Can Goodreads be redeemed? – Good e-reader

Goodreads, once the leading online community for book lovers, has become a story of missed opportunities and decline. Since Amazon purchased the platform in 2013, it has been criticized for its outdated design, poor moderation and growing user frustration. Scandals like the Cait Corrain incident have only made the problems worse and left both authors and readers dissatisfied with the platform.

Outdated design and frustrated users

“The beige aesthetic, the clunky interface, the slowness of the search function – it all feels like a relic of the early Internet,” he said The walrus. Despite being owned by Amazon, Goodreads feels stuck in the past. The platform’s five-star rating system hasn’t changed, even though users want more options. The app is also buggy and unreliable, frustrating readers.

“Goodreads has not been as well maintained or updated or kept up with what you would expect from social communities or apps in 2023,” said publishing consultant Jane Friedman. For a platform with 125 million users in 2022, Goodreads’ lack of improvement is hard to ignore.

Moderation problems and scandals

Goodreads culture has become a problem. Review bombing, where users flood a book’s page with negative reviews, is common. “Goodreads has enabled the weaponization of discontent,” he said The New York Times. Authors are often targets of these attacks.

The Cait Corrain scandal shows how bad things have become. Corrain, a debut author, used fake Goodreads accounts to give one-star reviews to other authors’ books. When she was caught, she created a fake chat to blame someone else, but later confessed to suffering a “complete mental breakdown.” Her book has been canceled and her career is probably over.

“The lack of effective moderation has turned Goodreads into a battleground,” he wrote The walrus. Even best-selling authors like Elizabeth Gilbert were hurt – her novel The snow forest was withdrawn after reviews criticized its filming location in Russia. Goodreads’ minimal control has made these problems worse.

Amazon’s role in Goodreads’ demise

Goodreads’ problems are related to its parent company, Amazon. The platform pushes popular titles through algorithms, making reading feel like a chore. “Your to-read list becomes a never-ending obligation,” he noted The walrus.

Amazon’s reputation didn’t help. Controversies, like the end of Jeff Bezos The Washington Post Traditions of supporting presidential candidates have frustrated readers. Bezos’ praise of Donald Trump after his election victory only increased the backlash against Goodreads.

Can alternatives gain the upper hand?

While Goodreads is struggling, platforms like The StoryGraph, BookSloth and Libib are stepping in. These platforms offer modern features like half-star reviews, personalized recommendations, and better community engagement.

“Letterboxd has succeeded where Goodreads has not,” he said The walrusand compares Goodreads to the popular film discussion site. While these alternatives are promising, none have yet reached the size or influence of Goodreads.

Is it worth saving on Goodreads?

Goodreads’ problems may seem overwhelming, but it’s still possible to right the ship. It starts with people – we’re engaging more human moderators to actively monitor and manage platform activity. With better moderation, updated features, and clearer policies, Goodreads could become a much better place for everyone involved.

Despite its many flaws, I still see the value of what Goodreads represents: a place where readers can connect and share their love of books. As other social platforms continue to lose appeal, it’s worth fighting for. However, if Goodreads doesn’t evolve, it risks becoming just a relic of what it once was.

An avid book reader and proud library card holder, Angela is new to the world of e-readers. She has a background in education, emergency response and fitness and loves being outdoors, traveling and exploring. Angela has an honors degree in Anthropology and also studied writing after graduating. She has written for The London Free Press, The Gazette, The Londoner, Best Version Media, Lifeliner and Citymedia.ca.