Comments on: Library Thing http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/ Michael Rawdon's webjournal Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:34:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tyrone Slothrop http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-277 Tyrone Slothrop Tue, 26 Dec 2006 04:20:50 +0000 http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/#comment-277 I share your fascination with the potential for those sorts of recommendations, and was a fan of the brick-and-mortar Reel in Berkeley, which may or may not still be there -- I don't go to that side of town so much now. But I've never been impressed with the results that Amazon generates, and they should have much, much more data to work with and the right commercial motives to use it to full effect. They usually tell me about other books by the same authors. Gee, thanks, I think. Nevertheless, I continue to rate books on Amazon, in the hopes that they will hone the process to make it useful. I share your fascination with the potential for those sorts of recommendations, and was a fan of the brick-and-mortar Reel in Berkeley, which may or may not still be there — I don’t go to that side of town so much now. But I’ve never been impressed with the results that Amazon generates, and they should have much, much more data to work with and the right commercial motives to use it to full effect. They usually tell me about other books by the same authors. Gee, thanks, I think.

Nevertheless, I continue to rate books on Amazon, in the hopes that they will hone the process to make it useful.

]]> By: Michael Rawdon http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-271 Michael Rawdon Mon, 25 Dec 2006 19:31:54 +0000 http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/#comment-271 Bibliofile: I did a search by ISBN for <i>Marooned in Realtime</i> when I entered it, and LT could not find it at all, although I did find other editions. It appears to have my edition listed now (ISBN 0-312-94295-8), but it wasn't there a few days ago, and their edition has the wrong publisher listed! (It was published by Bluejay, not St. Martin's, although it was <i>distributed</i> by St. Martin's.) Moreover, LT doesn't have the cover of the edition I have, which you can see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312942958/" rel="nofollow">here</a> (although they have one wth different lettering). I doubt I'll find many books in my library like this, but I do own a few peculiar editions, so I'll probably find a few more. Bibliofile: I did a search by ISBN for Marooned in Realtime when I entered it, and LT could not find it at all, although I did find other editions. It appears to have my edition listed now (ISBN 0-312-94295-8), but it wasn’t there a few days ago, and their edition has the wrong publisher listed! (It was published by Bluejay, not St. Martin’s, although it was distributed by St. Martin’s.) Moreover, LT doesn’t have the cover of the edition I have, which you can see here (although they have one wth different lettering).

I doubt I’ll find many books in my library like this, but I do own a few peculiar editions, so I’ll probably find a few more.

]]> By: Mom http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-270 Mom Mon, 25 Dec 2006 15:46:39 +0000 http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/#comment-270 Well, this must run in the genes Like mother like son. Hmmmm I wonder if I should catalog my home library. Nah, I've cataloged enough books to last me. Well, this must run in the genes Like mother like son. Hmmmm I wonder if I should catalog my home library. Nah, I’ve cataloged enough books to last me.

]]> By: Just another bibliofile http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-268 Just another bibliofile Mon, 25 Dec 2006 09:43:56 +0000 http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/#comment-268 Oh, you mean <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/194455" rel="nofollow">Marooned in Realtime</a>? Only 114 copies on LT thus far, with three separate covers pictured. I've learned that it's best to search for one word in a given title. Realtime didn't work, but Marooned did. It's one of those quirky things about LT. Actually, one of the things i like best is that lots of people scan covers, so that I can often grab the appropriate art for my catalog while I don't have scanner access. Oh, you mean Marooned in Realtime? Only 114 copies on LT thus far, with three separate covers pictured. I’ve learned that it’s best to search for one word in a given title. Realtime didn’t work, but Marooned did. It’s one of those quirky things about LT.

Actually, one of the things i like best is that lots of people scan covers, so that I can often grab the appropriate art for my catalog while I don’t have scanner access.

]]> By: Michael Rawdon http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-264 Michael Rawdon Mon, 25 Dec 2006 00:04:57 +0000 http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/#comment-264 Nadyne: I haven't used Delicious Library. My impression is that it was mainly a desktop app, whereas LT is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_cataloging_applications" rel="nofollow">social cataloging app</a>. So getting my library and my reviews out in a more visible forum has some value to me. (Perhaps not a lot of value, but, well, that's the Internet for you.) T.S.: I've always been somewhat fascinated by sites which recommend things based on data you input, from way back when <a href="http://www.reel.com/" rel="nofollow">Reel</a> had one of the early film-recommendation engines (this would have been around 1997) and recommended some fine films to me. Does the catalog itself have value? That's hard to day, especially when your collection is already meticulously organized (as mine is). Nadyne: I haven’t used Delicious Library. My impression is that it was mainly a desktop app, whereas LT is a social cataloging app. So getting my library and my reviews out in a more visible forum has some value to me. (Perhaps not a lot of value, but, well, that’s the Internet for you.)

T.S.: I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by sites which recommend things based on data you input, from way back when Reel had one of the early film-recommendation engines (this would have been around 1997) and recommended some fine films to me. Does the catalog itself have value? That’s hard to day, especially when your collection is already meticulously organized (as mine is).

]]> By: Tyrone Slothrop http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-263 Tyrone Slothrop Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:22:11 +0000 http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/#comment-263 I've been intrigued by this service, but I'm not quite sure what I'd do with the catalog. What are the upsides from that perspective? I’ve been intrigued by this service, but I’m not quite sure what I’d do with the catalog. What are the upsides from that perspective?

]]> By: Nadyne Mielke http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-262 Nadyne Mielke Sun, 24 Dec 2006 21:59:18 +0000 http://www.fascinationplace.org/2006/12/24/library-thing/#comment-262 Do you like this better than <a href="http://www.delicious-monster.com/" rel="nofollow">Delicious Library</a> (if you've tried it)? Do you like this better than Delicious Library (if you’ve tried it)?

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