Looking back on the turbulent weeks that followed after Goodreads' announcement that it would officially become Censorreads / Gramazon (take your pick) and delete everything and everyone who doesn't comply with their new, deliberately vague ToS, I wonder where I stand? Where do we, the refugees, stand?

What am I supposed to be doing here?

Why am I still there, supporting something disgusting?

Goodreads' staff approach to their users' questions, concerns, protests and outrage is still as baffling to me today as it was weeks ago. Their fuck you mentality towards the members that made their user content based website big... The fact that they still haven't and never will officially inform all of their members about their new ToS. Despite the ungoing protests and the vague announcement in the Goodreads Feedback Group maybe reaching 1% the site's users, leaving millions in the dark. Readers who have probably no idea that Goodreads is no longer independent, that reviews and ratings for books are no longer to be trusted. That criticism, anything that is bad for sales, will be nipped in the bud. That hysterical and overly sensitive authors can now successfully flag honest opinions.That our reviews, shelves and updates can and will be deleted left and right (and yes, even the ones that promote Booklikes or reviews for books about censorship that protest censorship are now given the axe).

Many high profile reviewers have already left the website or have stopped posting there altogether. I expect the top lists to turn into a place where oblivious teens with "5 DELICIOUSLY DANGEROUSLY DARK STARS" and GIF laden reviews can now easily find each other.

Goodreads and Amazon have destroyed something amazing.

And thinking about it makes me furious all over again. And yet, although it has become a different, quieter, scarier place, I'm still there... Angry, sad, but I'm there. I'm sad to say that I came to the conclusion that -- so far -- Booklikes doesn't do it for me either. I already have a Tumblr and don't really see the point of posting my reviews on a website with such limited options? It just doesn't seem very "book friendly" and social to me. I'm hardly able to find back the reviews of my friends if I don't accidentally come across them on my feed. Booklikes has potential, but is a bit of a helpless baby for now.

So I guess I'm still only using Booklikes as a safe haven and as a place to post sexy vids and silly vids. The vid above obviously falls in the second category AND COULDN'T HAVE LESS TO DO WITH THIS POST. WHATEVER. PSHT. :p

Sigh. I'm still waiting on Betterreads.

Make that Bestreads.

PS sorry for the gloomy post. I blame Orwellian websites and the dreary autumn weather. I'm probably rambling into the Booklikes void anyway.