I don't trust GoodReads

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

2 - FWIW, StoryGraph does have specific tags about the pacing of a book, whether it is plot or character driven, etc. Every time you mark a book as read, it takes you through a little survey to select all those things as part of the rating.

The problem with StoryGraph is that you cannot change this. So if it's wrong, you are stuck with it. Here is the stuff that could be very wrong.

Moods
mysterious 100%
dark 54%
tense 45%
adventurous 36%
emotional 27%
challenging 9%
funny 9%
inspiring 9%

Pace
medium 54%
fast 45%

Plot- or character-driven?
A mix: 75% | Plot: 25%

Strong character development?
Yes: 62% | No: 37%

Loveable characters?
Yes: 50% | It's complicated: 37% | No: 12%

Diverse cast of characters?
No: 80% | It's complicated: 20%

Flaws of characters a main focus?
It's complicated: 40% | Yes: 40% | No: 20%

I don;'t actually care about all of that. And a lot of that is wrong. Plus, it's subjective. So it should be what I think for this book in my listing. I don't care what others things who get it wrong.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I do comments on some abandoned DNF books, but I don't rate those to be fair since I didn't fully finish them.

I always leave an explanation on The Storygraph for my DNFs, even if only to say that it wasn't to my taste. If I DNF'd a book for more substantial (or substantive) reasons, putting those reasons into writing can be cathartic, and the fact that that record shows how far I got will allow any putative readers of the DNF review to assess its relevance and/or merit

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The problem with StoryGraph is that you cannot change this. So if it's wrong, you are stuck with it. Here is the stuff that could be very wrong.



I don;'t actually care about all of that. And a lot of that is wrong. Plus, it's subjective. So it should be what I think for this book in my listing. I don't care what others things who get it wrong.

You cannot say it is subjective and then also objectively say it is wrong. You are not the arbiter for what other people perceive on a subject such as pace and therefore cannot say someone else's subjective opinion is incorrect.

Also, I hadn't tried to edit a review, so I don't know what that's about. But I think doing a survey on specific points of interest is more useful for what 469mls was asking about. I was not trying to blanket suggest it was what everyone in this thread is looking for. Frankly, I can't even tell what most folks in this thread want.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

Also, I hadn't tried to edit a review, so I don't know what that's about.

Editing one's own reviews at TSG is easy, I've done it often. I assumed the "you cannot change this" was in refrence to the listed percentages. Those figures are derived from all users who review a book, so they will change over time, but cannot be independently edited by a single user, not even one pathologically convinced that their opinion is objectively right solely by virtue of being THEIR opinion.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

You cannot say it is subjective and then also objectively say it is wrong. You are not the arbiter for what other people perceive on a subject such as pace and therefore cannot say someone else's subjective opinion is incorrect.

This mood, pace, plot, etc. is annoying. If I don't agree, then I don't see why I should not be able to change it in my library.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This mood, pace, plot, etc. is annoying. If I don't agree, then I don't see why I should not be able to change it in my library.

You can't change where other people shelve on goodreads. You also can't change other people's ratings.

Don't like SG? Don't use it.

Back on topic, wasn't there a "scandal" a few years back about Amazon products generally being rated by folks who did not buy them? Those power/paid reviewers who just boosted the ratings on promoted products?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

You can't change where other people shelve on goodreads. You also can't change other people's ratings.

Don't like SG? Don't use it.

Back on topic, wasn't there a "scandal" a few years back about Amazon products generally being rated by folks who did not buy them? Those power/paid reviewers who just boosted the ratings on promoted products?

I don't want to change other's shelves. I want to change mine. I don't want other people tagging books for me.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't want to change other's shelves. I want to change mine. I don't want other people tagging books for me.

WE GET IT DUDE. You don't like SG. So don't use it. Use an offline xls or database that no one can see or touch or make any unwanted intrusions on.

Back on topic, there is actually an entire business now made of spotting fake amazon reviews : FakeSpot

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

Back on topic, there is actually an entire business now made of spotting fake amazon reviews : FakeSpot

Thanks! I browse at Amazon way more than I buy, this will likely give me more confidence to purchase.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

Back on topic, there is actually an entire business now made of spotting fake amazon reviews : FakeSpot

It doesn't always work properly. I've used it to check some of the things I've bought and some have been given low marks and there's nothing at all wrong with the items.

Here is one item I've bought that has a rating of D.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H1R0K68

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It doesn't always work properly. I've used it to check some of the things I've bought and some have been given low marks and there's nothing at all wrong with the items.

Here is one item I've bought that has a rating of D.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H1R0K68

All the tool is doing is checking the reviews, not the product since it'd be rather absurd to demand a plugin somehow have actual experience with every product on the associated sites.

If you actually bother to look information provided by the tool you'd also see it highlights reviews in good, bad, and neutral, for all the categories amazon offers (though only if there are reviews in those categories).

Further, it gives you info on the seller so you're not buying from someone you might have issues returning to.

Is it perfect, no. But to me it seems like a step in the right direction. It'd certainly be plausible for a similar tool to be developed for GR to weed out the ARC reviews, and reviews for unpublished books w/o ARCs. Maybe even for SG to weed out reviews from reviewers who consistently deviate from the averages, which might bring the percentages to something more in line with your own. Though this would probably take a good deal more work than the GR tool.

[LivresInOz]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

it looks like that's by design (bad design lol)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho...ow_action=true

it seems to take reviews from the first title in the series

With all their billions, Amazon also commits the extreme sin of using the same reviews for DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS/VERSIONS of the same text, such as a Shakespeare play.

Talk about lazy and tricky...

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by LivresInOz

With all their billions, Amazon also commits the extreme sin of using the same reviews for DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS/VERSIONS of the same text, such as a Shakespeare play.

Talk about lazy and tricky...

They list them as different editions of the same book, yes? For regular books that works somewhat fine, but not in this case.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by LivresInOz

With all their billions, Amazon also commits the extreme sin of using the same reviews for DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS/VERSIONS of the same text, such as a Shakespeare play.

You haven't heard Shakespeare until you've heard it in the original Klingon.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

They list them as different editions of the same book, yes? For regular books that works somewhat fine, but not in this case.

They lump reviews across editions and formats.

Yet I have seen reviews of the same phone model separated by color.