Ottowa Citizen does the LibraryThing
UPDATE: This isn't new. Somehow when I did an edit I hit "save as draft" not "publish," so this went into hiding for a few days. Apologies to RSS people, whom I think will see it pop up again.
This one, from today's Ottowa Citizen, had me scared!
That's okay, the Book Standard decided LibraryThing is all about who has the largest library, apparently because the reporter interviewed my brother, which is like interviewing Casanova about love.
One aside: The reporter, Kate Heartfield, complained that only two people had The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs. In fact, 82 people have it. The reporter's edition, however, had a slightly different title, and hadn't yet been combined into the larger "work." I rectified this, using LibraryThing's "everyone is a librarian" work-combination feature.
This one, from today's Ottowa Citizen, had me scared!
"I had planned to write a column making fun of LibraryThing. It seemed like a snooty version of those sites that help strangers share photos of their pets. It seemed to degrade books, by allowing web surfers to use them as accessories. Besides, I couldn’t come up with a good reason for the site to exist.The article (here, with registration, or picked up here, one hopes legally) goes on to be quite positive, although the privacy-exhibitionism dynamic is dominant.
With due diligence and an open mind, I gave it a whirl. And wouldn’t you know, I was converted. LibraryThing is one of those tools you never know you need until you use it. Knowing which book is where is useful enough to justify it, but there are subtler joys too..."
That's okay, the Book Standard decided LibraryThing is all about who has the largest library, apparently because the reporter interviewed my brother, which is like interviewing Casanova about love.
One aside: The reporter, Kate Heartfield, complained that only two people had The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs. In fact, 82 people have it. The reporter's edition, however, had a slightly different title, and hadn't yet been combined into the larger "work." I rectified this, using LibraryThing's "everyone is a librarian" work-combination feature.
posted by Tim at 1:06 PM
16 Comments:
Anyone talking about 'degrading' books has a few snooty issues of their own, I think.
:)
Well, I guess I see the potential point. Books have often been used as "accessories." (Am I the only person who feels positive grief when I spot a decent book "doing time" at a furniture store? This is surely one of the worst fates a book can endure.) But the impulse to "show off" your books has always been part of owning them, nor is it entirely despicable. As for the dig against--one presumes--Flickr, I think a healthy dose of de gustibus would be appropriate.
Whackiest use for one I have seen is back in the no Sunday trading days, when Penhallaurack, to get around, it, would sell a large coffee table book for like $1500 and give you a pool table as a free gift to go with it.
As you were allowed to sell books on Sunday, but not pool tables.
In general, though, I suppose, people that have lots of books these days, or read lots, are almost freaks. ;-)
Showing off is what some people like, a lot of collector types probably want the mundanes nowhere near their books, visually or physically.
Flickr and all that other stuff is likely to be far more prevalent in the US media/papers etc. I suppose, compared to elsewhere.
Actually, I prefer furniture stores to display readable books. I have to get around the fact that the people selecting decent furniture have such a bad taste in books.
At least, most use second hand hardcover books (Ikea even Swedish ones) and not those fake cardboard displays.
Secondly, I prefer people showing off books and not CD/DVDs at home. Troubling as it is, pride of place in the living room is surrendered to DVD/CD collections and books languish in the back rooms.
They should try that in Massachusetts with liquor. You can't sell it on Sundays--one of MA's hoary "blue laws." But surely you can sell Bibles (and here, have this refreshing liquid to wash it down with).
Tim -
If you're a Sunday drinker, things aren't quite so bad as you fear down Massachusetts way. For about 2 years now, liquor stores are open 12-6 on Sundays. And you can always go to the few grocery stores with liquor licenses (Trader Joe's, some Shaws).
LT = elvendido
Clearly, Tim has been in Maine for too long.
-Abby (a Boston-dwelling Sunday-drinker)
Tonight LT was also revealed to me and already my life has changed. I 'm resolutely not an internet person in fact I've never done this before. What in God's name is blogger. I'm not sure about choosing an 'identity' but here goes...
I'm in agreement with Blue Tyson.
You spelled Ottawa wrong in the byline....(Ottowa)...but I forgive you. I LOVE BOOKS!!
I am an unlettered boob. Apologies and fixed.
Deleted a post mentioning a dating website. The poster's profile was empty. I may be wrong, but it looked like a commercial plant.
That site, meanwhile, appears to have once been a medium-big site, but slipped precipitously. (http://www.alexaholic.com/librarything.com+webdate.com)
Um, Tim... Now 'Ottawa' is not only misspelled in the byline, but in the headline too!
I know, I know. Fussy, aren't we?
Rats! I was hoping that "Ottowa" was an obscure village in Maine or Connecticut and not the mis-spelling of the capital city of the country next door.
Err, as a few others have mentioned, it's Ottawa, not Ottowa.
"Secondly, I prefer people showing off books and not CD/DVDs at home. Troubling as it is, pride of place in the living room is surrendered to DVD/CD collections and books languish in the back rooms."
Not in our house - books proudly on display, CDs and DVDs behind the doors on shelves (and not for any of 'those' reasons, you smutty people:) )
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