Litwit Lounge discussion

Please feel welcome to post any issues you may be having with the Goodreads site. We may not have the answer, but we can try and perhaps, at least, point in the right direction.

I just took nearly 100 books off my read list. They seem to have been added to it in July. After deleting several times in a row, they are still showing. Arrggh!

Don't understand this... some I've never heard of, some I've never even looked at and some I've read but not on the date that is showing. This is so bizarre!

So far, I don't seem to be having the same problem. But you have my total sympathy, Reggia! Hope they fix that glitch soon.

Have you reported it in the Goodreads Feedback group? If you don't belong already, that's a good group to join; the members of the Goodreads management team belong to it, and check the posts regularly, so it's THE place to report any kind of site issues. (The only problem is that if you receive daily notices of postings there, the avalanche of them will overwhelm all your other group postings, and take ages to scroll through; but you can opt out of that feature!)

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Smiling 'cus Charly reminded me, too, oops! especially after coming back and finding them all there again.

I'll look for the feedback group, Werner... certainly would be interested to know if anyone else has had this problem and how they may have solved it.

Well, time for coffee and then another day or work. Can't wait to get back home, relax and read! :-)

Glad your books are all back in their right virtual places, Reggia! Have a great day (and a good time reading afterwards!).

I did a quick check too. I can see where it would be annoying, but I didn't see anything obviously wrong in my list either. I hope you get this resolved.

I haven't acquired any phantom books against my will, but sometimes I have difficulties getting my updates and shelf changes to save.

I would like to be able to update my progress on Les Misérables. It is Volume II, a physically separate volume (that is, it stands alone from Volume I), beginning on P 497 going to P 987.

Unable to update my progress because it will not accept these page numbers. It's currently showing the page numbers for Volume I which is paged 3 - 485.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

Reggia wrote: "I would like to be able to update my progress on Les Misérables. It is Volume II, a physically separate volume (that is, it stands alone from Volume I), beginning on P 497 going to P..."

Reggia, you can use this link: https://www.goodreads.com/about/conta... to contact the Goodreads staff about this.

I did mention this somewhere here, and thought Bionic Jean had said she could fix it (she's a GR librarian, I believe).

Anyway, thank you for the link as I did just now contact them and hope they can fix.

Good luck, Reggia!

Reggia wrote: "I did mention this somewhere here, and thought Bionic Jean had said she could fix it (she's a GR librarian, I believe) ..."

I suspect you will be directed to the librarians, Reggia, as you thought. And all we can do as librarians (or superlibrarians) is to put a total page count in, as it gives one box. Even GR staff can't alter the program. It would need redesigning by the technicians. (Can you see the pigs in the air?)

The only other option is to leave the box blank, for the odd cases where the book is not numbered with pages starting at 1. Is that so in this case? If it is then I can remove the number of pages, and think that would be the best option.

Currently this volume is set at 512 pages. Is that correct Reggia? If it goes from 497 - 987 I make that 490 pages in total, but if I reset it at that, then nobody would be able to update their progress, as the program will assume you started at page 1, and not at page 497.

I hope I've explained this clearly ...

Thanks for the feedback, Jean! Yes, it's 490 pages. Seems strange (to me) that the system won't allow for this Volume 2. I guess I'm wondering about all the single volume books that don't actually begin on a Page 1. Of course, undoubtedly, nobody is going to worry about a couple pages in those cases.

Alas, I guess I must give this up... and simply do the math to update my percentage read. Thanks for checking into it for me again!

You're very welcome Reggia 😊

I've not been able to update my reading progress for some time now, so I am wondering...

Is anyone else having this issue, or does anyone know if the feature is no longer available?

I guess I asked too soon! But in case anyone else comes along "wondering"... one must first go to their Home page, and the option comes up immediately on the left side with current reads. :-)

Well, here is another one I'm having issues with... I can't seem to change editions of a title I am currently reading. I can click on editions, find and click on that particular one, but there isn't any prompt to switch it.

I suppose I can just add it, then delete the current one but I clearly remember a prompt asking if you'd like to switch.

Reggia, good question! You can still switch editions, but the new format for book descriptions makes it a bit more complicated. You have to click on the "Show all editions" link first; then the prompt shows with each edition. (As you noted, it used to show each time you brought up a particular edition different from the one you'd shelved.)

Because the first click showed the edition I was switching to, I had no need to click on "all". When I did, though, I was able to see the prompt to switch. Thank you, Werner!

Glad to help, Reggia!

I have another book edition that is not available here on Goodreads. The book, of course, is on Goodreads: [book=Ireland Past and Present], but the edition I have has not been added although I found it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ireland-Past-P...

They've long disabled the average Goodreads user from adding editions, but I don't see any links on any of the pages to ask a librarian to do it for me.

Finally finished the book above, and would like to show the edition that I have on my "Read" books. However, it still doesn't have a correct or any photo of book. The only one I can find online is from Abe books but the Goodreads Librarian rules won't allow it from a bookseller... unless it's a 2005 published edition from Barnes & Noble, but their site is no longer showing it. Then there's a long list of rules... my focus, as of late, is not so great which is why I'm putting it here to get back to.

https://archive.org/details/irelandpa...

https://www.abebooks.com/978076078264...

Here we go again with A Wrinkle in Time -- same issue as above.

https://www.amazon.com/Wrinkle-Time-M...

Reggia, sorry I didn't see your posts until now! The edition of Ireland Past and Present that you wanted to have added is in the database now (I can't take the credit; someone else beat me to it). I'll try to check on the L'Engle book this evening.

I see the right book, but not the right cover:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Reggia, my apologies for my delay in getting back to this! I've now deleted the incorrect covers from both the editions you identified (of the book on Ireland and the L'Engle book). I still wasn't able to add the correct ones, though.

Here you go Reggia:

Ireland Past and Present (Image taken from the Amazon website. Since Amazon now own GR this is allowed.)

I've also added a fuller synopsis, although this isn't showing up yet.

Bionic Jean wrote: "(Image taken from the Amazon website. Since Amazon now own GR this is allowed.)"

Yay! With that authorization, I was able to add the correct cover to the L'Engle book, here: A Wrinkle in Time.

😄

Thank you, Werner! Thank you, Jean! I am quite pleased and grateful for your fruitful efforts here! :-D

Glad to help out, Reggia!

Here are some tips for coping with the gutting, last year, of Goodreads' former notification system (from another Goodreader, but shared with permission):

To receive notifications on your reviews:
After writing and posting your review, place a comment in your comment section, then click the notify me box before posting your comment. It is the only way you will receive notifications when someone leaves a comment on your reviews.

To receive notifications on your own status updates:
Once you post a status update, immediately go to your profile page. Locate your status update. Click "See Status". Once there, click the notify me box and then place a comment on your own status. This will ensure you will receive notifications if someone leaves a comment on your status updates. Same thing goes for when you post pictures on your profiles or in your group's photo section.

To be able to follow updates on a friend's review or status update:
You will need to like their status updates or reviews from your updates feed page first, and also post your initial comment to their status and reviews from your updates feed page as well. This is the only way that the notify me box on their postings will stay checked, and to ensure you get regular updates on their postings whenever they or someone else leaves a comment there.

To stay updated on group posts:
Sometimes your notifications will not come through. This is not going to be corrected by GR. No matter how many times you adjust your settings for groups. To make sure you are up to date on all group happenings you will simply need to make sure you are reading all group emails sent to you by your moderators.

You will also need to begin to make an effort to go directly to your groups' homepage(s) whenever you are on the platform. From the homepage, click on the discussion board link. This will show you every group section's new post and thread in that group. Simply click on the red numbers of the threads that you are following. You will see every new post in that specific thread.

Unfortunately, the notify me box is no longer working on Polls. Only the creator of that poll will see when you comment. You are no longer able to get a notification after you post a comment on a poll and check the notify me box. Once you leave the poll page, that box becomes un-checked. There is no work-around for this. If you want to stay informed on comments on polls, or videos posted in your groups, you will manually have to go to that poll yourself, in order to view them.

Make sure that you also are logging in and out on whatever device you use, every time, when logging into GR. This is the only way that GR will track your profile activity properly and keep you up to date on your most recent activity.

These steps are the only way you will continue to make sure that you are an active and informed member of your groups and this community platform as a whole.

Below, I'm passing on another tip (also from a fellow Goodreader, and shared by permission) dealing with the Goodreads phone app, and how you can, if you want to, access the Goodreads desktop version from your phone instead. (A caveat: I'm not familiar with the app from personal experience, though I've often been told, by people who are, that it's less functional than the desktop version.)

"If you are using the Goodreads App, then don't.
The App makes it very difficult to navigate groups and communication on here, among other things. If you are on your phone, uninstall the App first. Then go to the Goodreads website and log in directly onto the site by phone. After you log in scroll to the very bottom of the page to ensure that you are on the desktop version and not the mobile version. Once you do this, you will be able to navigate this site as if you are working at your desk or your laptop.

If you are not currently using the App, still check to make sure that you are on the desktop version and not mobile version when logged in. Once you switch to desktop, it will stay that way every time you log in and out. If you are currently on the desktop version, then you will only see the option "Mobile Version" if this is the case then don't change anything because it means you're already using the desktop version. If you see "Desktop version, click on it. This will then put you on the desktop version.

If you follow these steps correctly then you will be able to see all things on this site as if you were on your laptop or PC.

Save the Goodreads website as a shortcut to your home screen on your phone. This way you'll always have quick access to the website and log on and off as if you were still using the App."

One more tip (again, from a Goodreads friend, and shared with her permission), this one dealing with how Goodreads calculates the time when you were "last active" on this site"

"There is another site glitch that is affecting the personal profile status of its members. This glitch is in the area where it states when you joined GR and when you were last active on the website. Those of you who actively log on and off every time you visit the site, shouldn't be affected by this. Those of you who use the App or who stay logged in on the website itself, without ever signing back out when you leave the site, will see this issue.

Those who are affected- It is only showing the last date that you actively log on. So even though you have been consistently on the website, your last active status may show that you were last active back in September, October, November, or even further back; depending on when you last actively signed into/out of your account. This began back in June-Aug of 2024. As some members are showing they were last active back in June, even though they've been on the website consistently since June. To avoid this affecting your accurate account status, moving forward, just log in and out of your GR accounts every time you visit the site. This will reset your status for you and keep it up to date as long as you're logging in and logging out. This will also cut down the likely hood of your accounts being hacked as well.

This is also true for Moderators. As on the groups you moderate, after (60) days of not being active on the site, it will show your last active date of logging into GR on your group's homepage next to your profile picture. Which will in fact affect if your members think you're currently active on the website or not.

I mostly use the app because it’s easier to look at. I’m willing to forgo features that the web version offers, for the greater accessibility that the app offers me.

That's totally understandable, Janelle; most choices involve trade-offs, and different Goodreads users have different needs. The strong advice not to use the app above comes from a couple of my Goodreads friends, not me --I was just quoting it and passing it on for folks to consider. (I have no experience at all with the app myself; Barb and I both own cell phones, but we only use them for emergency calls in situations where we can't access a land line, not for getting on the Internet.)

Thanks so much for the updated tips, Werner!

As far as the App, I don't use it, but will sometimes access the site with my phone. I rarely post on phone (this being a rare exception). :-)

You're welcome, Reggia! (I'm also going to try to send these as a group broadcast message, to make it more likely that group members will actually see them.)

In a new development that apparently just started this afternoon, in any new discussion thread that you create in any group, the "Notify me" box no longer works. Even if you check it properly, the program will uncheck it after you close the window. (This was reported to me this evening by a fellow moderator whose information I know to be trustworthy; but I also confirmed it by creating a test thread. :-( ) It appears that (at least so far) older threads are not affected yet.

I have not reported this to the Goodreads management as an accidental glitch that they might wish to correct; but at this point, I have no reason to believe that it actually is one. It seems to be the latest in a series of unannounced policy changes, all of which underscore the reality that, in order to stay abreast of all developments in your groups, it's very important to check the group home page regularly, or at least to frequently click the "speech bubbles" icon on the Goodreads toolbar.

Thanks for sharing, Werner! I'm puzzled as to the many changes these last few years -- wouldn't they want to encourage activity here rather than making it a bit more difficult? Just thinking aloud...

Reggia wrote: "Thanks for sharing, Werner! I'm puzzled as to the many changes these last few years -- wouldn't they want to encourage activity here rather than making it a bit more difficult? Just thinking aloud..."

On its own site, Amazon, which owns Goodreads, doesn't make it possible for readers to interact (except to say that a given review was "helpful"), let alone encourage them to. They seem to prefer to deal with customers (which is how they view us) as atomized individuals rather than as a community. And they also have a documented history of buying up other online book discussion venues, and then eventually shutting them down. Many people fear that they intend to do the same thing to Goodreads.

Yeah, the way things have been going here, I decided months ago to also join Fable and Library Thing. That way I still have other platforms if/when this one takes a crap. 😕

What does Amazon hope to achieve by closing down book communities like Goodreads?

Janelle wrote: "What does Amazon hope to achieve by closing down book communities like Goodreads?"

Janelle, you'd have to ask Jeff Bezos, or his top advisors, for the answer to that (and I doubt that they'd genuinely be very candid). :-(

It’s probably got something to do with financial gain. Everything does in the end.

After a lot of bad news, there's finally been a good development! It's been confirmed that the glitches for notifications have been corrected. Your notification boxes are now working as they should on all status updates, reviews, polls and new threads created within groups. You will need to continue to check those boxes to remain informed of new posts or updates; but the good news is that these boxes are now remaining checked, once you've clicked on them. Hopefully we won't encounter this disruption again (but please do remember the workarounds, just in case we do!).

As an unrelated tip, for some time, many Goodreaders have complained that their update feeds don't show updates from all the friends whose activity they'd like to see. Some of this can be due to shortcomings in Goodreads' algorithms; but there actually is a function you can use to help with this, if you're having that problem.

Whether you know it or not, in the eyes of the Goodreads program, you have two kinds of friends, the regular ones and "top'" friends. Every time you accept a friend request, or you friend request someone and they become your friend, the program automatically checks them as a "top friend" for you. At that time, you can uncheck it; but if you didn't do that, their input may get prioritized in your update feed.

If you want to prune your "top" friend roster, go to your friends list. Once there, click the edit button at the top. Here you will see the option to either select or deselect someone as a top friend. You need to do this on EVERY page of your friends list. Once you've done this, click the Done button at the top and move on to the next page.

You can also customize your updates feed. On your homepage, select the customize icon button at the top of your updates feed, (you'll see this button right above where your updates begin). It will look like this once you click on it:

UPDATES........................Customize (you would click this)

UPDATES FEED PREFERENCES:

Content:
(What types of updates you see):
-Book updates only
-Reviews only
-Everything

People:
(Whose updates you see):
-Goodreads community
-All friends and people I follow
-Top friends and people I follow
-Top friends only

This gives you some input on what types of updates you see, and who you see them from. Hope this is helpful!