Can I Mess This Up For Someone Else?

Hello,

I’m not exactly new, but I’m only just starting to be really active here, and there is still much that I just don’t quite understand. I sure hope you meant it when you said there were no wrong questions, because this one is a little out there:

Is it possible for me to do something with my books that messes up someone else? I know sometimes things connect, and I’d hate to inconvenience anyone accidentally (or on purpose, for that matter).

I’m thinking of the following situations:

1. If I can’t find a book via “add books” and so I add it manually, but then it turns out that there already was a record.
2. If I can’t find the right edition, so I just add it manually. (I’m very confused about how to search/add/change/distinguish between editions.)
3. If I tag something in a way unique to me (such as a tag for who gave me the book or what room it’s in). Would those show up as tags that others can see, and would that be a problem?
4. If I tag something that’s not a book, per se, or at least not anything that should ever be published. I’m thinking specifically of notebooks and scrapbooks. Some are blank books in which I track the books I’d like to read, and some are diaries or scrapbooks that I’ve collected from various relatives through the years and that are of interesting only to my family, but that I’d like to catalog for that reason. I believe even private books are visible to others. Would this be a concern?

Thanks for creating such a welcoming site!

1) Then the two works get combined.

2) Not a problem.

3) Everyone sees them (depending on how many other tags the work has). Not a problem, but see fields for "From where" and "Other call number".

4) Private books can end up being private even to you. That is a very buggy feature. But scrapbooks, games, diaries and such are fine. Even things like dresses and perfumes have been entered here, and we just try to ignore them.

1. Doing this is a good thing
2. Doing this is a good thing
3. Doing this is neutral (could be mildly annoying to others if you tagged something extremely wrong but it still won't be a problem)
4. Doing this is neutral

I’m still trying to figure stuff out, but I guess as long as I’m not hindering anyone else, I’ll try not to worry too much. :)

Thanks so much for the fast replies!