Goodreads placing sponsored ads within Recent Updates feed

faithbw · 04-21-2015, 03:10 PM

I just went to Goodreads and as I was going through the Recent Updates feed, I noticed that an update for a "Sponsored Book" was right in the middle of the update. It looked like an update until I looked more closely at it. It surprised me for sure.

treadlightly · 04-21-2015, 03:39 PM

Yuck. I really like Goodreads, but that is intrusive.

faithbw · 04-21-2015, 03:42 PM

I came across this on GR's website:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show...ook-placements

Terisa de morgan · 04-21-2015, 03:54 PM

You've been lucky (not): you're in the test group.

faithbw · 04-21-2015, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

You've been lucky (not): you're in the test group.

I know.

I wonder how I was chosen. I was probably chosen randomly.

danskmacabre · 04-23-2015, 08:22 PM

I'm glad I deleted my GR account ages ago when Amazon bought them.
I'm surprised this sort of thing hasn't happened earlier.

HomeInMyShoes · 04-24-2015, 12:15 PM

It'll happen. Nothing is free. They've had sponsored book ads on the side forever. Not sure why they think putting them in the feed is better. I can see that making some people give up on the service.

DiapDealer · 04-24-2015, 12:33 PM

All "real" posts in my timeline start with the name of the friend it came from. Makes the promotional stuff pretty easy to ignore IMO. *shrug*

jgaiser · 04-24-2015, 02:06 PM

Yeah.. I'm a "shrug" too. For me, Goodreads is a "free" tool to help me keep a record of the books I've read and my subjective ratings. Don't use it for much else.

kacir · 04-24-2015, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithbw

I just went to Goodreads and as I was going through the Recent Updates feed, I noticed that an update for a "Sponsored Book" was right in the middle of the update. It looked like an update until I looked more closely at it. It surprised me for sure.

The solution is very simple.
Just rate the book and give it one star.
If enough of us do that they will very quickly drop the practice.

EDIT: I just logged into my GoodReads acount and rated a sponsored book one star, with an explanation that it was rammed down my throat.
I encourage you to do the same.

Tarana · 04-24-2015, 09:42 PM

Quote:

I just logged into my GoodReads acount and rated a sponsored book one star, with an explanation that it was rammed down my throat.
I encourage you to do the same.

Why beat up the author? Goodreads is a commercial site. You've known that for awhile now. If you don't like it, just leave. They are entitled to make money by ad placement. I mean really? How tough is it to just scroll by it?

faithbw · 04-24-2015, 09:47 PM

I went to my feed today and there were no sponsored posts. I left feedback telling GR that I wasn't interested in any of the books in those posts (I genuinely wasn't). I don't mind advertising but I don't like any ads that are mixed in with real post or results and made to look as close to real posts as possible. I want to clearly know I'm seeing an ad. Putting ads in the feed and making them look like updates blurs the line too much for me.

shalym · 04-25-2015, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

Why beat up the author? Goodreads is a commercial site. You've known that for awhile now. If you don't like it, just leave. They are entitled to make money by ad placement. I mean really? How tough is it to just scroll by it?

NO. If an author chooses to try to make money with *intrusive* advertising, they deserve to be "beat up". If enough authors realize that this is a BAD THING, then the advertising in the feed will go away.

Shari

DiapDealer · 04-25-2015, 08:24 AM

Advertising in feeds is not going to go away regardless of what you do. It's going to happen at Goodreads eventually. The "testing" is to determine how much, not if. I suggest either getting used to the idea or closing your acount there.

shalym · 04-25-2015, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Advertising in feeds is not going to go away regardless of what you do. It's going to happen at Goodreads eventually. The "testing" is to determine how much, not if. I suggest either getting used to the idea or closing your acount there.

I use the Goodreads recommendations a lot--I look at the ads on the sidebar, and have purchased books because of them. Putting ads directly into the feed is wrong, however, and the only way to make it stop is to make the authors not want to place ads there.

Shari

04-21-2015, 03:10 PM	#1
faithbw Guru Posts: 618 Karma: 1526148 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: A place where the sun always shines Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Mini 2	Goodreads placing sponsored ads within Recent Updates feed I just went to Goodreads and as I was going through the Recent Updates feed, I noticed that an update for a "Sponsored Book" was right in the middle of the update. It looked like an update until I looked more closely at it. It surprised me for sure. Attached Thumbnails

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
How do I get my Goodreads reading challenge to display the little Goodreads logo?	readerlover	Feedback	2	08-02-2014 02:19 PM
Goodreads reading progress updates on PW1?	AllenH	Amazon Kindle	11	03-11-2014 04:04 PM
Recent updates: "Growler" Message	hollowayhouse	Conversion	4	01-10-2012 09:07 AM
Sell SOLD!!! Brand new sealed Amazon Kindle 3G with sponsored ads $119 Shipped	NzoMatrix	Flea Market	2	08-15-2011 07:24 PM
RSS Feed Updates	Alexander Turcic	Announcements	0	06-11-2004 04:11 PM

04-21-2015, 03:39 PM	#2
treadlightly Wizard Posts: 1,370 Karma: 6957792 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Ottawa, ON Device: Kobo H2O	Yuck. I really like Goodreads, but that is intrusive.

04-21-2015, 03:42 PM	#3
faithbw Guru Posts: 618 Karma: 1526148 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: A place where the sun always shines Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Mini 2	I came across this on GR's website: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show...ook-placements

04-21-2015, 03:54 PM	#4
Terisa de morgan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,309 Karma: 12116851 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2	You've been lucky (not): you're in the test group.

04-23-2015, 08:22 PM	#6
danskmacabre Guru Posts: 733 Karma: 3593438 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Glo. Galaxy Tab S 8.4	I'm glad I deleted my GR account ages ago when Amazon bought them. I'm surprised this sort of thing hasn't happened earlier.

04-24-2015, 12:15 PM	#7
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	It'll happen. Nothing is free. They've had sponsored book ads on the side forever. Not sure why they think putting them in the feed is better. I can see that making some people give up on the service.

04-24-2015, 12:33 PM	#8
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,694 Karma: 196159104 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	All "real" posts in my timeline start with the name of the friend it came from. Makes the promotional stuff pretty easy to ignore IMO. shrug

04-24-2015, 02:06 PM	#9
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	Yeah.. I'm a "shrug" too. For me, Goodreads is a "free" tool to help me keep a record of the books I've read and my subjective ratings. Don't use it for much else.

04-24-2015, 09:47 PM	#12
faithbw Guru Posts: 618 Karma: 1526148 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: A place where the sun always shines Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Mini 2	I went to my feed today and there were no sponsored posts. I left feedback telling GR that I wasn't interested in any of the books in those posts (I genuinely wasn't). I don't mind advertising but I don't like any ads that are mixed in with real post or results and made to look as close to real posts as possible. I want to clearly know I'm seeing an ad. Putting ads in the feed and making them look like updates blurs the line too much for me.

04-25-2015, 08:24 AM	#14
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,694 Karma: 196159104 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Advertising in feeds is not going to go away regardless of what you do. It's going to happen at Goodreads eventually. The "testing" is to determine how much, not if. I suggest either getting used to the idea or closing your acount there.

Advert

Advert