Petra X > Status Update

I respond because I love the energy you bring to GR, I love data geeks, and you ask thought provoking questions.

I enjoy how I find your reviews personal and thought-provoking. I've only seen your communications as engaging, never negative and accusatory, which is a habit not as common as it used to be.

I like your questions, they make me stop and think, smile... It feels like an ever ongoing, slow conversation. Also, I am curious to see how other people respond.

Because you asked? I'm already following/friended you because your reviews are engaging and I see no harm in answering your questions. So, why not?

Belle wrote: "I respond because I love the energy you bring to GR, I love data geeks, and you ask thought provoking questions."

Thank you. They are thought-provoking, but then people respond with interesting replies about themselves and books. This is our hobby, reading, there's lots more to it than just a book and maybe a review.

For the same reasons you ask them!

I love the questions and the conversations that ensue. Great way to learn and to bring this community closer together.

I don't often respond to them, but I really enjoy them as a non-canonical use of the website, a welcome, positive disruption. Please don't stop asking them.

I respond (when I see them, some I've missed) because they are often questions that I've asked to myself too and then they always generate interesting discussions.

Shawnie wrote: "I enjoy how I find your reviews personal and thought-provoking. I've only seen your communications as engaging, never negative and accusatory, which is a habit not as common as it used to be."

Thank you. Some people seem to have got into the habit of judging people by their own preferences which they confuse with standards and facts, and then getting all upset when others don't think the same way.

Because I have some kind of answer to write as a reply, and anyway, I love books, and love questions about them :)

If I have something to contribute I will answer. In general, I like well drafted questions - it is good to have to think about things from time to time

I like to read answers to your questions, and after reading all I feel a need to add one more for others to read.

I am compulsively neurotic and I must answer questions, especially if I have an interest in the matter and I am certainly interested in books and reading.

Because they are fun questions and ones that that I often thought about but never asked. 😜

Alexandra wrote: "I like your questions, they make me stop and think, smile... It feels like an ever ongoing, slow conversation. Also, I am curious to see how other people respond."

That's the perfect answer! Thank you.

Why do we respond to your questions..my answer you seem to want to know members thoughts and feelings about books the way you ask the questions invites us in and wanting to respond, some I reply to,the ones relates to me.I love reading your questions as related to what we reading.so please continue.♥️

You are a great conversation starter and make me think. Until I found the questions I didn't people here either. I miss some of them but this makes GR much more enjoyable.

Of all my GR friends, you are the most active. From your name changes to your reviews to your questions, you keep me engaged in the people side of being interested in books, so that this is more like a book club. Otherwise, it would seem like a bookstore with little cards of rating on each one, rather like a wine shop.

Elentarri wrote: "Because you asked? I'm already following/friended you because your reviews are engaging and I see no harm in answering your questions. So, why not?"

Thank you! I love your reviews too.

Cecily wrote: "For the same reasons you ask them!"

:-) :-) :-)

Suzy wrote: "I love the questions and the conversations that ensue. Great way to learn and to bring this community closer together."

I think so. Sometimes in these question updates and sometimes in reviews (everyone's) conversations rather than just single comments get going and I think that's the best.

Bloodorange wrote: "I don't often respond to them, but I really enjoy them as a non-canonical use of the website, a welcome, positive disruption. Please don't stop asking them."

So respond more. We've been friends for years and I'd like to know more about your opinions on books, reading, anything really.

Petra see you next week, living life this one! wrote: "Suzy wrote: "I love the questions and the conversations that ensue. Great way to learn and to bring this community closer together."

I think so. Sometimes in these question updates and sometimes i..."

Ditto! :)

Following your posts is like reading a good fantasy novel. You have such an interesting life and have no qualms about putting it all out there. And...you are hilarious!

I enjoy reading about your life & the books you have read. I find the questions & comments interesting. Enlightening at times as well. So when you take the time to ask questions, I want to respond. Although I feel my answers at times are rather pedestrian compared to others.

Andrew✌️ wrote: "I respond (when I see them, some I've missed) because they are often questions that I've asked to myself too and then they always generate interesting discussions."

You can always look back on previous ones - there is a link to the right "All of Petra see you next week, living life this one!’s status updates" (Name and tag line will be different though!) If GR sends me a notification (mostly) then I get to see an answer on an old question. It doesn't interest me any the less because it wasn't the latest.

7jane wrote: "Because I have some kind of answer to write as a reply, and anyway, I love books, and love questions about them :)"

I'm pleased you do respond, your replies are interesting, as are your reviews.

It's rewarding to respond to questions from a fellow booklover and read the comments of others. Many people read but don't necessarily talk about books.

Petra had a fab week with bf, maybe he's the one! wrote: "7jane wrote: "Because I have some kind of answer to write as a reply, and anyway, I love books, and love questions about them :)"

I'm pleased you do respond, your replies are interesting, as are y..."

Thank you *blush* ::)

Ray wrote: "If I have something to contribute I will answer. In general, I like well drafted questions - it is good to have to think about things from time to time"

Well-drafted is well-crafted, and my questions are always just what I have been thinking, so I'm flattered you reply. Thank you.

Aryan wrote: "I like to read answers to your questions, and after reading all I feel a need to add one more for others to read."

I love the answers, often so varied, I'm glad you enjoy reading them too and add your own thoughts.

Well, for starters, they are truly captivating questions and I often like to get my share of other GR users' opinions on the same matter :)

Dierregi wrote: "I am compulsively neurotic and I must answer questions, especially if I have an interest in the matter and I am certainly interested in books and reading."

LOL, I could rewrite that for me: "I am compulsively neurotic and I must watch cat videos and stroke cats".

Hi Petra-
You know most of my reasons-and when I do respond, its because of your book choices and the fire of your energy in the reviews and responses. This includes research you do in gaining more knowledge of the subject- regardless if you liked the book or not.

Phil wrote: "Because they are fun questions and ones that that I often thought about but never asked. 😜"

I hope they are a bit entertaining and not entirely serious. I think the questions are fairly general, things we've all thought about and it is interesting to read other people's views.

Why? Because I really believe, Petra, that you want to know our answers—and because I actually have answers (at least to some of your questions!). I've put a lot of thought over the years into how I use Goodreads (and, yes, how I'm being used), and into why I've made the choices I did and still do.

One of those choices is to make my book reviews primarily about the book. I do not talk about Goodreads itself much, within my reviews. I want them to be platform-agnostic, or perhaps portable is a better word, and so I very much appreciate the opportunities your questions provide to give these thoughts about the site an alternative outlet.

And because you're right: this sort of conversation helps us forge connections that merely clicking "Like" now and then (nice as that is!) does not.

Thank you!

APS

Andrea wrote: "Why do we respond to your questions..my answer you seem to want to know members thoughts and feelings about books the way you ask the questions invites us in and wanting to respond, some I reply to..."

I do. It helps me in the bookshop (which is dying) but I also am interested in the same way everyone here is, and I like to get to know my friends better as people.

Mike wrote: "You are a great conversation starter and make me think. Until I found the questions I didn't people here either. I miss some of them but this makes GR much more enjoyable."

Thank you. There used to be a Feedback group which Goodreads Support got rid of so they wouldn't have to answer questions, but on Sundays there were no mods around and it used to be general chit-chat by every one who was. That was very enjoyable.

Renee wrote: "you keep me engaged in the people side of being interested in books, so that this is more like a book club. Otherwise, it would seem like a bookstore with little cards of rating on each one, rather like a wine shop...."

Thank you. I think bookshop people not only love books but the people who buy and read them. If you lived closer you would be one of my customers who would sit in the 'customer chair' (a magazine called it 'the husband chair' when I had a boutique) and chat for hours.

Petra back to life, back to reality or GR anyway wrote: "If you lived closer you would be one of my customers who would sit in the 'customer chair' (a magazine called it 'the husband chair' when I had a boutique) and chat for hours."

I would love that.

Tooter wrote: "Following your posts is like reading a good fantasy novel. You have such an interesting life and have no qualms about putting it all out there. And...you are hilarious!"

Thank you. It isn't fantasy though. Although IRL people do think I'm funny. I once did a thing where you had to ask friends to pick out what is your dominant quality - things like generosity, cheerfulness, being helpful, making people laugh etc. I thought they might pick generosity, but they all picked making people laugh. My son does it too, and has been told it isn't compatible with being in court (he's a lawyer).

Chris wrote: "when you take the time to ask questions, I want to respond. Although I feel my answers at times are rather pedestrian compared to others....."

Why do you think that? There is no right or wrong or best or worst, it's just how we feel about books, reviews, and book acquisition really. Everyone's answers are valid and interesting.

Laura wrote: "It's rewarding to respond to questions from a fellow booklover and read the comments of others. Many people read but don't necessarily talk about books."

That's true. I like talking about books, I love comments on the questions, on reviews, especially when they start conversations, which is rare but always interesting.

P.E. wrote: "Well, for starters, they are truly captivating questions and I often like to get my share of other GR users' opinions on the same matter :)"

We bookish people think alike in a lot of ways, it's the differences that makes us interesting.

It adds variety to the site and often results in fascinating conversations that are real conversations, not hurled insults and accusations.

Stacey B wrote: "its because of your book choices and the fire of your energy in the reviews and responses. This includes research you do in gaining more knowledge of the subject- regardless if you liked the book or not...."

Lol, I'm too blunt and get obsessed!

Alan wrote: "One of those choices is to make my book reviews primarily about the book. I do not talk about Goodreads itself much, within my reviews. I want them to be platform-agnostic, or perhaps portable is a better word, and so I very much appreciate the opportunities your questions provide to give these thoughts about the site an alternative outlet...."

One of the great things Otis Our Founder did was to say that Goodreads was a set of tools for us to use however we pleased. Since Amazon bought it, there have been changes to that sadly, but there is still a great deal of freedom so people do use the site differently, you write reviews about the book, I write whatever the book inspired in me. Cool, eh? :-)

Petra back to life, back to reality or GR anyway wrote: "One of the great things Otis Our Founder did was to say that Goodreads was a set of tools for us to use however we pleased. Since Amazon bought it, there have been changes to that sadly, but there is still a great deal of freedom so people do use the site differently, you write reviews about the book, I write whatever the book inspired in me. Cool, eh? :-)"

Yes, very cool! My self-imposed rules are how I engage with GR—I wouldn't dream of imposing them on others, or gatekeeping how anyone else enjoys the site. Even the occasional (very occasional) drive-by hater; so far, at least, just ignoring those seems to work for me.

The good here outweighs the bad by a huge margin, and you, Petra, are a part of that majority.

APS

Audrey wrote: "It adds variety to the site and often results in fascinating conversations that are real conversations, not hurled insults and accusations."

Is that in groups or reviews? I don't mind - welcome, actually - dissenting opinions about books, but I don't like insults and trolls.