Bookcrossers discussion

There is a BCID field for a book here at GR. That is under the "I Own a Copy" area. Yet, when one releases a book BookCrossing book, he no longer owns the book, thus the BCID field is no longer available.

How do people use this field?

The BCID *is* still available to everyone who has a bookcrossing account and has ever journaled (or registered, or caught, or released) the book. The BCID is also available to whomever is currently in possession of the book, of course, as it is attached to the book (written or typed on it or on a label stuck in it).

I use the BCID field provided by GR to help me record the release of a bookcrossed book that I have sent out via swap. It's handy just to click on the GR link and go directly to that book on bookcrossing. I would imagine, too, that a person considering requesting a book from me would see the BCID field and be made aware that the book has been registered and labeled.

Does this answer your question? If not I'll be glad to try again. :)

Cheryl wrote: "The BCID *is* still available to everyone who has a bookcrossing account and has ever journaled (or registered, or caught, or released) the book. The BCID is also available to whomever is currentl..."

I am still confused. I had the book The Hunt for Red October. I entered the BCID for that book here at GR. I released the book. I then clicked that I no longer own the book. Since I don't have it and will never have this in my hands again, I no longer own it. When I did that, the BCID disappeared.

Here is the book in question.

BYW, thank you for trying to help me. :)

Ok, well, sure, GR's record of the BCID is free to disappear when you don't own the book. I don't know why it does, but it's of no matter that I can see. The BCID is still physically attached to the book, and it can be retrieved from bookcrossing.com by anyone who has journalled (or caught, or released) the book, including of course, you.

I wouldn't be surprised though if we're still not quite understanding each other - I get the impression that possibly you want the BCID to perform some sort of function that I haven't imagined.... I'm delighted to try to help because I like learning others' points of view & strategies.... :)

Cheryl wrote: "The BCID is still physically attached to ..."

Where? I know the BCID can be found at BC.com. But why does GR provide a field for BCID if it is unavailable once the book is marked not owned by me? It seems like an unuseful field here.

Ok. By physically attached to the book, I mean written in it, or written on a label stuck on it.

The BCID field on GR is to help us more conveniently keep track of the books while we own them. As I indicated, I can click on the BCID field while I'm packaging up a book for swap, go directly to the book's page on bookcrossing, and enter release notes there.

Once the book is no longer owned by you, and you've released it, you're unlikely to need the BCID again. You certainly won't need GRs record of it, as far as I can imagine.

To me it seems that probably you'd be better off, given the way you use the two sites, to not even bother to enter the BCID on GR. It's optional, and if you don't use it, then you don't need it.

That is, I find it a useful field, so I use it. If you don't find it useful, don't use it.

I'm curious though - do you wish that it were a useful field? Iow, could the BCID field on GR serve a function for you it stayed intact even after you marked the book as no longer owned? If so, what would that hypothetical function be?

The only thing I can think of the BCID being good for is a direct link to the BC.com page. As I browse my books here at GR, perhaps I am reminded I released he book at BC.com and can click directly to it.

I do not use the field you do as I only have the BCID momentarily associated with a book b4 I release it. I think I shall not use the field here.

Thank you for your helpful responses.

:)