Goodreads announces it will no longer allow Direct Messaging, Links, or Images.

FYI.

A possible new group of GR refugees is coming. They are sad and mad at this extremely unpopular removal of fundamental functionality. We've (I'm still a GRer too) committed no crime and do not deserve this Bezos draconian treatment.

When I get a moment I plan to set up a Refugee Camp Group for them, hoping to help them acclimate quickly, understand the rules here, and get back to their happy-place of reading and communicating with friends and fellow readers.

I am heartily encouraging them to come here to Welcome to LibraryThing! and to avail themselves of this group's stellar, kind, and helpful helpers.

Hmmmm. I thought there was a group for the last wave of refugees. Can’t find it.

>2 2wonderY: It was a victim of the purge (but also was not particularly popular. A lot of people joined it but almost no one posted)

I remember setting up informational tables in the main entry corridor and even had snacks and dollies to help with the move-in.

I just scrolled through a thread on GR complaining about this and one person (Donna something) has completely erroneous info about LT - lack of polls, PMs, and no "folders" which I assume is something like shelves? Not sure, but the poll and PM things are no longer an issue unless GR does something snazzy there that LT doesn't. Sad since I think a lot of folks would be comfortable here if they could get past a few things like no comments on reviews.

I did search but couldn't find any group GR related. Good to know that I didn't just miss it.

If there are no objections or suggested options, I'll be setting up a "Welcome Goodreaders to LibraryThing!" group later today. I don't really have the time right now (this is such a busy time of year), but my heart hurts with them so I want to at least get a Welcome banner put up. It is a miserable prospect to have all the windows to the bright sunshine removed from one's cozy online reading home.

Out of curiousity I looked up the actual text of the notice:

Hello Goodreads Member,

In the coming weeks, we will be making some updates to how messaging works on Goodreads.

What's Changing?
• Direct messages between individual members will no longer be available
• Images and external links will no longer be supported in messages

While direct messages between individual members are no longer available, you can still access your past messages from your inbox, Group moderators can still send broadcast messages to their group members, and you can still send group invitations to your Goodreads friends. All other public interactions, such as writing and responding to book reviews, remains unchanged.

-The Goodreads Team

Based on the comments on Reddit I assume it's because there were huge amounts of sexual harassment via direct message and Amazon didn't want to spend the resources to moderate.

Did GR say why this change? The restriction on DMs sounds like it could be a response to the increase in social media restriction laws, and I imagine prohibiting images would be helpful for T&S staff. (likewise links)

It sure is a shame, though, GR reviewers have always loved their gifs. 🥲

edit: simulpost!

>7 norabelle414: thanks for finding the notice! so it sounds like review gifs aren't changing, since those aren't messages?

>5 Bookmarque: Yes, there are misconceptions. The only significant difference I've found after almost 6 months here, deliberately learning, is no comments on reviews. That is also a mindset adjustment.

The functional differences are mostly a matter of nuance. Otherwise the difference is LT is robust, feature-rich, transparent, helpful, bug-fixing, egalitarian, and more complex (sometimes confusing). GR is...well...not and getting even more "not" with this latest move.

What I don't understand is if they are doing away with PMs, why specify that images and external links can't be included? Makes no sense.

>10 Bookmarque: The new restriction is for general, public messages. (Like here on Talk, vs private messages.)

Are some of these remarks swipes at GR users? I hope not.

There is only speculation as to the reason for the change. Nothing has been officially stated.

Lots of us have never received sexual or vile messages. But I've heard of them mostly by those that are on LT after bad experiences on GR. I don't doubt them for a second. I'm just saying it can't be completely rampant if after being very active on GR for more than 12 years many us have not experienced it.

And removing functionality THE answer to the problem, per the world's biggest tech company? No other options? Really?

I speculate it is in service to another motive, probably monetary.

>11 keristars: The restriction is no DMing. And no links or images anywhere. That has been clarified in help tickets.

>12 DebiCates: No swipes at GR people from me. Funny, I thought about setting up an account there just to correct erroneous LT info, but I never did. Here's the thread I skimmed -

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/23290597-message-from-gr-let-s-discuss-this...

The bad info shows up on the first page, but there could be others that need correcting or at least clarification of what the person feels is missing from LT. I'd be happy to help with a group if you like. You've already done a lot to help orient people, so the heavy lifting is done.

Getting to the end of the thread there and the LT hate showed up. Can't understand why, but if one person just says LT is "ew" then I guess we don't need that shining, literary light. Jeez. Yeah it's snobby, but jeez.

>13 DebiCates: Yeah, I guess i was unclear. I meant the use of images/links is a new restriction for public posts. I suppose technically it's for DMs, too, except DMs are gone now.

I wonder if images in reviews will be prohibited soon, too, since they can equally be a place for harassment (theoretically! i don't know of any examples).

But also, a bunch of the social media laws prohibit DMs for anyone who hasn't age-verified (the UK one definitely requires that) - a blanket removal would be a lot easier than trying to comply with the verification.

>14 Bookmarque: I confess I am feeling sensitive and super empathetic for the thoughtful, smart people on GR.

I won't attempt to correct misinformation in that group you linked. Not enough time. Too many groups I am participating in are trying to figure out the actual facts, ramifications, and then workarounds. Me, I'm realizing my time is better spent helping those that have shown interest in the LT platform now, set to an upbeat attitude.

I will take you up on your offer of help! So kind of you! I have done some work, here and on GR, but trailed off with it when others didn't give it a try. I had so many things I wanted to delve into and share. I just wish this didn't come at a time when I'm so busy at work. (End of Year stuff always in December.)

I'll be back in 8 hours and will post that new group link here. Please feel free to add any pertinent topic you (and others) feel would best help nice people done dirty due to just loving to read and share.

>16 keristars: You hit the nail on the sad head. Blanket removal is easier. Not smarter, not more innovative, not more committed, but easier.

>15 Bookmarque: I apologize to LT on their behalf. How is that different from those that have an opinion about a book they haven't read? It's not. It's dumb. It's dangerous. It's exhausting. It's also unhelpful.

Sigh.

>18 DebiCates: The frustrating part is that each law has its own requirements! So they'd have to set up different verification methods and prohibit certain things for each jurisdiction, and it's already impossible to know for sure where someone is visiting from.

One of my buddies, who is an expert on these laws (and has participated in lawsuits to overturn them in the US), says her "location" almost always puts her in the White House Rose Garden, despite her living in and logging in from Baltimore. There were problems with people in Georgia getting identified as being in Mississippi, because of how the internet traffic is handled...

There's one law right now that requires a *curfew* for young people on social media, and if there's one truism about time when it comes to coding, it's that time-based things are nearly impossible to code, especially on the internet. (time zones, daylight saving time, but also "can't connect after midnight" means "can't connect at 10am", too, because computer code is literal)

It's a huge mess, lots of contradictions, but if there's a common element that helps simplify matters, I can't blame companies for choosing to use that element for how they attempt to comply with the laws.

(i do blame the laws for being self-contradictory and NOT doing the thing they claim they're meant to do, because generally every single place that has implemented or tried to implement them ignored the experts. it's why every single challenge to the US state laws has succeeded! you can look up NetChoice to see them all. ps: KOSA sucks and won't protect the children)

I got the new group set up... https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24977/Welcome-Goodreaders-to-LibraryThing

Lunchtime over.

I'll be back after work.

I joined and will gladly answer questions for the newbies.

>22 Bookmarque: Same.

>20 keristars: Thanks for the deeper dive. I have been a career programmer since 1984 and I know the difficulties of time (including calendar time). But it's certainly not impossible unless the conditions given are vague, like in your example.

Trying to legislate and protect online children is a moving target. And not only that, the ones doing the legislation are incredibly far behind kids and what they know and can do. They outwit restrictions before you can say "where's my reading glasses?"

Big thanks @Bookmarque and @amanda4242!

>25 DebiCates: No problem! If you want to shoot me a link to your group on GR, I can answer questions there too.

>26 amanda4242: Holy smokes, that would be awesome! The group to which I belong that could benefit having someone to answer questions is a group you will have to ask to join. I'm a moderator (secondary) so I will be sure to do that if I recognize you.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1254079-what-next-now-notifications-are-red...

Right now most of the chat is shock and GR lamentations, and then trying to get clarification from GR (which usually is bad news). But once you join, I could set up an LT Q&A topic and then I would link it in the various active topics for those with LT questions. How does that sound to you?

>27 DebiCates: Sounds good to me! I've just sent a request to join the group.

I hopped right on that. Very excited. I have approved your join, have set up a topic for Q&A, and also cross posted the link in a few places so everyone who is interested can find it.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/23292948-librarything-q-a-from-a-long-time-...

Would you take a moment to introduce yourself there?

Hm, I see an issue with some instructions I gave on the Welcome Goodreaders group.

"After you've added your GR and LT name here, then click on the group's name linked above, i.e. Welcome Goodreaders to LibraryThing. That will take you to the group's main page (part of the site's "Talk"). There you can search a friend's GR name in the Search Topics search box."

Unlike here, there is no Search Topics search box on that group. Wonder why not?

>30 DebiCates: Unlike here, there is no Search Topics search box on that group. Wonder why not?

Maybe because it's a brand new group?

>31 amanda4242: Very possibly. I'll keep an eye on it. I know sometimes these things take a little bit to "migrate."

>32 DebiCates: It's there now!

>33 amanda4242: Sweeeeeet!

Thanks for letting me know. How in the world you keep up with so much I'll never know. But I'm so happy you are and being so helpful on GR too.

@Amanda, I hope you don't mind my adding to your comments and asking questions myself. I'm trying to generate some numbers for that topic, that will get more eyeballs on it.

>35 DebiCates: I don't mind at all! Add and ask away! I do a lot of stuff here on autopilot because I've been doing it so long, so I'm likely to forget something while I'm trying to think of all the steps I go through and explain them so they make sense to people totally unfamiliar with the system. Having someone else chime in is a bonus in my book.

>36 amanda4242: I'm heading off to bed now, but I just want to say thank you again tonight Amanda. It's a big deal what you volunteered to do.

>6 DebiCates: Years ago, I set up a "Shelfarians" group for when Shelfari was shut down. That was almost 10 years ago now, so not sure if you were thinking of that one or not. I set it up so people could find each other and also ask questions and/or for help using LT.

>37 DebiCates: Glad to help. I'm always happy to talk up my favorite website.

FYI for those interested.

A GR "Librarian Program Manager," Jaclyn, made a post in one of the WTH is up with GR groups I'm following, writing

Hi all. Sorry for any confusion caused here - we will not be removing the ability to post external links in group comments.

Please let me know if any of the bugs in this thread are still being experienced.

Allowing groups links mitigates a part of the hard slam of the original announcement.

DMs are still going away. And looks like it means links won't be allowed elsewhere (reviews? review comments?) and the same with images I would assume.