Controversy, Change, and Challenges
Controversy, Change, and Challenges
Exploring Goodreads' Dark Side, Twitter's Downfall, and AI's Impact on Privacy and Politics
A Tangled Web in the Book World
Goodreads, once a promising haven for book lovers, now sits at the heart of controversies in the publishing world.
The latest? A scandal involving debut author Cait Corrain, who manipulated the platform through fake accounts and "review bombing," eventually leading to her downfall.
It then came out that Cait Corrain is the author who allegedly one-star review bombed her fellow 2024 debut authors. As any good writer knows, you need evidence and receipts to prove what you’re saying. They’ve done just that by compiling a 31(!) page list of evidence of accounts review-bombing certain books as those same accounts praise and positively review Cait’s book. Thirty-one pages is a lot of evidence, I don’t know how you can get yourself out of that one.
She initially tried blaming a friend, but finally owned up to it, lost her book deal, and now is in rehab for drug addiction. I know rehab tends to be where people go to wash away whatever stupid thing they did in the public eye, but I’ll reserve judgement here and hope she learned from this painful lesson.
But this incident is just a peek into the darker side of Goodreads. And I say this as a frequent (but mostly passive) user of Goodreads.
Originally, Goodreads promised a vibrant community for readers and authors. Launched in 2007, it aimed to be a digital space for sharing book recommendations and fostering literary discussions. But as I discovered, joining in the same year, the site's trajectory changed after Amazon's acquisition in 2013. Today, it's a far cry from its beginnings — and reminds me a great deal of what happened to Flickr and its great community when Yahoo! acquired it.
Goodreads Today: A Fractured Reality
Goodreads still claims to be about community and book discovery. But it often fails in these areas, plagued by a clunky user experience and a culture that (like many social media platforms) encourages negativity. It's become a site where one can boost friends' books with five-star ratings or observe sales trends, but it struggles with consistent functionality and clear purpose. Friends are automatically added (gotta get those network effects) but I enjoy seeing what they’re reading. I rarely see any of my friends leave actual text reviews anymore, with most just expressing their like or dislike in the form of stars.
Despite its flaws, Goodreads remains vital for the publishing industry, offering exposure to a massive audience. But it's also a site where authors have to tread carefully, often warned against engaging too directly. The platform's combative culture, from preemptive review-bombing to public shaming, strays far from its original spirit.
On June 12, Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert announced that her then-forthcoming novel The Snow Forest, slated to be published by Riverhead in February 2024, would not be released as scheduled due to backlash from Goodreads and TikTok users over the novel's Russian setting. The book, which was added to the the Penguin Random House website on June 6, has since been deleted.
The weekend prior to her announcement, more than 500 people rated the book (still nine months from release) with one-star on Goodreads, with nearly a third of them also leaving critical reviews. "While Russia is shelling and destroying Ukraine in 2023, writers continue to romanticize Russia? Shame!" wrote one user. Many comments were not specific to the book, with one-star rater simply declaring, "I hated, hate and will always hate russians and trump! [sic]."
Okaaaay…
To be painfully clear, her book wasn’t about Russians destroying Ukraine. According to the publisher's descriptive copy on Goodreads, the novel takes place in the 1930s and 1980s, and is set "in a remote, high-altitude corner of Siberia." It follows a family of religious fundamentalists who "made a decision to remove themselves from society to resist the Soviet government and to try and defend nature against industrialization."
A book that details early adopters of environmentalism, who were also critical of the Soviet government is what received an avalanche of scorn from Goodreads users. Bravo, idiots. And no thanks to Gilbert, who cowered in the face of anonymous comments online. Never apologize to the mob.
But kudos to PEN America CEO, Suzanne Nossel, who said that the decision was "well-intentioned" but "very regrettable." Nossel went on:
"The idea that, in wartime, creativity and artistic expression should be preemptively shut down to avoid somehow compounding harms caused by military aggression is wrongheaded and naive. The timing of the uproar, right after Gilbert announced the forthcoming publication, makes clear that those objecting have not yet had a chance to read or judge the work itself. The publication of a novel set in Russia should not immediatelty be cast as an act exacerbating oppression.... We hope Gilbert might reconsider and we urge others to rally around the on-time publication of her book, and the principle that literature and creativity must not become a casualty of war.”
Fuck yeah, Suzanne.
The Letterboxd Model: A Missed Opportunity
Contrast Goodreads with Letterboxd, a social network for movie enthusiasts, which has mastered a seamless user experience and a welcoming community that also does a great job with discovery. If only Goodreads could emulate this model! Unfortunately, the site's focus seems split, with its author program adding to the confusion.
What Goodreads needs is a human touch – more reasonable moderation to balance honest criticism with the site's darker tendencies. The current reliance on volunteer librarians/activists is insufficient and harmful. Goodreads could also learn from Amazon's "Your Books" feature, focusing more on book discovery and less on the problematic aspects of social interaction.
Side Note: It’s kind of weird Amazon launched a competing book cataloguing platform when it already owns Goodreads.
The Hope for a Better Platform
Newer platforms are emerging; I’ve tried LibraryThing, and the StoryGraph. As a reader, they’re even more lacking than Goodreads. As a product manager, I find them archaic and the antithesis of a friction-less experience. I haven’t tried Italic Type yet, but wonder who made that SEO faux pas.
None of these competitors have yet matched Goodreads' reach or ease-of use. My favorite feature about Goodreads is the seamless Kindle integration. I don’t have to update anything, and truth-be-told, the algorithm for suggestions is pretty solid.
I believe in the potential of a space like Goodreads, especially as other social platforms falter. I met so many friends on Twitter, but it’s virtually impossible to have a conversation on there anymore. I also have no interest in BookTok, because the very nature of TikTok excludes introverts, who may actually have great takes about a book.
The saga of Goodreads shows there's a vast audience eager for meaningful book discussions + legit reviews. They (and we) deserve a platform that lives up to this promise.
Elon's Xperiment
Twitter's Value Flies South for the Winter
From Twitter to 'X' marks the spot where shareholder value sank. Elon Musk's rebranded playground has seen an insane 72% plummet in value, according to Fidelity's latest monthly fund disclosure.
Since Musk's $44 billion playdate started in October 2022, Fidelity's stake has shrunk faster than a polar ice cap, from $19.7 million to a mere $5.6 million. While Musk has been busy promoting antisemitism, upending platform features, playing whack-a-mole with advertisers and slicing the workforce like a Black Friday sale, Fidelity's valuation now seems more grounded in reality than Musk's trillion-dollar daydreams.
With ad revenue taking a nosedive and Musk’s promises of a diversified revenue stream, the only thing soaring is investor skepticism. And while X execs may boast about new income avenues, it appears the only thing they're mining successfully is investor patience.
Etsy’s Empathetic Marketing
Etsy lets people opt out of Valentine's Day emails and offers, as well as marketing around Mother's Day and Father's Day.
When brands do this, they appear empathetic, and offering customers the option to opt-out also builds trust. In marketing circles, you’ll often hear about sincerity. “Does a business appear sincere, or are they placating me with (insert performative allyship here) to juice me of my money?”
All this is becoming even more important for businesses as trust in leaders and institutions craters.
Look for even more brands to collect insights on which holidays their customers celebrate — just like they keep track of demographic and geographic data — and use those insights to target their marketing.
From Autocracies to AI
Over 4 Billion Voices Poised to Reshape the Political Landscape
As the world gears up for an election season of historic scale, with over 70 nations—home to more than half of the global population—heading to the polls, 2024 is set to be a landmark year in democracy. This isn't just a busy time for political analysts, but a pivotal moment for billions of citizens around the world.
While the spotlight often shines on the U.S. Presidential election, the true marvel of democratic engagement will unfold in India. 900 million registered voters will exercise their rights in what is perhaps the largest electoral event worldwide, with Narendra Modi's BJP party vying for a third term in office.
Yet, the essence of democracy isn't captured by sheer numbers alone. In Taiwan, a nation of 24 million, voters will soon elect a new leader who'll navigate the turbulent tides of their relationship with China—a decision that resonates far beyond its own borders due to escalating regional tensions.
We’ve seen democracy flourish in recent decades, with the majority of countries now classified as democratic regimes. But it also highlights a sobering reality: not every vote weighs the same in the balance of global politics. According to the V-Dem Institute, a third of the world's nations, such as Russia, are labeled "electoral autocracies," where elections often serve more as a political theater than a genuine reflection of the people's will.
Unfortunately, analysis by The Economist has shown that democracy has actually lost ground in recent years.
This year is also underscored by the emergence of generative AI, a double-edged sword with the power to both inform and mislead. As AI's capabilities in disseminating information grow, so does its potential to spread disinformation, presenting a new frontier for electoral integrity.
This election season promises to be not just a test of individual governments, but of the strength and resilience of democracy itself.
For a visual representation, consider this chart below, which illustrates the shifting global governance landscape over time.
We see a growing prevalence of electoral democracies and a decline in closed autocracies, against a backdrop of persistent electoral autocracies—a testament to both progress and the enduring challenges faced by democracies worldwide.
The Feathered Detective Unraveling Your Online Anonymity
Maintaining privacy in the digital age is becoming a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek, with new tech developments constantly shifting the line between public and private. Predicting Image Geolocations (PIGEON), a brainchild of Stanford students that can pinpoint the location of photos with unnerving accuracy.
Initially conceived to scour Google Street View for matching locations, PIGEON's capabilities swiftly soared beyond its nest. Presented with unfamiliar images, the AI frequently hit the bullseye, identifying the correct country 92% of the time and homing in on the location within a mere 15 miles in over 40% of cases.
While this technology opens up a lot possibilities, like finding the exact locations where historical photos were snapped, it also casts a shadow on our online privacy. Simple measures like not sharing your street name or blurring your house number, which once felt like adequate camouflage, may no longer shield you from the all-seeing eye of such advanced AI.
This revelation isn't just a wake-up call; it's a siren. In the cat-and-mouse game of internet privacy, it seems the cats are getting smarter—and our mice might need a better hiding place.
Check out the full research paper here.
A Request 🙏🏼
The tool I use to create charts (that hopefully don’t bore you to death) has been acquired by a financial brokerage firm. I can’t think an acquisition that resulted in a better experience for the user/customer, and I assume this will be no different. If you have a data-visualization tool/platform you enjoy, please let me know!
THE NEWS DESK
AI
AI/ML researcher salaries are skyrocketing, and have now surpassed equivalent level product managers. Entry level salaries in this space are outpacing everyone, but as you’ll see below, it still pays (pun intended) to negotiate.
Sources: Rora & Levers.fyi If you’re a new grad receiving an L4 Research Scientist offer from Google, you could earn as much as $550k per year - or as low as $250k per year. That’s quite the difference, and it doesn’t only impact your first year of employment. The impact of successful (or unsuccessful) negotiation compounds greatly over time.
Media, Music, & Entertainment
SAG-AFTRA’s use of an AI image to promote its Labor Innovation & Technology Summit is facing criticism for taking jobs away from human graphic artists and union models — the crux of their argument against studios.
Hypocrisy is awesome! Read More → deadlineDrugs, Abuse, Imprisonment: A ‘Love Is Blind’ Legal Battle Spills Out Into Public View. Read More → variety
Taylor Swift has now surpassed Elvis for the most weeks a solo artist has held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart. Read More → deadline
The Royal Caribbean’s 9-month cruise has become TikTok’s latest “reality show,” turning passengers into unwitting cast members. Read More → nytimes
A documentary tracks the decades-long development of the internet and how it went from dial-up to a tornado of misinformation. Fun! Read More → hackernoon
Fashion & E-Commerce
Retailers are throwing open their drops — and then using data analytics to quietly kick bots to the back of the line Read More → business of fashion
Levi’s had an incredible year in 2023, from collabs with Stussy and NIGO to selling out Crocs and New Balance. Read More → highsnobiety
Abercrombie & Fitch was the top-performing stock in the S&P 1500 Index last year, surging nearly 300%. Read More → business of fashion
Tech & Other Stuff
Tesla has officially lost its crown as the world’s top seller of electric cars — to China. Read More → insider
Scaling yourself and your employees is just as important as the business Read More → fastcompany
Crypto is back? Bitcoin has hit $45,000 for the first time since April 2022. Read More → axios
Creator Economy
Snapchat has likely lost its chance to become an advertising giant against Apple and TikTok. Read More → insider
TikTok continues to be a kingmaker of brands and services for Gen Z, from Clinique to Kraft. Read More → fastcompany
MrBeast’s response to Elon Musk’s request to post his content on X shows just how low monetization on X really is. Read More → insider