Amazon.com to Acquire Goodreads - Page 20

JSWolf · 06-02-2017, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

You're showing you're not a software developer. There's a very technical reason (which doesn't mean that is a good design). ISBN is a primary key in the table, so it cannot be duplicated.

Another thing that could be done is to just change the cover to the current cover and forget this alternative entry. This alternative entry is just not needed. The book's entry should be up-to-date with the current version of that edition.

Also, the ISBN doesn't have to be a primary key.

Terisa de morgan · 06-02-2017, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

Some Stupid Romance, published by Mills & Boone will have one ISBN.
Some Stupid Romance, published by Harlequin, will have a different ISBN.
Some Stupid Romance, Second Edition, published by Harlequin, will have yet another ISBN.

Back when I thought GoodReads might be useful to me, If the ISBN for Some Stupid Romance was from Harlequin, they wouldn't let one add the ISBN from Mills & Boone. Likewise, if I had Some Stupid Romance, Second Edition, one couldn't add the ISBN for that edition.

That doesn't happen now. You add another edition from other publisher and other ISBN and that's all.

Terisa de morgan · 06-02-2017, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Another thing that could be done is to just change the cover to the current cover and forget this alternative entry. This alternative entry is just not needed. The book's entry should be up-to-date with the current version of that edition.

I totally, totally disagree.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also, the ISBN doesn't have to be a primary key.

That's what I said about design / decision (but it is a technical reason)

JSWolf · 06-02-2017, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

That's what I said about design / decision (but it is a technical reason)

And a very bad reason at that given that ISBN numbers have been used more than once for different formats.

Cinisajoy · 06-02-2017, 10:57 AM

Jon,
Excuse me but I can tell you that a paperback version and a hardback version of the exact same book WILL have different ISBN numbers. ISBN is specifically for one type of book. It is that exact book. Oh and if you have the same book with the same cover but different years their ISBN can be different.
So no, they cannot shift between formats.
Oh hardback usually starts with 1 and paper with 13

HarryT · 06-02-2017, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Jon,
Excuse me but I can tell you that a paperback version and a hardback version of the exact same book WILL have different ISBN numbers. ISBN is specifically for one type of book. It is that exact book. Oh and if you have the same book with the same cover but different years their ISBN can be different.
So no, they cannot shift between formats.
Oh hardback usually starts with 1 and paper with 13

An ISBN certainly should be unique to a particular format, but some cheapskate ebook authors use the same ISBN for different ebook formats (e.g. the same ISBN for an ePub and Kindle edition of their book). This isn't in accordance with the way that ISBN's are designed to be used, but there aren't any "ISBN police" to enforce it

.

JSWolf · 06-02-2017, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Jon,
Excuse me but I can tell you that a paperback version and a hardback version of the exact same book WILL have different ISBN numbers. ISBN is specifically for one type of book. It is that exact book. Oh and if you have the same book with the same cover but different years their ISBN can be different.
So no, they cannot shift between formats.
Oh hardback usually starts with 1 and paper with 13

There have been eBooks that used the same ISBN as some pBook version. That no longer happens.

ZodWallop · 06-02-2017, 03:26 PM

All this talk just makes me glad I used LibraryThing instead of Goodreads.

Terisa de morgan · 06-02-2017, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

All this talk just makes me glad I used LibraryThing instead of Goodreads.

In the end, these things only matter to a small group

shalym · 06-02-2017, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

In the end, these things only matter to a small group

Exactly. I just want to read the damn book.

Shari

JSWolf · 06-02-2017, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

All this talk just makes me glad I used LibraryThing instead of Goodreads.

I've tried LibraryThing. I found it to be a disaster. I found some books there were incorrect where you put in the ISBN and got the wrong books and the staff never did fix things when I reported it. Just awful. I suggest staying as far away from LibaryThing as possible.

meeera · 06-03-2017, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've tried LibraryThing. I found it to be a disaster. I found some books there were incorrect where you put in the ISBN and got the wrong books and the staff never did fix things when I reported it. Just awful. I suggest staying as far away from LibaryThing as possible.

I tried LT for a while, but the database had far more holes in it, especially for non-US books. Switched back to Goodreads.

graycyn · 06-03-2017, 02:07 AM

A friend got me to sign up for Goodreads at one point. I wish I hadn't. She was into tracking her reading to see how many books she reads per year, I'm just in to reading. Time spent tracking my reading was time AWAY from actual reading! And what did tracking my reading for a year tell me? It told me I read a lot. Which I already knew and have known for many years, LOL!

I stopped, and haven't signed in on Goodreads since. And I keep reading stats turned off on my Kobo too.

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk

kacir · 06-03-2017, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graycyn

A friend got me to sign up for Goodreads at one point. I wish I hadn't. She was into tracking her reading to see how many books she reads per year, I'm just in to reading. Time spent tracking my reading was time AWAY from actual reading! And what did tracking my reading for a year tell me? It told me I read a lot. Which I already knew and have known for many years, LOL!

You do not have to do tracking. I personally would not let anybody track my reading.
Just see what other people say about a book that interests you.

Or, you can rate some books you really liked and then have Goodreads suggest you other books you might like. Then you rate suggested books, because you have read most of those too ;-). Goodreads server matches your list of likes and dislikes to other peoples lists of likes and suggests you books that other readers with similar tastes also like. Works great.

Oh ... do register using a nickname you haven't used anywhere else. Nobody needs to know it is you and nobody should be able to connect your likes and dislikes to your real life identity.

Krazykiwi · 06-03-2017, 10:55 AM

I like GR and track my reading because otherwise I have a tendency to fall for a nice cover and description and then find out I already have the book. Or I've even read it. My reviews are mostly for myself, so I can remember what the dang book is about

That way, when I fall for a book and see I've already read it but don't remember a thing, I can refresh myself, and since I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy which often comes in series, maybe go buy the sequel instead of the one I just fell for all over again (or not if I didn't like the first one.) I could do this just as well with Calibre, and in fact I do, but it syncs to GR and the app on the phone with the barcode scanner is really convenient in a bookstore (we still have lots of those here) or the library.

I do like the social features and groups when I'm in the mood, and I have some people whose taste matches mine pretty well that I follow for reviews and tips on things to read. Librarian'ing around cleaning the database is a nice relaxing not-too-brain-taxing thing to do when I'm in the mood, or sitting on a train.

But mostly, I just have a shocking memory. GR's great for that.

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06-02-2017, 10:57 AM	#290
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Jon, Excuse me but I can tell you that a paperback version and a hardback version of the exact same book WILL have different ISBN numbers. ISBN is specifically for one type of book. It is that exact book. Oh and if you have the same book with the same cover but different years their ISBN can be different. So no, they cannot shift between formats. Oh hardback usually starts with 1 and paper with 13

06-02-2017, 03:26 PM	#293
ZodWallop Gentleman and scholar Posts: 11,499 Karma: 111164374 Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Space City, Texas Device: Clara BW; Nook ST w/Glowlight, Paperwhite 3	All this talk just makes me glad I used LibraryThing instead of Goodreads.

06-03-2017, 02:07 AM	#298
graycyn Wizard Posts: 1,592 Karma: 11722446 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: NE Oregon Device: Kobo Sage, Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma, Kindle Oasis 2	A friend got me to sign up for Goodreads at one point. I wish I hadn't. She was into tracking her reading to see how many books she reads per year, I'm just in to reading. Time spent tracking my reading was time AWAY from actual reading! And what did tracking my reading for a year tell me? It told me I read a lot. Which I already knew and have known for many years, LOL! I stopped, and haven't signed in on Goodreads since. And I keep reading stats turned off on my Kobo too. Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk

06-03-2017, 10:55 AM	#300
Krazykiwi Zealot Posts: 137 Karma: 2156958 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Too many random androids to list	I like GR and track my reading because otherwise I have a tendency to fall for a nice cover and description and then find out I already have the book. Or I've even read it. My reviews are mostly for myself, so I can remember what the dang book is about That way, when I fall for a book and see I've already read it but don't remember a thing, I can refresh myself, and since I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy which often comes in series, maybe go buy the sequel instead of the one I just fell for all over again (or not if I didn't like the first one.) I could do this just as well with Calibre, and in fact I do, but it syncs to GR and the app on the phone with the barcode scanner is really convenient in a bookstore (we still have lots of those here) or the library. I do like the social features and groups when I'm in the mood, and I have some people whose taste matches mine pretty well that I follow for reviews and tips on things to read. Librarian'ing around cleaning the database is a nice relaxing not-too-brain-taxing thing to do when I'm in the mood, or sitting on a train. But mostly, I just have a shocking memory. GR's great for that.