More Than Just a Platform

We've entered into a strange new territory in the land of bibliophiles, and that's the territory that's become known as the digital age.
There's those that love it, and those that hate it, and those that are in between. But no matter a person's feelings about this fast approaching shift into the digital age of reading, it's coming regardless.

In Lisa Nakamura's work “Words with Friends': Socially Networked Reading on Goodreads," she talks about the fact that while the devices we use to read aren't nearly as important to what we're reading. For the same reason you aren't going to go to someone else's house to look at the bookshelf and ask what their books are sitting on, you're going to look at the books for the sake of figuring out who this person is and what it is they're reading or have read.

Books have always been a topic of socializing, they're one of those situations where you imagine little old ladies in rockers having a book club, or even judging your closest friends when you see a risque book on their shelf. This social aspect of reading has sort of died though as reading has become more digital for more people, but with rising platforms such as the ever growing Goodreads there's become a whole new level of book socialization.

Nakamura brings to light the way that Goodreads mimics a person's actual bookshelf. Providing a place for people to document what they've read, or hope to read, in both the real and virtual world. And while it brings this place of reading sanctuary so that people can remember these books, it also invites friends that you already know, or people with similar interests, into your virtual bookshelf to interact with what you already know and recommend books that would go along with that.

This has become the beginning of a new age where you can socialize and meet people based on favorite books and interests that you otherwise wouldn't have. You can even have book club meetings on there, or being a discussion on a topic you want feedback on. You can even roleplay with other people in your book "fandom." In my own exploration I actually found a Harry Potter roleplay group
where you could earn your house points and everything! When I was a kid, I just picked up a stick as a wand and chased others around shouting spells. But I guess this works too!

Goodreads has created a huge place for readers of all types and all levels to come together and state their opinions and make new friends. I've found that even people that don't agree with my views doesn't mean I don't find their views fascinating. For a site that I thought I would never seriously use, I've found I'm using it more than most all others. In fact I discovered today that when I start typing in for Google, my browser has started going straight to Goodreads first because it's becoming such a huge part of my life!

While this has obviously brought new cards to the table where you virtually never even have to socialize in real life (an introverts dream), there is the problem about how much is too much. The digital reading age is an intimidating thing, and if done correctly it can help create a new world between authors and readers that has yet to be explored. Our job as "Webbies" is to explore this world, and help it continue progressing in a healthy way. We need to explore what we're being offered and help the progression into this new era progress smoothly and safely.

There's a whole new world to be explored, and we don't even have to leave the planet to get there.

Oh if Neil Armstrong could see us now.