Reply to post #546 (show post):
I'd really be tearfully joyous over an export function. I'm totally 100% in agreement.

I have no way of knowing, but from what I observed when BL was having stability issues a few months ago, I suspect the site is actually running off 2 separate databases (if not 3): one strictly for book data and one for user posts data (the third possibly being a comment database). I'm pretty confident about the first two as one of the other big selling points of BL is that your posts can't be deleted by anyone but you, even accidentally. In order to say that though, they have to keep it separated from the book data, because that can be deleted. All of this to say I think this is why they don't offer an export function - there's no easy coherent way to export data from both databases that would be meaningful to the user.

I AM just guessing though, strictly from observation and my own experience. I could be totally and utterly wrong. Ymmv.

Reply to post #547 (show post):
Even if book data and post data live in two separate databases, the information can be tied together. If it couldn’t, we wouldn’t see review posts listed on the book pages.

There are several ways to tie data from separate databases together. Companies that use multiple software applications for different business processes have to do this all the time, even between different types of databases (Oracle and DB2, for example). The important part is that both databases contain fields that can be used to tie the data together. In this hypothetical scenario, it would likely be the id_book field.

I don't doubt it can be done, I know it can and is done. But cost and manpower are, I'm sure, over riding and prohibitive factors. Especially for a newish site with no income beyond ad revenue.

Reply to post #549 (show post):
Just ad revenue? If they no longer get affiliate fees from purchasing via the Amazon links on book pages, I'll take them out of rotation (and let another site get the fee, I tend not to buy from Amazon anyway).

As to not exporting because data stored in two databases, well, I'd settle for getting two export files. If six databases, six export files ... some protection against losing my efforts if anything ever went wrong.

I've had sites shut down that right before closing offered an export for shelves, for reviews, and for comments/statuses all in separate files. That worked. I've had websites and blog sites close that exported my template in one file and the posts as unformatted text in another file. Sites that broke by month or by year into several files.

I'm just still surprised why there is no way to export data on a site that has a way to import standard data. I know they've said not possible more than once and they know their sure and backend better than I do. But it's really weird and inexplicable to me. And means I continually echo booklikes shelvings and reviews to other sites that have exports -- none of which I like or trust (nor do I enjoy all the extra work).

I don't know Debbie - I imagine the bulk of their revenue comes from Ads, but I'm sure they still get affiliate fees too. Please remember I do NOT speak on behalf of BL and with no authority. I only pass on what I pick up by using the system myself and as I try to make clear in my posts it's ALL guesswork.

Reply to post #551 (show post):
I'm not sure either -- but, it looks to me like the Amazon and book depository links on book page are the usual purchase/affiliate links that kick something back to booklikes.

I do click some ads of interest to try and help booklikes when I'm sure of the underlying link/redirect.

I don’t think it’s a matter of them not being able to do it. Every time BL has directly responded to somebody on the subject, their language has implied that is something they are unwilling to do. There’s an example of their usual response on post #514 of this thread: “it is not under our policies”. I don’t know if they have any programmer resources right now, but this would have been an easy task back when they did have them and were making weekly site improvements.

I don’t see the logic in the policy, myself. Providing an Export function gives people more confidence in the site. As the mass exodus late last year showed, preventing people from exporting their data won't stop them from leaving if they want to. I think it actually increases the likelihood that they won't stay because they're more likely to keep maintaining data on other sites where they can export. As long as they're maintaining those other ties, there’s a chance they might be drawn away from BL and start spending more time on the other site. Additionally, people who don’t have data backed up elsewhere will still get their data from BL even if the only way they know how to do it is to tediously copy and paste it. Some people did that last year.

::shrug:: there's no benefit to them to deny users the ability to export; they certainly aren't doing it under some misguided idea that it's going to trap users here and keep them from leaving. That logic fails when you consider how many tools they provide and how much they market towards telling people they can link their outside blogs to their BL blogs (not to mention sync functions with various other sites). And, as you say, there's always copy/paste for those who aren't comfortable with more sophisticated measures (such as Bookaneer outlined in one of her posts).

Since there's no benefit to refusing an export function, there must be a hindrance to providing one. Cost? Manpower? Time? Technical constraints? Who knows, except BookLikes, and they're not sharing it with us. I'd certainly love to have it though.

Reply to post #553 (show post):
I agree, YouKneeK - Even with my limited experience, it shouldn't take much to combine the data from two, three, or more databases to structure an export feature. After all, that's essentially what they're doing when they link our blogs to our reviews to our bookshelves. The data is all there; they just don't have a feature to give users access to it in a downloadable format.

Reply to post #554 (show post):
I think you put it more diplomatically than I, MbD. I wrote in my previous post that I didn't think it was beneficial to BL to essentially hold their members' data hostage, then I deleted the comment before posting.

But that's really what it amounts to in terms of the book database, doesn't it?

Reply to post #556 (show post):
For myself, one reason I tried booklikes was fear over what goodreads censorship was doing to my data (and I had export files there just didn't want the headache if trying to figure out when and what goodreads vandalized in my shelves to figure out which export was the good one). I have every confidence that booklikes won't be doing that at least (I now ditch immediately sites that do).

Nevermind any issues with or being seduced by any book sites, how many members has booklikes gotten ibecause their sites shutdown (Visusl Bookshelf, Shelfari, Leafmarks, BookRabbit ...)? We've learned however much we love a site, we need export/backup/archive capabilities.

How many members has booklikes outright lost or seen go less active over fear of booklikes shutting down when they were so inactive and unresponsive last year?

I love it here, mostly because many of my friends came here so it's an active social and reading scene for me. I also love the dashboard and how we do posts. I have always had faith that the book database will be continually improved as the community works on it. -- yet, while not outright deleting my account, I took a multi-month break waiting to see if was shutting down or not. Part of that decision was lack of export feature (why keep adding data I'd just lose during shutdown or contribute to book data ...).

Hey you all, thank you for your comments and your insights. At the moment no big changes to the site are planned, however some minor updates and changes are possible. The idea of the ISBN numbers in the change edition window has been added to our agenda. As soon as we get new info, we'll let you know.

Thank you for your contribution and staying active both as readers-bloggers and site users. We always highlighted that our community is our best asset and that did not change. Thank you.

On the Reading list edit page...is there any way we could get a save button at the bottom of the list and not just at the top? I cannot count the number of times I've nearly deleted a list by mistake.

Reply to post #559 (show post):
Oooh yes, seconded. That almost happened to me, too ... with an almost 100 books-long list that is the backup reading list for a series of group reads!

Having just a "delete" and not also a "save" button at the bottom of the list really invites that sort of mistake.

I'll third that request! I too have almost deleted a couple of lists. Once they get past a certain length, all you see is that button on the bottom of the list and it's just too easy to click it without thinking. :P A Save button would be perfect!