Goodreads followed the typical trajectory of popular sites. Once upon a time, a quirky, occasionally most useful book-chat club that was fun to be a part of, was. Today, Goodreads is simply another bland shotgun service promotional cog of a multinational conglomerate supported through the efforts of heavily regulated unpaid contractors.
Do I still use Goodreads? Most recently I was looking up reviews of an anecdotal biographical background work on Gore Vidal. The most useful reviews clearly stated if you are well familiar with Vidal's works, and have already read a proper biography or two, there is nothing more to be learned from this volume. How was this helpful? The commentary meshed closely with commentary from other people offsite. So be it. I'm interested enough to apply for an inter-library loan to peruse a copy, but I won't lay down any money in advance.
Goodreads is a first stop for a quick check up at the start. Mostly, the site demonstrates why it is so important to seek out better sources of commentary and information for comparison. Make no mistake, it's a one way street. All the value gained is from what you take from the site, not what you put in. While I still write revues and critiques, occasionally for free, you will never see me contribute to Goodreads.
