Goodreads for Dummies

by Jaimi Kitchen

Goodreads is a highly successful virtual network based on many reasons; a majority of the population love to read, all fifty-five million members have some sort of access to internet and Goodreads designed strategies and tactics to allow users to customise the virtual network space as their own. Barnes (1997) explained in his paper that ‘cyberspace exists only as a cognitive map’ and Goodreads is a ‘map’ in the sense that users navigate their way through millions of books suggestions, discussions groups and customising their own profile to allowing other users to navigate through our personal profile.

Image credit: Pinterest. (U.N.). Social media junkies.

It is a map that often confuses new users and sometimes the experienced, this confusion is brought on by the massive amounts of data that is thrown into our direction. Barnes (1997) explains this online technique as a ‘labyrinth’ which requires us to create a ‘map’ or a strategy to sort through relative data and the junk.

Venetikidis (2012) explains in this TedTalk similar ideas on this notion that we create a virtually map in our minds to navigate and find our way through online networks and as well in real life. Venetikidis also presents the idea that in real life when we arrive in a new place, we first travel in main streets to create a cognitive map of the environment. This map that we create in our minds transfers over to when we are on an online network, we navigate through sections until we can create a sense of direction and the ability to venture into the ones that attract us. Wood (2006) also explains the same history and perception of maps, in this chapter you can identify the same built in techniques we use in real life navigation that seem to cross over into the virtual society.

 In the lecture this week, the concept of navigation using maps was explored when Kuttainean (2017) refered to Michael de Certeau who was a French scholar that explained strategies and tactics within virtual networks. He proposed that social networks are carefully built networks with a set of mandatory rules and regulations which are controlled by ‘gatekeepers’. These gatekeepers who can be referred to as moderators, try to control the online space within the set rules and do not allow users to step beyond that.

A closer inspection of Goodreads allows the user to notice this surveillance or control but tends to ignore it if the gatekeepers are not blocking any desired content. Some other users may agree with de Certeau views on strategies and tactics within virtual networks because their profile or content is not closed off from the public. Thus, still displaying the online persona the user has create for the public network to view.

Reference List;

Barnes, G. (1997). Passage of the Flâneur. Retrieved from

http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html

Kuttainean, V. (2017). BA1002: Our space; Networks, narrative and the making of place, week four notes [PowerPoint Slide]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_84764_1&content_id=_2759350_1

Pinterest. (U.N.). Social media junkies [Image]. Retrieved from https://au.pinterest.com/pin/164029611398289144/

Venetikidis, A. (September, 2012). Aris Venetikidis: Making sense of maps [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/aris_venetikidis_making_sense_of_maps/discussion#t-11680 

Wood, D. (2006). et al. ‘The Multiple Truths of the Mappable World’. In Seeing through Maps. (pp.1-12). United Kingdom; New Internationalist Publications.