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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on September 20, 2004, at 14:05:52
I just proposed it on PBP, but I think it could be useful elsewhere. I know we have a book board, but my idea would be for a thread about useful books for each topic that we try to keep ongoing so that people can read recommendations and comment back on them, and book recommends wouldn't get lost in the archives. Someone could take quasi-responsibility on each board for making sure the thread kept active after each archive. And maybe eventually the threads could get linked in the tips sections.
For one thing, it would be an ongoing source of Amazon links. :) And for another, in some areas books aren't easily outdated. So Relationship or Psychology books that someone finds useful will always be at the fingertips of new posters. I'm not sure if that's as true for Medication or Alternative or Student Orientation books...
What do you think?
And I still vote for a permanent link to "In Session" on the Psych board intro. :)
Posted by Dinah on September 20, 2004, at 14:06:48
In reply to Dr. Bob, a perhaps odd idea, posted by Dinah on September 20, 2004, at 14:05:52
Posted by Dr. Bob on September 21, 2004, at 7:52:21
In reply to Dr. Bob, a perhaps odd idea, posted by Dinah on September 20, 2004, at 14:05:52
> my idea would be for a thread about useful books for each topic that we try to keep ongoing so that people can read recommendations and comment back on them, and book recommends wouldn't get lost in the archives. Someone could take quasi-responsibility on each board for making sure the thread kept active after each archive. And maybe eventually the threads could get linked in the tips sections.
Sure, that would be great!
Links to books (or posts) could also go straight into PB Tips if someone's willing to take responsibility for the topic there.
Also, I started working on a list of books that have been mentioned (linked to) that would be automatically updated:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books.html
But as you can see, I didn't get very far. But that's what I had in mind, let me know what you think...
> And I still vote for a permanent link to "In Session" on the Psych board intro. :)
How about if you do conduct a vote there, for, say, 3 books, and then I'll include them all?
Bob
Posted by Dinah on September 21, 2004, at 8:28:23
In reply to Re: useful books, posted by Dr. Bob on September 21, 2004, at 7:52:21
Thanks, Dr. Bob!
I got the vote up and going for the three books. And I'm more than happy to take responsibility for a book thread on PBPsychology. I think it'd be a really good idea on the Relationship and the Grief Board too, and if I can get over my Relationship Board phobia, and no one else is interested in volunteering I'll volunteer there.
Grief might be another good place for a vote on books for the intro. If I recall correctly, the same titles are frequently suggested in real life.
That link you showed me, I didn't quite understand it, I'm afraid. It was going to list every book linked to Amazon? Or every book recommended? If you could give me a short intro, I'd be able to go back to it with better understanding, I think.
Tips is great, but it's my understanding that you have to belong to Yahoo to access them. Am I wrong on that one?
Posted by Dr. Bob on September 21, 2004, at 12:03:46
In reply to Re: useful books » Dr. Bob, posted by Dinah on September 21, 2004, at 8:28:23
> I got the vote up and going for the three books. And I'm more than happy to take responsibility for a book thread on PBPsychology. I think it'd be a really good idea on the Relationship and the Grief Board too, and if I can get over my Relationship Board phobia, and no one else is interested in volunteering I'll volunteer there.
Great, thanks!
> That link you showed me, I didn't quite understand it, I'm afraid. It was going to list every book linked to Amazon? Or every book recommended?
Every book linked from here. It would be up to readers to click on the posts to see what was actually said about them.
Do you think that would be too inclusive? It could be limited to books that were mentioned a certain number of times...
> Tips is great, but it's my understanding that you have to belong to Yahoo to access them. Am I wrong on that one?
Anybody can access them, but you'd need to belong (register there) to maintain a folder...
Bob
Posted by badhaircut on September 21, 2004, at 12:42:11
In reply to Re: useful books, posted by Dr. Bob on September 21, 2004, at 7:52:21
> How about if you do conduct a vote there, for, say, 3 books, and then I'll include them all?
I made the point in the Psychology vote-thread (http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040918/msgs/393338.html) that having just 3 books in each board's introduction header is bound to be biased, especially in a topic as huge as "psychology and psychotherapy." Rather than just 3 books per board, maybe we could have...
1. A rotating selection of 3 books?
2. A link to a much larger list of books each with a brief comment from the recommending Babbler?
3. A link to a larger list that Babblers could use to vote their recommendations?> Also, I started working on a list of books that have been mentioned (linked to) that would be automatically updated: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books.html
I think Bob likes mouse-overs! :)
> That link you showed me... it was going to list every book linked to Amazon?
> Every book linked from here. ... Do you think that would be too inclusive? It could be limited to books that were mentioned a certain number of times...
Maybe a separate list for each board? That way, the books in each list *might* be somewhat topically related. (I hope such lists could be compiled, not just updated, automatically.)
Maybe they could be arranged by, well, popularity?
I realize I'm asking for about 500 lines of code here, but would it be possible to cast votes for books on such a list? Sort of like how you can vote for the reviews at Amazon. Maybe each Babbler could get 3 votes per board, or something like that. That way, people could see what's numerically highly recommended, but also the less-popular books wouldn't get completely excluded from this feature.
I know that my books won't be relatively popular, but I think they could be very helpful and important to SOME Babblers. If the Psychology board, for example, has just 3 books in its header and they're all about the psychodynamically-oriented therapeutic-relationship issues that predominate the posts there, I will feel less welcome overall. Those issues are obviously important, but let's not exclude minority interests right at the top.
Posted by Dr. Bob on September 22, 2004, at 18:47:43
In reply to alternatives to 3 books?, posted by badhaircut on September 21, 2004, at 12:42:11
> having just 3 books in each board's introduction header is bound to be biased... Rather than just 3 books per board, maybe we could have...
>
> 1. A rotating selection of 3 books?
> 2. A link to a much larger list of books each with a brief comment from the recommending Babbler?
> 3. A link to a larger list that Babblers could use to vote their recommendations?Thanks for the great ideas, this is kind of improv, you know...
1. I think there's a difference between being "featured this month" and being "the top 3". The top 3 could rotate whenever the cumulative ranks changed? We tried having a rotation at PB Books at the beginning...
2. That was how the original Books area was set up:
http://www.dr-bob.org/books/babble.html
but that was too much to maintain (by hand).
3. They're not like ballots you can vote from directly, but there are already lists at PB Open and PB Tips:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/psycho-babble-open/links/PsychoBabble_Book_Cl_001013643129
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/psycho-babble-open/links/PsychoBabble_Book_Su_001016920361
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/psycho-babble-tips/links/PsychoBabble_Book_Cl_001013564781> I think Bob likes mouse-overs! :)
Otherwise, the Books page took forever to load...
> Maybe a separate list for each board? That way, the books in each list *might* be somewhat topically related. (I hope such lists could be compiled, not just updated, automatically.)
>
> Maybe they could be arranged by, well, popularity?
>
> I realize I'm asking for about 500 lines of code here, but would it be possible to cast votes for books on such a list? Sort of like how you can vote for the reviews at Amazon. Maybe each Babbler could get 3 votes per board, or something like that.Maybe I should try to do this with a database. Then people could just select which boards they want to include and sort it however they like?
I guess I'm thinking of linking to a book as voting for it...
Bob
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