Dear Yahoo!
(Source: robertdowneyjrsbitch, via monsterjoke)
Since last week’s announcement that Amazon bought Goodreads, many of the users over there are looking for alternative book cataloguing/bookish social networking sites. I’ve gathered several into a list here, with a few notes obtained by poking at them:
LibraryThing- Extensive and impressive book cataloguing functionality, lighter on the social media aspect (or at least not as heavy as Goodreads). No mobile app. You can catalogue up to 200 books for free, then there is a pay-what-you-will annual option or a lifetime membership option. They’re offering a free year membership if you sign up by Friday. Amazon has a minority but not controlling share in ownership obtained when they purchased AbeBooks.Shelfari- Owned and controlled by Amazon. I’ve encountered a lot of complaints about how Amazon has functionally abandoned Shelfari, so user concerns are not being addressed, updates aren’t happening, etc. Who knows what will become of it now that the big A has Goodreads. New users must sign-in with an Amazon ID.
weRead- Well they haven’t tweeted since June of last year, but that might not mean anything. There’s a never-ending book quiz that’ll make some Goodreads refugees pretty happy. Doesn’t seem to have an import function, so you’ll have to add your books one by one (unless I’m missing something). The site itself seems very buggy and it’s possible it’s been abandoned.
The Reading Room- Has an import function! Heavy on the book clubs (though when I click on their first Featured Book Club, The Bookanistas, it says the club doesn’t allow negative reviews…ew.) and heavy on the ebook sales.
Libib- For book/movie/video game cataloguing. Options to make your libraries public or private. Uses tags. Not much social media going on. Has an import function.
Booklamp- If you use Goodreads mainly to get recommendations, this is an interesting option for you. The site uses the “Book Genome Project” to analyze the “DNA” of books, and gives you Pandora-style recommendations based on the actual contents of books you’ve selected (as opposed to giving recs based on genre, author, whatever).
Reader2- Book list making site, lets you use tags and search other user lists via tags. Doesn’t let you have separate collections, and only seems to have Amazon links for each book. The UI is wayyyyy outdated- worse than LibraryThing, which says a good bit.
Anobii- Allows GR import, but only for books with ISBNs. Allows reviews- also includes reviews from critics on the books’ pages.
These are in beta:
Riffle Books- focuses on lists and social media, not a heavy cataloguing function. Has a Pinterest-type feel. PRETTY COVERS! Facebook-only login right now, but they should have Twitter login within the next week. Great for people who loved the visual aspect of GR.
BookLikes- this looks like the closest thing to the Goodreads experience that I could find. It uses the “shelves” system like GR, there’s star ratings, reviews, a personal timeline-type activity feed, heavy social aspect. When you sign up, you’re actually creating a kind of mini-blog (so it’s yourusernameorwhatever.booklikes.com). Allows you to connect your affiliate links to your newly created blog-type-page.
Thirdscribe- This one hasn’t even launched the beta yet, but it sounds like it’s going to be interesting: “ThirdScribe is a social networking service designed from the ground up to connect authors and their audience. It does this by combining a social stream with forums, book pages, reviews, member profiles, and a blog network to form a giant discussion about books.” Will be supported by author fees (so no ads- but also no dead authors?).
Slice Bookshelf- Facebook log-in. Allows you to import from GR. Automatically put the books I’ve “liked” on Facebook on my “Favorites” shelf, which I don’t like. Shows the book activity of my Facebook friends automatically, which I also don’t care for (I don’t care what my second cousin is reading, let’s be real). But if you’re into integrated Facebook stuff, this would be a good option.
Met Edith Windsor: The 83 year old woman who is fighting to strike down DOMA
With the Supreme Court hearing arguments for and against DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) in the case Windsor v. United States, I thought an info post about the woman who brought suit against the U.S. federal government was necessary. If the Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, her last name will live forever in constitutional law, but her life with the woman she loved for over 40 years, is really the heart of story.
— Edith Windsor was a top IBM programmer in the 1960’s… in other words, bad-ass!
Windsor moved to New York City after divorcing her husband to work as a secretary while earning a master’s degree in mathematics from NYU. She also had a a fellowship at Harvard University, you know, just because she was awesome.
— Edith Windsor didn’t know how to get a date with a lady
Like a lot of lesbians who move to a big city to be free, gay versions of themselves, Edith didn’t know exactly how to pursue a dating life (sound familiar, Tumblr?). She asked friends, “If you know where the lesbians are, please take me.” Her friends took her to a Greenwich Village restaurant called Portofino where she caught the eye of Thea Spyer, a psychologist. They danced. “We immediately just fit, our bodies fit,” said Thea.
— Edith Windsor was engaged to Thea Spyer from 1967 to 2007
Thea proposed to Edith with a round diamond pin. She got down on one knee during a drive to the countryside in 1967. “She was beautiful,” Edie said in a recent interview. “It was joyful, and that didn’t go away.” At 45, Thea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and in 2007, the doctors gave Thea the grim news that she didn’t have much time left. Edith and Thea flew to Toronto and on May 22nd, 2007 they were married.
— Edith Windsor’s case is about estate taxes, but about so much more
Despite being together for more than 40 years, in a relationship that most of us can only dream of and having a marriage that is legally recognized in Canada, when Thea passed away in 2009, Edith was saddled with a tax burden of $600,000 in state and federal estate taxes because her marriage isn’t legal in within the borders of the United States. This is one of the 1,138 benefits afforded to couples who are married in the United States. DOMA only recognizes a legal union between a man and woman and thus these benefits do not extend to same sex couples EVEN IF their marriage is legally recognized by the State. But in reality, this case is about so much more than just benefits and protections. Edith Windsor says, “The fact is, marriage is this magic thing. I mean forget all the financial stuff, marriage symbolizes commitment and love like nothing else in the world. And it’s known all over the world. I mean, wherever you go, if you’re married, that means something to people, and it meant a difference in feeling the next day.”(via jetgirl78)
(via badbitchbrigade)
Potterheads for equality!
He Got Game & A Working Hip
Older dudes have game.You’re talking to said older guy about the weather and how nice it is and the next minute you’re agreeing to a drink. Wait, what… lovely weather. Drinks? But… the weather. Raspberry kamikaze but I’m confused, it was 73 today. Lovely weather. A drink?
VooDoo Dougnuts! I would know that pink box & doughnuts anywhere!
(via bakeddd)
cas-stop-smelling-the-dead-guy:
Who’s the asshole now?
i can’t believe JB said this, I knew he was a prick but my mind is blown
just looked it up, legit quotes
this feels appropriate to use
THANK GOD SOMEONE FOUND ACTUAL PROOF HERE IT IS BELIEBERS: HE IS AN ACTUAL DICKWAD.
Never not reblogging this.
FUCK JUSTIN BIEBER SO MUCH!
(via wartime-consigliere)
Amazing.
(Source: rocknrollercoaster)
