Don't get me wrong, I love Goodreads.
Well, at least I
love the fact that thanks to this website I get to know people from all around
the world who share the same passion for reading!
My Goodreads-friends give me daily inspiration and I want to say a big 'Thank you!' to them all 😉
But if you're on Goodreads too, you'll probably know that sometimes there can be a glitch.
And that this website doesn't take its users seriously.
For example by totally ignoring the feedback they gave about the new layout of the book pages.
In the past Claudia and I already wrote several lyrics.
Time to bundle them
in one place and to add a new one for the latest blunder.
Here's where it all began in October 2020 …
Claudia put the song Another Brick In The Wall (Pink Floyd) in my head.
So inevitably I had to write some Goodreads lyrics on this tune:
We don't need no problem solving
We don't need no full control
No dark sarcasm in the chatroom
Goodreads leave readers alone
Hey, Goodreads, leave readers alone
All in all it's just another glitch in the wall
All in all you're just another glitch in the wall
Inspired by this little text Claudia chose In the End (Linkin Park) and she wrote following matching Goodreads lyrics:
I've looked down the timeline and what's there is not what ought to be
Held back by the curses they brought out of me
Calling me to be part of their property
And now I see that we get no chance
We get no break, fakes and snakes quickly lead to mistakes
And as the tightrope within slowly starts to thin
I can only hope that they open their eyes
With the twilight through the timeline
And the highlights on a frame of site
See the stupidness of their bugs
As I write this on a pad, with the way I feel
Hear the screaming, in my scrolling
As it's seeming that Goodreads played its part
Like they're mindless, take apart this
In the darkness, while I know that
They tried not so hard, and got so low
But, in the end, it doesn't even matter
Goodreads had to fall, we lose it all
But, in the end, it doesn't even matter
That last phrase reminded me of Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen).
Which in my version became the 'Goodreads Parody' 😋
Readers, we just killed the site
Put a glitch into it's head
Look what happened, it has spread
Readers, the damage now is done
All the feeds and comments are just thrown away
Readers, ooh
We know that this will make you cry
If we're not up again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on
As if Goodreads wasn't ever there
Too late, our time has come
Not sending messages anymore
We're all over the floor
Goodbye everybody, we've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and confess the truth
Readers, ooh
No matter how hard we try
This website won't be working again at all
A few months later Goodreads bugged again.
Thus, in February 2021 I chose Fool on a Hill (The Beatles) and wrote following lyrics:
Bug after bug
Appears on our screen
They take everything over
Thinking they can stay unseen
But everything hits the fan now
You can't find what you're looking for
Lots of books keep going missing
Cause the bugs on the screen
Like the books as their meal
And they filled their belly
They're Goodreads' Achilles' heel
Now over to the latest blunder ...
Goodreads has tested a beta-version of a new layout for the book pages.
They're implementing it gradually since a few hours, even though many users gave negative feedback the past few months.
This layout entirely focusses on people who use smartphones, …
But for desktop users it's a real nightmare. As Claudia said, the new design should get a 'horror label'.
We're readers.
Hence we love to READ.
Not to scroll and click endlessly.
Goodreads, give us back the former book pages!
So, you all understand I just hád to write new lyrics.
The
music that immediately came to mind was Baby Come Back (The Equals).
My version is titled Book Page, Come Back😉
Come back
Book page, come back
Book page, come back
Book page, come back
This ain't the first time, but now today
You've really run away
We ask Goodreads for the umpteenth time
Listen to us and let our book page stay (all right)
Hey (Goodreads)
Hey (it ain't right)
Hey, yeah
Come back
Book page, come back
Book page, come back
Book page, come back
There ain't no use in giving our view
Cause we mean nothing to you
But now we're standing up for our rights
Goodreads, you know it's true (yeah, right?)
Ooh (Goodreads)
Ooh (it ain't right)
Ooh, yeah
Come back
Book page, come back
Book page, come back
Book page, come back
Come back, book page, don't you leave us
Book page dearest, please don't go
Oh, Goodreads, why don't you listen to us?
Book page, we loved you so (all right)
Ooh (Goodreads)
Ooh (put it back)
Ooh, yeah
Come back
We said book page, come back
We said book page, come back
Oh won't you book page come back
Oh won't you please come back
We really loved you
Oh book page come back
Edit:
Claudia was inspired too and wrote lyrics on the music of Something to Remind You (Staind) 😄
So this is it
We say goodbye
To the lovely page of GR ever-changing site
Mistakes over mistakes
The list is long
I'm sure GR'll answer for them when we're gone
So when the day comes and
Our patience'll leave us with no grace
Tell the ones who cared enough
That we finally left this place
That's been so long
Look at my page
All the stories it will tell I won't erase (but GR may)
The bugs list's just too long
Just one more groan
A little something to remind GR when we're gone
When we're gone
The road to hell
Along the way
Is paved with great changes so GR say
But we believe
That no mistake
Goes unpunished in the end or so wish
Well, Tau, I browse on Goodreads very infrequently, just to get an idea of the reviews of a specific book or author, so I do not have an educated opinion on the quality of the site since I hardly visit it. But one thing's for sure: a lot of creative effort went into this alternative playlist of complaints. Who knows you might get heard with this approach?
ReplyDeleteTruth is that I use Goodreads a whole lot more than Hebban, where I mainly stay to react to your columns and occasionally to another item on the site.
DeleteEspecially since I began read to read a lot of English books, Hebban became rather tedious because I have to add almost every English book manually to their database. As you can see, my 'to be read'-list on Hebban contains only half of the books that are listed on Goodreads (for the same reason obviously).
These lyrics are a very effective and, as you said, creative way to ventilate my frustrations about Goodreads.
And the interaction with Claudia makes it even more fun 😄
But I have no illusions whatsoever about the effect of our creative feedback on Goodreads. Users have been giving a lot of feedback the past few months and they didn't listen then. So why would they now?
If it weren't for the friends I made there, I would have left the place already.
As we speak, I'm exporting my book lists. So if I decide to open an account elsewhere, I don't have to import these thousands of titles manually.
But just like I stayed a bit at Hebban (mainly for you and some others members), I'll stay at Goodreads too. Just to keep in touch with the friends I made there 😉
Ah, but you see, Tau, that is just the thing: sites like Goodreads and Hebban are first and foremost platforms to meet and interact with people you have a common interest with. People who become friends over time. Friends in a disconnected, on screen and distant sort of way, but friends nonetheless. That's where the magic lurks: in the unintended consequences. Take me for instance: I never thought I would befriend a woman who likes to poke fun at me all the time, who constantly floors me with snarky and witty reactions and always seems to have the upper hand in our online exchanges (I used to think that would be the exclusive prerogative of my wife). Yet here we are.
DeleteWell said, Bohse 😄
DeleteAlthough I don't always have snarky and witty reactions and our exchanges are in fact well-balanced (which is one of the reasons why I like to talk to you) 😉
You know Tau, I'm always amazed that you still have time to _read_ books. You are always busy with so many other things, apart from working, such as looking for unusual and special videos. And now this: writing new lyrics for songs to express your displeasure with goodreads.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I'm amazed myself, Glawen 😄
DeleteThat's a very good observation and truth is that I often tend to start too many things at the same time.
But writing lyrics like these is often done very quickly, you know. For example: while I'm eating breakfast or taking a 15 minute break from work.
It's a fun way to distract my ever busy brain 😉
DeleteYes Tau, you don't have a "Nothing Box" while mine is exceptionally large. You probably know that YT video, don't you? 😆
It might surprise you, Glawen, but I didn't know that one 😄
DeleteFor those who want to discover it too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU79-_jfxic
And you're right, I don't have a 'nothing box'. Will put it on my wishlist 😋
Well Tau, that surprises me indeed. I expected you to know that video. I think it's an apt description of the male brain. I don't know much about women's brains, say none, but I suspect that description is also apt.
Delete