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  Why Skimpy Profiles?

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  I am disappointed that many shelfarians tell us so little about themselves. I believe the site allows you to wax on about yourself and your interests, and when we know that, we have more of an opportunity to connect and make a "community" of this book-loving site.
  I can understand if people don't want to put up a picture of themselves, or info that might identify who they are and where they live. But how about something about you and the worldof books and ideas? What do others think?

  adamcf started this discussion 6 years ago. ( permalink )

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  FutureAuthor23 

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  I agree. When I'm searching for people to add to my friends list, I won't request their friendship if their profile doesn't say anything about them.

  posted 6 years ago. ( permalink )

• LeeLee 

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  I started being in online communities in the fall of last year. I was very hesitant at first to reveal anything about myself. You hear all these horror stories of identity theft and stalking. Now I wonder if I share too much!
  
  I love talking to people, hearing their views on books I've read and on life in general, but I do wonder what compels us to this community. Is it taking the place of the general store, the quilting bee, the front porch and the hair dressers? Is our need to communicate with fellow humans finding this outlet after all our "progress" took time away from those other avenues?
  
  Sorry to butt in on your question, but mine had been rolling around in my head for awhile and it just had to come out somewhere :)

  posted 6 years ago. ( permalink )

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  Sidwell 

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  I still get called Keanu - even though my profile says I am not Keanu - but I just work across the street from his old elementary school.
  
  A real Keanu fan will instantly know city I work in. Which is why I dont use my real name.

  posted 6 years ago. ( permalink )

  show 1 reply

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    RobinReads 

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    ahhh but the adorable picture is much too distracting! LOL

    posted 6 years ago. ( permalink )

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  LaTonya aka z 

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  I hear you! How can we connect if we aren't willing to share something about ourselves? There is plenty to share that gives folks a sense of who you are without feeling vulnerable or otherwise uncomfortable. We're on the net; is the anonymity of the screen enough?

  posted 6 years ago. ( permalink )

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  DOC-209 

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  I get the feeling that some people are just lazy. The ones with skimpy profiles are also ones that have a lot of books with no tags. This one of my pet peeves. ]: (

  posted 6 years ago. ( permalink )

  show 1 reply

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    Jen 

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    I guess I'm one of the lazy ones. I haven't posted many books, mostly because I never look past page 1 of anyone's shelf and just haven't bothered with tags (lazy? maybe a little). Not sure what I want to say on my profile either. I never look at anyone's profile so it never occurred to me that I should do one. I'll get working on it though : - )

    posted 6 years ago. ( permalink )

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  mjacobs 

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  I too am disappointed when people request my friendship and their profile just tells me how many books and tags they have. I wonder what there is to be afraid of? There must be some things about yourself that you can share without feeling threatened, surely? And I feel a bit strange too - sorry Sidwell - about people using other people's faces (actors or models) as an avatar - why do this? I do like cats and dogs and symbols etc. for avatars, they tell their own story. But if you are going to use a face, why hide behind somebody else?
  No tags is another matter: while I prefer shelves with tags, because that makes it so much easier to see what is there, I can understand people not wanting to spend their time on it - I will not dismiss them as too lazy ;-)

  posted 6 years ago. ( permalink )

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    unfinished woman 

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    Be careful what you wish for! I thought initially I had to confine the commentary to the size of the box. That's my computer ignorance in spades. I've never!!!!!! spent so much time on the keys except for business until this site. As you can tell from some of my comments, I can really go on. But I do heartily agree. I'm stunned particularly when there is nothing, especially when someone has requested a friendship. Since the shelves are for me the tags are expecially important, and they have helped me focus on the books I'm most interested in from others' shelves.

    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

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    MaryB 

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    I have no tags because I haven't yet figured out what they are. One of these days, I'll stumble on one and then become addicted to them, I imagine, but so far, I haven't seen a tag to know what it is. Did I miss an intro somewhere that explained this? Am I just not seeing a button for it?

    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

  • Barbanellie 

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    Well, I am one of the guilty ones. You can tell for sure that is not me in the display picture! But it's not some model or actress. That's my great-grand-mother. I got a copy of this photo from my grandfather last summer, and I think it is just so gorgeous, I have to share it with the world (you should see what her clothes look like!) I guess I like using it for my display picture, because it doesn't show who I really am, yet it shows my liking for that time period. And I've been told I look a bit like her.

    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

  • littlestar 

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    Barbanelie - I've seen your display pic around and wondered who it was! It is gorgeous; i love old portraits!
    
    My image isn't me, obviously (c: I've got a little profile, it's kinda a work in progress. I love flicking through other people's profiles - I've been here just on two weeks and I'm having lots of fun getting to know all the lovely people here.
    
    And I haven't worked out the tags thing yet either. I'm sure I'll work it out one day!

    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

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  etl_echo 

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  Sometimes you can say a lot about a person when looking at their shelf...
  
  I don't have that much about myself in my profile, other than what I like to read. Actions and posts in the groups tell more about who you are than what you write in your profile...

  posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

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  yarroyos 

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  Until 2 minutes ago, I had a skimpy profile. I cannot tell you how liberating it is to gush about something that is close to the heart, almost like a pleasure you have been postponing. Anyway, I did it, I'm crossing my fingers to see if I won't hate it when I read in the morning light and feel compelled to undo it.

  posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

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  Rowan has her NOOK and comments she made on the Nook facebook account made it into the BN newsletter :) 

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  I actually found it very therapudic to write my profile. I make small changes occasionally here and there etc. I do not post a picture of myself because a) I am hideously ugly b) I was a columnist and writer at the local paper c) I do not care to have any of those people contact me now that my life has moved forward.d) I also have an ex husband who could lurk about. You just never know!

  posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

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  debbielee 

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  After reading this discussion, I added a bit more to my profile.

  posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

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