Social reading?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by hrosvit

... I could chop all that stuff by hand. But it makes my life easier. That's kind of what technology is for.

No it's for the overlords to gain control and make us dependent!!!! Can't you see!!!

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

My siblings all live several states away from me... and we're no longer "close." I love them dearly, and we have no trouble shooting the breeze and otherwise having a grand old time whenever we do manage to get together every couple of years, but we're simply no longer a part of each other's day-to-day (or even month-to-month) lives. Guess I'm just different.

Me too. Same concept - people that I don't see regularly, I don't stay close to.

My Facebook account exists as a way for me try to make up for it, honestly. It's my way of making an effort because I feel bad that I don't stay close to those people. Relatives and friends both. I'm not great with telephones. Never have been. There are a couple of people that I can have long phone conversations with, but they are the exception. Now, face-to face I can converse just fine, on those rare occasions I socialize.

But I can't change who I am. I'm one of those strange intro-extro hybrids that gets along with everyone and can socialize easily when the mood strikes, but usually prefers something bordering on physical isolationism. There are days when, if not for the internet, I wouldn't have contact with anyone. And that's a feat, considering I have a roommate. I function best when I have only one or two really close people in my life. I guess that means if I ever find a man, either my mom or my roommate will have to go. (That was a joke, sort of. Or not.)

On topic, Goodreads and MR are my social reading outlets. GR posts to Facebook for me, but that's mostly for my own purposes rather than "sharing".

[kennyc]

I know, I know, he's an old codger like me:

Why I Don't Use Facebook
Facebook is basically AOL with a different layout and all the same retro problems.

John Dvorak

People are always baffled by the fact that I don't use Facebook. I don't care much about Facebook any more than I cared about MySpace and LiveJournal before it. In almost every way, these subsystems are too retro for my taste.

Let me explain.

The world began with online services like the Source and Compuserve. They then evolved into a myriad of BBS systems and then AOL was created. AOL became the kingpin and along came the Internet. The Internet had the versatility that no other system had—you could do whatever you wanted with it. You could start a website about your cat. You could do a storefront. You could do anything that came into your head.

A lot of people still preferred the warm and cozy confines of AOL, and it continued to exist until it was clear that its growth was over. It then zigged and zagged in all the wrong ways. I concluded that AOL should have evolved into a MySpace-like system and then into Facebook.

Facebook is actually the logical end-point of what AOL should have become. AOL had some web initiatives, such as Geocities or Hometown, which could have easily morphed into Facebook, but it didn't. It could have made the transition rather easily. I can't find anyone who argues with this premise.

If AOL had become what Facebook is now, would I use it? No, not really.

Facebook is retro because, like AOL, it's retro by its nature. It's a closed system. Some people like a closed comfy system and others don't. I, for one, don't. If I want a personal webpage with all sorts of information about myself, I'll go to Wordpress.com and make one. By doing this, I don't turn over any data, control, or information to an onerous third party to sell, use, or exploit. I can close down the site when I want. I can say what I want. I can pretty much do whatever.
.....

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375715,00.asp

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

But I can't change who I am. I'm one of those strange intro-extro hybrids that gets along with everyone and can socialize easily when the mood strikes, but usually prefers something bordering on physical isolationism. There are days when, if not for the internet, I wouldn't have contact with anyone. And that's a feat, considering I have a roommate. I function best when I have only one or two really close people in my life. I guess that means if I ever find a man, either my mom or my roommate will have to go. (That was a joke, sort of. Or not.)

Not too strange. Except for exchanging Male/Female you're describing me to a tee. Today is one of my "probably no contact" days. Roomates are gone, I've got a good book and a 6-pack of beer. Don't need much else -- well OK, probably some food later on.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Not too strange. Except for exchanging Male/Female you're describing me to a tee. Today is one of my "probably no contact" days. Roomates are gone, I've got a good book and a 6-pack of beer. Don't need much else -- well OK, probably some food later on.

Order a pizza.

[Laridae]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Reading is specifically an individual pursuit. Literature discussion groups are social, (such as this website). I abhor "social media" such as facebook, google+ etc.

Agreed.
I consider reading to be a focused one-way activity between the author telling the story and me consuming it.
I've never understood the idea of book clubs or discussion groups (but I haven't tried very hard, either ;-))

You read the book and you "get it", hopefully. Most popular lit (the kind I read) is pretty easy to understand - their sales depend on it!

I can see an exception being made for textbooks, foreign-language books, and technical or otherwise difficult books that require "study". Then we would obviously benefit from discussion and input from others.

[hrosvit]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Order a pizza.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

Now I'm wishing I was home with a book and a six pack, and the prospect of a pizza in the near future. Is it too late to take a P day...?

[hrosvit]

Originally Posted by Laridae

Agreed.
I consider reading to be a focused one-way activity between the author telling the story and me consuming it.
I've never understood the idea of book clubs or discussion groups (but I haven't tried very hard, either ;-))

You read the book and you "get it", hopefully. Most popular lit (the kind I read) is pretty easy to understand - their sales depend on it!

I can see an exception being made for textbooks, foreign-language books, and technical or otherwise difficult books that require "study". Then we would obviously benefit from discussion and input from others.

I am relatively neutral on social networking, but in my life social networking has absolutely nothing to do with reading; they are mutually exclusive. Social networking is to keep in contact with people I don't get to see very often; reading is for me.

The concept of a book club or discussion group reminds me too much of forced discussion of "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" in high school years ago. Doesn't seem even vaguely interesting. However, that's just me.

[Sweetpea]

The other day somebody asked me what reader would be available in my country (she lives in another country where the selection of ereaders is a lot worse).

And then it hit me. I don't want to tell people what I think about something. Why? Because what I think is good, might be seen completely different to somebody else. I might think it's good, bad, perfect, awful. But that doesn't mean that you also think the same. And what if you bought that book because I said it was a good book? And it turned out you hated that book? You'd have thrown away all that money on my account.

Often, when I read about a product I've bought and enjoyed and read all those bad reviews, I wonder why I saw it so differently and enjoyed the product.

[hrosvit]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I don't want to tell people what I think about something. Why? Because what I think is good, might be seen completely different to somebody else. I might think it's good, bad, perfect, awful. But that doesn't mean that you also think the same.

Wait, wait; you aren't advocating some type of society where we all think for ourselves, are you? That's just plum mad-dog crazy.

If I can't have Oprah telling me what books to read, or the Dixie Chicks or Charlie Daniels telling me who to vote for then how the hell am I going to make any decisions in my life?

I think I'd better turn off the google machine and turn the TV back on. You're disturbing my safe little world. Next you'll be suggesting I research things that politicians say to see if they're true. Or that I should stop forwarding emails about how Target hates gay homeless amputee veterans, and that I shouldn't shop there anymore.

[QuantumIguana]

If no one shared their opinion of books, I don't think very many people would read at all. If I buy a book because you liked it, it's my problem if I didn't like it, I should have looked at the sample first. There are so many books out there that I can't read them all, recommendations help narrow it down.

[hrosvit]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

If no one shared their opinion of books, I don't think very many people would read at all.

I don't know how accurate this is. I have never, in my entire life, purchased and/or read a book based on a recommendation from another person. My tastes are my own, and even those people who have somewhat similar tastes often dislike the books I like, and vice versa. I listen to reviews/opinions on electronics, vehicles, etc., but never on books. Not exactly sure why.

I am, however, aware that other people often do purchase based on reviews or recommendations. I would be curious to see which camp has more campers.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

And then it hit me. I don't want to tell people what I think about something. Why? Because what I think is good, might be seen completely different to somebody else. I might think it's good, bad, perfect, awful. But that doesn't mean that you also think the same.

No. But it means that if you tell me not only what worked for you, but why it did, then I can use that information to determine whether it will work for me as well. I may come to the conclusion that what made it work for you will make it a very bad choice for me. And in that case, your telling me what you think of your eReader saved me money, rather than the other way around.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by hrosvit

I don't know how accurate this is. I have never, in my entire life, purchased and/or read a book based on a recommendation from another person. My tastes are my own, and even those people who have somewhat similar tastes often dislike the books I like, and vice versa. I listen to reviews/opinions on electronics, vehicles, etc., but never on books. Not exactly sure why.

I am, however, aware that other people often do purchase based on reviews or recommendations. I would be curious to see which camp has more campers.

If you are not at all influenced by other people's opinions on books, then how do you winnow down the all the books? I'm skeptical that anyone is completely uninfluenced by other people's opinions of books. If that is actually true for you, then you are a decided minority. I'm not going to buy a book just because someone recommends a book, but depending on who that person is, their recommendation might persuade me to take a look at the book. It depends on the person, of course. My tastes are my own, but few if any person's tastes are totally unique. Some people's tastes are more akin to mine, and I give some weight to their recommendations. Other people have tastes so different from mine that I can only nod and smile at their recommendations.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by hrosvit

I don't know how accurate this is. I have never, in my entire life, purchased and/or read a book based on a recommendation from another person. My tastes are my own, and even those people who have somewhat similar tastes often dislike the books I like, and vice versa. I listen to reviews/opinions on electronics, vehicles, etc., but never on books. Not exactly sure why.

I am, however, aware that other people often do purchase based on reviews or recommendations. I would be curious to see which camp has more campers.

This. I would never buy a book based on some one's opinion. I have always preferred to decide on my own, what books I want to read. I used to hate it when people would buy me books for my Birthday or Christmas. Invariably it was something I did not want. I was very happy when bookstores started using gift cards.
Apache