And if the data is useful to authors, publishers and marketing companies, that's shows they are taking a more in-dept interest in readers.

08-13-2012, 08:43 PM	#11
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,476 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	This thread finally got me to sign up and I'm loving it. I've got my read and to read book up there, I have my yearly goal posted. I've been trying some trivia questions and contests and I can see what my friends are reading! Awesome! I've been keeping track of my books read on my own personal blog but this is way easier!

08-13-2012, 09:27 PM	#12
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,799 Karma: 68407974 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	I love Goodreads. The best way to find a book I'm going to like is by recommendations by friends and acquaintances who share my taste in books, and GR is the go-to place for that. I also like keeping track of the books I've read and what I thought of them, and the notifications when my favoured authors are releasing a new book.

08-13-2012, 10:34 PM	#13
Ravensknight Serpent Rider Posts: 1,123 Karma: 10219804 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony 350; Nook STR; Oasis	I found GR to be the best way to easily keep track of what books I read when. I used to do it on a blog, but man, searching a blog is a laborious process...

08-14-2012, 12:07 AM	#14
MikeOxlittle Say my name very fast ... Posts: 131 Karma: 1387009 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: The High Seas Device: Kindle	9 million of the users are 14 year old girls who think Twilight is the best book ever.

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08-14-2012, 06:37 AM	#15
haydnfan Guru Posts: 650 Karma: 5632364 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle PW 4, Oasis 2	I like Goodreads for tracking my books, reading reviews, following blogs of authors. It is an awesome site. @Mike: Twilight has only 1 million ratings on goodreads, sorry to disappoint.