Readers embracing bookmarks

[RejectReality]

I expected it to take a while for readers to make the switch from using favorites as bookmarks to utilizing the actual bookmark ( reading list ) feature, but that doesn't seem to be true. My feed is mostly filled with bookmarks, sprinkled with favorites.

( While the text is the same, actual favorites will display a heart icon, while bookmarks display a bookmark icon in your feed, in case you haven't noticed. )

How is everyone else's feed shaking out, as far as the ratio goes?

 

[NotWise]

I expected it to take a while for readers to make the switch from using favorites as bookmarks to utilizing the actual bookmark ( reading list ) feature, but that doesn't seem to be true. My feed is mostly filled with bookmarks, sprinkled with favorites.

( While the text is the same, actual favorites will display a heart icon, while bookmarks display a bookmark icon in your feed, in case you haven't noticed. )

How is everyone else's feed shaking out, as far as the ratio goes?

I'm getting more bookmarks than favorites. While readers are using both, I'm not sure the readers are using them differently. I've seen rather few bookmarks removed, so I think they may just be using bookmarks like favorites.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't really look

But my thought is for the stat mongers, this is another thing that will go down, along with votes, views and comments.

The only 'payment' here is those numbers, and lit has made a mess of them if not outright limiting them.

Its a great way to support the people who made you and continue to make you.

Like I mentioned on another thread I'm glad my heyday here was long before the 'upgrades' the censoring of comments and all the stat glitches and issues.

If my goal was only to post free stories, I'd find another place at this point, and I wonder if some eventually will do that.

 

[HeyAll]

Not a big fan because it'll mean less favorites.

But I think there should be a bookmark feature on the exact paragraph you left off (similar to kindle or audible).

 

[RejectReality]

I don't think it's been long enough yet to see a reliable trend, but my bookmarks seem more volatile, and my favorites more stable.

I haven't tried to play around with it yet, but the ability to create custom lists could very well cause some people to utilize reading lists over favorites. You could categorize your favorites list that way.

 

[soulhouse]

You could categorize your favorites list that way.

I'm already doing that. I have a "To read" list, for instance, and one for a category I want to research.

As a writer, I quite like that bookmarks are private too, because it allows me to keep my favourites as a curated list that doesn't give readers an inaccurate impression of what I like.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've never seen a bookmark at all.

 

[RejectReality]

I've never seen a bookmark at all.

That seems really weird. Remember, it doesn't say anything about bookmark/reading list in your feed. It says "favorited" but the icon is a bookmark instead of a heart.

If you download your stats, there are columns for "In Reading Lists" which is favorites, and a second that just says "Reading Lists". The difference between the two should be how many people have used the new feature.

 

[BarracudaSwordfish]

If you download your stats, there are columns for "In Reading Lists" which is favorites, and a second that just says "Reading Lists". The difference between the two should be how many people have used the new feature.

I have seen bookmarks on my stories when they are in the 'new' listing, and on the downloaded stats but that's about it.

I never even twigged that the icons were different on the activity page until you mentioned it. Is there any easier way of seeing them? Having now checked, the bookmarks massively outweighs the favourites recently.

Be nice to see them on our published stories page. (And not to have to hover over the total views to see the real number!)

 

[SimonDoom]

When I download the daily data I can see that I am getting bookmarks in addition to favorites, but I almost never get bookmark updates in my feed. Where does one go to see these?

 

[BarracudaSwordfish]

When I download the daily data I can see that I am getting bookmarks in addition to favorites, but I almost never get bookmark updates in my feed. Where does one go to see these?

As RejectReality said, go into your Activity stream and they show up as favourites but with a bookmark icon instead of a heart icon.

 

[ElectricBlue]

That seems really weird. Remember, it doesn't say anything about bookmark/reading list in your feed. It says "favorited" but the icon is a bookmark instead of a heart.

If you download your stats, there are columns for "In Reading Lists" which is favorites, and a second that just says "Reading Lists". The difference between the two should be how many people have used the new feature.

Ah, that explains it... you're right. I just checked. I read the word "favourites" but paid no attention to the icon.

Doesn't tell me anything though - someone bookmarked chapter 3, then 2, then 1, 4 and 5 of a series in that order, which is just odd. No favourite left, no change in score that I noticed. Handy for a reader, maybe, but doesn't really tell me much, other than someone wandered by.

Thanks for pointing out the subtlety .

 

[RejectReality]

How about a visual

 

[RejectReality]

What I'm thinking is that when the majority of the readership has fully embraced the bookmark feature, it can make favorites a more meaningful number. As things were, you always had to wonder how many of them were bookmarks, and weren't going to last.

 

[ElectricBlue]

What I'm thinking is that when the majority of the readership has fully embraced the bookmark feature, it can make favorites a more meaningful number. As things were, you always had to wonder how many of them were bookmarks, and weren't going to last.

That's always been my frame of reference - remember when you'd get the broken heart when someone un-faved a story? When all they were, were bookmarks. I guess I still see them that way.

 

[SimonDoom]

As RejectReality said, go into your Activity stream and they show up as favourites but with a bookmark icon instead of a heart icon.

Well, shoot dang, I learn something new here every day. I'd never paid attention to that before. A lot of what I thought were favorites are bookmarks. Hella surprise.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Well, shoot dang, I learn something new here every day. I'd never paid attention to that before. A lot of what I thought were favorites are bookmarks. Hella surprise.

I know! It means the bastards are going to forget you, once they've read it. Dang.

 

[SimonDoom]

Question:

Am I correct that the right-most column labeled "Reading Lists" in the constantly updated stats file comprises both bookmarks and favorites, where favorites are listed in the "In Reading" column immediately to the left?

It makes no sense to me why the Site labels the columns this way, because the labels don't track anything else at the Site.

This appears to me to be correct, because in every single case the numerical total in Readings Lists column is higher than in the In Reading column.

If I'm right then the number of bookmarks is equal to the difference between the Readings Lists column and the In Reading column.

If I'm correct, then it appears there's been a moderate shift toward more use of bookmarks, because the favorite:bookmark ratio is higher for old stories than it is for new ones.

 

[Javahead]

I'm getting more bookmarks than favorites. While readers are using both, I'm not sure the readers are using them differently. I've seen rather few bookmarks removed, so I think they may just be using bookmarks like favorites.

I took a list at the first page of my feed. The ratio was 5 bookmarks to 3 favorites. But only one favorite was in the more recent half of the list ... hmm.

How do you keep track if bookmarks are deleted? My master works page shows the number of favorites, but doesn’t list the number of bookmarks.

 

[NotWise]

I took a list at the first page of my feed. The ratio was 5 bookmarks to 3 favorites. But only one favorite was in the more recent half of the list ... hmm.

How do you keep track if bookmarks are deleted? My master works page shows the number of favorites, but doesn’t list the number of bookmarks.

There are two columns in the downloadable spreadsheet with the stats. As near as I can tell, "In reading lists" gives the number of favorites, and "Reading lists" gives the total number lists that contain the story, so it's favorites+bookmarks.

I haven't tracked the difference very rigorously, but I don't see it changing much.

 

[SisterJezabel]

Well that explains why sometimes when I click to see other favorited stories someone has liked my story doesn’t appear on the list as they have bookmarked it! Learn something new every day!

 

[HeyAll]

One thing I notice is that readers use bookmarks more for longer stories. The ratio is great than for shorter stories.

A short story with 50 favs might have 10 additional bookmarks.

But a really long story with 50 favs might have 30 additional bookmarks.