Horror Aficionados discussion
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Other Platforms
Yes and no. I'm on The StoryGraph, but I haven't been using it lately and don't have any friends yet. It has a much nicer look than GR. I really wanted to move away from GR because Amazon has done nothing at all to improve it over the last 10 years or so and because -- Amazon owns enough in this world. The problem is feeling like I'm starting over from scratch (for the second time in my case) which makes me lazy, and I also like my groups and friends here. LibraryThing is closer to GR, but seems chaotic to me. You can import your books from GR to StoryGraph and LibraryThing. I signed up for BookWyrm, but haven't used it yet and the import function is not working. So, we'll see, but I'd really like to move to a better platform.
I truly hate both the Goodreads app and website since they're so outdated, poorly optimized, and have a terrible user experience. I'm still surprised Amazon hasn't completely revamped this yet for 2024 and I doubt they ever will as this has been the same for at LEAST 10-15 years now and that's sad.At any rate, I mostly use this, my Facebook Author Page, and lately, horror/book Subreddits on Reddit. Some pretty amazing communities either via Facebook Groups or Subreddits for any fandom, ESPECIALLY books, reading, and all the major genres of reading.
It's refreshing and out of those two, Reddit's app is superior, modern, and makes engagement super fun :-)
I’m so happy people are talking about this! I would love to get on something better than GR. It’s truly pretty shitty. I’ve had so many issues and they’re never resolved well either when I reach out. I’m going to give some of these mentioned a try!
@Cal: For sure! If it wasn't for all the amazing friends on here that I have, I would have probably left a year ago. Either way, I am enjoying my trio of this, my Facebook Author Page, and Reddit.Reddit's subreddits on books, horror, and all bookish things have been AWESOME so far. I dream of a day Goodreads has an app that is as good as Reddit.
I've been wondering if there are other platforms to talk about books. I do like Goodreads for keeping track of books and the giveaways are cool, I've won 2 physical ARCs and some digital books. But it isn't great for talking to other people. Especially the groups, it's so hard to do groups on the app.
Anyone know if there's anything more comparable to Letterboxd?
I'm on Letterboxd too, and to me, The StoryGraph is most similar. Not quite as polished as Letterboxd, but close. They also have giveaways and you can upload your data from GR. Btw, it takes a month or more for GR to give you your data, which is ridiculous.
I agree with LTJ about Reddit. It's a great platform for book discovery, questions, comments etc. and the app is really modernized and easy to use. However, it's not a great place to have continual conversations with a specific group of friends like we are able to here. This platform's forums are setup for PC users and provides a more nostalgic internet experience, in my opinion.
It doesn't "feel close" on Reddit, to me, but it's a great place to get questions answered/or answer for others, and find information on anything, because the activity level of commenters is so massive. Sometimes on Reddit I feel like I'm essentially talking to AI because it's more of a sterile non-connectedness style. It's very much like Quora, which I use on occasion as well for a whole host of things. The app is also very good.
Are there any where you can make Ranked lists that you have full control of the order of
@Erika: Exactly and great insight! Yeah, I feel the same and Goodreads has by far, besides the random bots/scammers, the best communities for whatever authors/genres you enjoy. Reddit is good but there are many more trolls I've encountered there than here. Twitter/X is by far the worst but Reddit is right behind it.But yeah, the subreddits for reading, books, and whatever genres you enjoy are MASSIVE and offer all sorts of great info, insight, and threads. Very strong and active communities but I truly believe there are trolls out there for any topic waiting to make anyone feel bad and downvote everything they post LoL
LTJ wrote: "@Erika: Exactly and great insight! Yeah, I feel the same and Goodreads has by far, besides the random bots/scammers, the best communities for whatever authors/genres you enjoy. Reddit is good but t..."You are correct, there will be trolls no matter where you are. I wish all platforms were more like Gab where speech is truly free. Twitter is probably the next closest thing at this point, but with the good comes the bad--like anything in life. At least the censorship and gatekeeping is kept to somewhat of a minimum. All I hear is people bashing Twitter or Elon but at least you can express ideas without being algorithmed and shadow-banned etc.
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I'm constantly having to block trolls and spammers and porn. A mostly fun website has totally gone off the rails.
I truly hate Twitter and I left my account back in 2022 once Musk took over and opened up the floodgates. Mind you, I left a 15,000+ followers account I had for almost a decade because it's turned into such a cesspool of racism, sexism, ageism, and everything else. It's so bad that I'm not even shocked they've lost millions of users and revenue because it's just too out of control over the last few years.I haven't even mentioned the porn bots sharing completely uncensored full videos and literally, nothing happens to them no matter how many times you report them. I feel bad for all the kids on there who see that (the porn bots post on every major official Twitter handle which is sad) and the kinds of people who are attracted to such a poorly run and terrible social media platform.
It won't be before it's gone, someone else buys it, or eventually, nobody uses it. Don't believe the fake numbers Musk says about X, they're down to barely 250 million "users" and I use that term loosely because half if not more are bots, spammers, and hackers. They haven't had any significant growth in over a year and every major advertiser has left. Realistically, they probably barely have 100 million real human users and that's being generous.
Just a matter of time...
LTJ wrote: "I truly hate Twitter and I left my account back in 2022 once Musk took over and opened up the floodgates. Mind you, I left a 15,000+ followers account I had for almost a decade because it's turned ..."I don't use X/Twitter, never did even before Musk took over but I completely agree with you, I don't trust the numbers that he comes out with, I'm sure he is just bleeding money with that company.
I can't imagine him keeping it long term so hopefully the best thing that could happen is someone else buys it and tries to fix the mess that Musk created.
LTJ wrote: "I truly hate Twitter and I left my account back in 2022 once Musk took over and opened up the floodgates. Mind you, I left a 15,000+ followers account I had for almost a decade because it's turned ..."I completely agree, and don't even bother with it anymore.
Alan wrote: "Are you kidding? When's the last time you were on Twitter? If you have any kind of following and make fun of Lone Skum or use a term or say something that fascist Afrikaner doesn't like he'll ban y..."What makes Elon Musk a fascist?
I never said Twitter was perfect lol... Good lord. I have awoken the cult. They are defaulting to calling everything fascism...I simply said Twitter is the closest thing to Gab. Safe to assume almost everyone here things the Twitter files were bullshit?
You guys can freely hate on Elon Musk if you'd like, that doesn't bother me one bit. I don't trust the guy at all for two reasons--he came from nowhere with government help, and Neurolink lmao. And the numbers of Twitter users was proven untrue before he got there, so IF he's boosting them, that's nothing new anyway. It's wild how people legit only want one side of the conversation to be had.
Also Alan, he did buy Twitter, so he can run it how he sees fit lol. If you're that vehemently opposed to it, why don't you just get off it? You're totally cool with gatekeeping and moderating here on goodreads, but when it happens to you on Twitter you aren't about it anymore? Seems a bit hypocritical...
Alas, after hearing you use phrases such as "fascist Afrikaner", "far right extremist", and "conspiracy theorist", the one-sided, cult-mindset hypocrisy makes more sense.
Robin (Ganon's Version) wrote: "WendyB wrote: "Twitter is a cesspit since that facsist a**hole took it over. I was cut off for a day for simply saying a certain group of people could go jump off a cliff (a more polite way of sayi..."Robin (Ganon's Version) gets it
It's funny how the moderators are proving to be the very example of what this conversation began about...You're upset that a dude who bought a company is running the company a certain way. Fine lol, that's fair.
But you're a moderator of a group, who chooses how to run the group the way You see fit.
It all just feels very "if you aren't on my side, then you're wrong" to me.
I should've known better...
To each their own. Have a good weekend everyone, and thanks for the recommendations! Bookwyrm seems...okay. I am a bit more intrigued by StoryGraph at this point.
Robin (Ganon's Version) wrote: "Cal wrote: "Robin (Ganon's Version) wrote: "WendyB wrote: "Twitter is a cesspit since that facsist a**hole took it over. I was cut off for a day for simply saying a certain group of people could go..."Correct, and all the other social media platforms are the same way in my opinion. I guess I was just a little excited because Twitter seemingly was allowing people to share opinions that had previously been labeled "conspiracy theories" and then later proven to be true lol. But fuck me for sharing that one little free speech tidbit! lol.
I am not "far right" or a "conspiracy theorist". I just enjoy thinking for myself and not having either "side" of things censored. Informed decision making is fun. It's called liberty.
I can see myself on StoryGraph someday. I doubt if there will be a "revolution" in which members of this group (or any other group) migrate en masse to another platform, so I'll probably just join several and see what happens before deciding to leave GR (if ever).
Jim wrote: "I can see myself on StoryGraph someday. I doubt if there will be a "revolution" in which members of this group (or any other group) migrate en masse to another platform, so I'll probably just join ..."Realistically, same. Hahah
Robin (Ganon's Version) wrote: "Jim wrote: "I can see myself on StoryGraph someday. I doubt if there will be a "revolution" in which members of this group (or any other group) migrate en masse to another platform, so I'll probabl..."always follow the money ;)
As for others, I was on aNobii before joining Goodreads. https://www.anobii.com/it/blackswan/p...
The transfer was a long process; I've written about it here. In short, the fine tuning (correct dates, tags, editions...) took weeks. For this reason, I'm unwilling to move seriously elsewhere, even though I have done an import on the Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile...
I use GR because I read a lot of indie books and GR contains a lot of older comments and recs I can't find anywhere else. I checked before posting here and the few Bizarro books I've looked at have a lot more comments on GR than on StoryGraph.Moreover, I can get in touch with a lot of authors here. Not sure it would be the same on another platform...
Indeed, GR hasn't evolved much these last years and it's not all star and shine. But I don't really care, it's a valuable tool for me. And I'm really not sure if I need or want to know beforehand if the characters are likable or not, or whether it's plot-driven or character-driven.
Seb wrote:I'm really not sure if I need or want to know beforehand if the characters are likable or not, or whether it's plot-driven or character-driven...I agree, I find that annoying, and quite a few other things as well, such as updates from random people reading nothing relevant to me.
I agree that Goodreads could be greatly improved both on browser and app (for one, it is simply not possible to do a librarian's work on the app). I also think we should be careful what we wish for, because the folks at Amazoogle might have different ideas than ours of what constitutes an improvement...
LTJ wrote: "@Erika: Exactly and great insight! Yeah, I feel the same and Goodreads has by far, besides the random bots/scammers, the best communities for whatever authors/genres you enjoy. Reddit is good but t..."Thanks, LTJ! I love our group here :D
a.g.e. montagner wrote: "I agree that Goodreads could be greatly improved both on browser and app (for one, it is simply not possible to do a librarian's work on the app). I also think we should be careful what we wish f..."
indeeeed...
Those reading
may appreciate this hyperbolic comparison: I am going to be stubborn, til death, and never ever leave GR. I don't need another place to compile my books online. It's my online book home! The equivalent of IMDB for me. Nothing else needed to replace it. Ever. Lol
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It's been a few years since anything was changed and even though I've gotten used those changes, it doesn't mean I like them. For example, on a book page, friends used to be listed first after the book description. It was easy to scan down and see what rating friends gave a book or who had it on their tbr.
I don't use the GR app but I understand there are a lot of problems with it. It would be great if that was made more user friendly. Most of the questions about using or finding something on GR come from people using the app.
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I simply said Twitter is the closest thing to Gab. Safe to assume al..."
You're clearly the cult-like mindset you're accusing others of who thrives on the toxicity you deny is going on with Twitter, which is the only thing we limit here. Your posts absolutely prove it. If you don't like how we run things here, you're free to go trolling on Twitter.
That's the last I have to say about that, and unless you plan on proving my point more, you'll drop it.
Cal wrote: "Robin (Ganon's Version) wrote: "Cal wrote: "Robin (Ganon's Version) wrote: "WendyB wrote: "Twitter is a cesspit since that facsist a**hole took it over. I was cut off for a day for simply saying a ..."You know that a conspiracy theory is a unsubstantiated claim, no matter what. Is it turns out to be true it was, until that time, still a theory unsuported by evidence. Conspiracies has nothing to do with "thinking about myself". usually this claim means "I want to believe, no matter what". Believing is different from have evidence and investigating further. You believe in what you don't have evidence of, otherwise you would know, not "believe".
Everyone can doubt everything they hear, that's okay, but if your skepticism just work on what you want to be false, it's not skepticism, it's confirmation bias.
@Erika: Anytime and I also love our group here! It's significantly better, friendlier, and a great place to chill while connecting with fellow horror readers.I'd be shocked if Twitter/X is still even around by the end of this year. Now, linking on Twitter/X can be duped to send people to fake URLs who can get phished, hacked, or have malicious malware installed on their devices in the background without even knowing. Twitter/X doesn't have any security measures in place to stop misdirecting links when clicking on them.
Just a matter of time...
Alan wrote: "Cal wrote: "I never said Twitter was perfect lol... Good lord. I have awoken the cult. They are defaulting to calling everything fascism...I simply said Twitter is the closest thing to Gab. Safe ..."
"and unless you plan on proving my point more, you'll drop it."
^ in perfect fascist fashion lol. Yes sir Moderator Dredd!!
Rafael wrote: "Cal wrote: "Robin (Ganon's Version) wrote: "Cal wrote: "Robin (Ganon's Version) wrote: "WendyB wrote: "Twitter is a cesspit since that facsist a**hole took it over. I was cut off for a day for simp..."I understand that...
What I also understand is the term "conspiracy theory" was coined by the CIA to limit people from thinking for themselves, or diverting from the narrative. And that information isn't a conspiracy lol, that's well documented.
So I was simply saying I appreciate the part of Twitter where "conspiracy theories" are allowed to at least be voiced. If it's so vehemently false, then can't we decipher that for ourselves? I don't want or need some technocracy doing that for me, hence the critical thinking comment I made earlier.
You have all the tools to investigate a claim to found out if it is false or not?
the term "conspiracy theory" was coined by the CIA to limit people from thinking for themselves, or diverting from the narrative. And that information isn't a conspiracy lol, that's well documented.The earliest known usage was by the American author Charles Astor Bristed, in a letter to the editor published in The New York Times on January 11, 1863 -- way before the CIA was formed.
Isn't this thread going astray? Don't feed the troll. The main topic interests me ^^
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I simply said Twitter is the closest thing ..."
Come on now, there are no fascists here.
And yes, this thread has gone astray. What's everyone reading? lol
I am reading Brian Lumley's The Best of the Rest by the recently-deceased Brian Lumley. But I have been distracted by some bad medical developments--in the past week I've lost most of my hearing in my right ear and developed tinnitus. Man, getting old sure is fun.
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Oh my goodness, so sorry Christopher, sending you big virtual hugs. Hope that at least your books have been a bit of a comfort and distraction. And I'm still so sad over losing Lumley, what a legend.
@Christopher: Sending good thoughts and positive vibes your way <3
I've been reading "The Stand" by Stephen King! It's taken me almost 2 weeks to finish and I'm loving every moment of it and plan to finish this by Monday :-D
@Christopher - sorry about the health challenges. From a physical perspective, you are right, aging is not fun!@LTJ - love, love, love The Stand. Although hard to pick a favourite King book, this one is up there for me.
@Char - just finished Night of the Mannequins and loved it. My first Stephen Graham Jones but definitely not my last.
Jim wrote: "the term "conspiracy theory" was coined by the CIA to limit people from thinking for themselves, or diverting from the narrative. And that information isn't a conspiracy lol, that's well documented..."So, the theory that CIA invented the term "conspiracy theory" to limit people to think by themselves is a conspiracy theory?
@Christopher: So sorry to hear about the health issues. Reading THE WRITHING, Abe Moss, and DEAD THINGS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR (total cover buy).
Char wrote: "Cal wrote: "Alan wrote: "Cal wrote: "I never said Twitter was perfect lol... Good lord. I have awoken the cult. They are defaulting to calling everything fascism...I simply said Twitter is the cl..."
Verity
I think it's not going to be the book I thought it would be, but time will tell.
Horror Aficionados
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I love this group and it's the sole reason I'm on Goodreads still. As an app though, I really don't like how Goodreads is set up anymore. I'm checking out other book / reading platforms that will be a little more useful for me!