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Post by trundly on Sept 21, 2017 17:30:33 GMT
I set myself up on BookMooch at the start of the week when I heard the sad news about RISI's demise. So here are my observations in case it helps anyone make up their minds. I added about 10 books from my RISI swaps list and ended up getting 'mooched' quickly for most of them. Initially that freaked me out as I thought it wasn't a two-way street and I'd end up paying postage sending my free books out and getting nothing back. However, 2 books have since appeared form my RISI wants list, and I have requested them so I'll have to see if they materialise. I have faith! I am coming round to the idea of having my unwanted books mailed out to someone who wants them rather than gathering dust and taking up space in my house. Also the points aren't going to expire so hopefully I'll be converting them at some point. I had been missing the serendipity of browsing other people's books as on RISI and finding books I otherwise wouldn't have, BUT I found if I investigated the details of the people sending me 'mooch' requests, you can see their books and I've already spotted a few I fancy. It's easy - click the 'Moocher'; it takes you to their profile page where you can then click their inventory. Anyone whose book taste you like, you can friend request. I'd probably recommend setting up on Mooch and just adding a couple of books to offer to start with, if you're unsure. Then you won't be overwhelmed with mooch requests and postage expense. In some ways I like Mooch better as it means I can cull the pile of dusty paperbacks without having to wait for a RISI request. Hope that helps a bit. Sophie aka supersophski Thank you, that's really helpful. The thing I've never understood is, when you've put your books on, and people request them, is there the option to decline like on RISI or do you have to send them once they've been requested? No, you can't decline a request unless your status is set to 'ask' regarding international mooches. For domestic mooches (UK), if you get a request, you have to send it (unless you can't find the book.) I would echo what Sophie said - I've been using Bookmooch for years and if you put 'good' books on there i.e. fairly current ones, then they'll get mooched straight away, so unless you want to be inundated with mooch requests, it probably makes sense to only put a few on to begin with. (You do have the option to accept the mooch request and then delau sending the book though.)
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Post by littlereader on Sept 22, 2017 10:17:58 GMT
Thanks trundly for clarifying that, appreciate it.
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Post by trundly on Sept 22, 2017 12:07:40 GMT
Thanks trundly for clarifying that, appreciate it. You're welcome! Fwiw, I don't think Bookmooch is as good as RiSi, but there we go. If it remains as the last bastion of book swapping, then at least it's better than nothing.
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Post by polish6 on Sept 25, 2017 16:26:04 GMT
Dear All,
I am not yet on BookMooch.com. Could anybody who is with this site, please tell me how long the password you can have?
Yours polish6, Marek
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Post by russbaum on Sept 29, 2017 22:01:06 GMT
Thank you, that's really helpful. The thing I've never understood is, when you've put your books on, and people request them, is there the option to decline like on RISI or do you have to send them once they've been requested? No, you can't decline a request unless your status is set to 'ask' regarding international mooches. For domestic mooches (UK), if you get a request, you have to send it (unless you can't find the book.) I would echo what Sophie said - I've been using Bookmooch for years and if you put 'good' books on there i.e. fairly current ones, then they'll get mooched straight away, so unless you want to be inundated with mooch requests, it probably makes sense to only put a few on to begin with. (You do have the option to accept the mooch request and then delau sending the book though.) Actually that's not correct. You can always reject any mooch but to do so without good reason is bad form. I occasionally reject mooches from people that have already asked me for numerous books when I want to share them around or from people who have no books available themselves. But in order to mooch books you need points and the easiest way to get them is to send books out. When a member asks for one of your books it gets reserved until you respond so nobody else can ask for the same book at the same time.
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Post by russbaum on Sept 29, 2017 22:02:16 GMT
Dear All, I am not yet on BookMooch.com. Could anybody who is with this site, please tell me how long the password you can have? Yours polish6, Marek Mine is 10 characters but who's going to bother trying to break it ? The only personal info held on the bookmooch servers is my address and that's public record in any case.
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Post by pennyt on Sept 30, 2017 8:00:05 GMT
Dear All, I am not yet on BookMooch.com. Could anybody who is with this site, please tell me how long the password you can have? Yours polish6, Marek Mine is 10 characters but who's going to bother trying to break it ? The only personal info held on the bookmooch servers is my address and that's public record in any case.Which is the same as what's held on here (plus email address of course). As I've said before I can't see anyone for whatever purpose going to the trouble of trying to access the personal info stored by RiSi when they can so easily get the same information from the electoral roll, phone book etc. It's financial information hackers want, not names and addresses. Besides, it would probably be the server they'd try to get into, not individual profiles on the site specifically, in which it case it doesn't matter a jot how secure your own password is. Look at the mass hacks of companies like T K Maxx, Equifax, Vodafone and so on - all huge companies that supposedly had high levels of cyber security, and they still got breached. I can't see anyone bothering about RiSi or Bookmooch when they can apparently get vastly more valuable targets with apparent ease. Having said that, of course, your RiSi password is extremely valuable to someone if it's also the password you use for your online banking/Paypal/Amazon etc. Obviously these should all be unique and as complex as possible. Although I read the other day that even a pretty random 10 character password can be cracked nowadays.
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Post by polish6 on Oct 3, 2017 12:02:00 GMT
Dear russbaum and pennyt,
Yes, of course, you can treat site security without any seriousness at all. However, the one thing nobody can ignore is Data Protection law. Let me say this - both RISI and BookMooch.com were written in 2006, I think. Data Protection law was then in it's infancy, and not very important. Both sites had to abide by the rules, set at the time. However, it is now 2017. Data Protection law has changed greatly. To give one example, there is a post from Rick O 'Shea. He did want to remove his details from this site. As he works professionally in Data Protection, I would trust his judgement. RISI could not remove his e-mail address, but he did remove his name, address and postcode.
Yours polish6, Marek
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peppercricket
Book Assistant
Batley Townswoman's Guild presents the Battle of Pearl Harbour
Posts: 7,075
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Post by peppercricket on Oct 3, 2017 12:26:58 GMT
What exactly is it you're worrying about? Bookmooch (the company) may not sell on your address, etc, but you're handing your details to a complete stranger when you mooch/swap - surely that's more of a concern? BUT don't we do these things anyway - how would you buy/sell/sign up for things online otherwise? Look at sellers on Amazon, Etsy, eBay, etc. If you don't feel safe joining - don't. Have a read of this - bookmooch.co.uk/about/termsand this bookmooch.com/about/privacy
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Post by pennyt on Oct 3, 2017 13:30:36 GMT
Dear russbaum and pennyt, Yes, of course, you can treat site security without any seriousness at all. However, the one thing nobody can ignore is Data Protection law. Let me say this - both RISI and BookMooch.com were written in 2006, I think. Data Protection law was then in it's infancy, and not very important. Both sites had to abide by the rules, set at the time. However, it is now 2017. Data Protection law has changed greatly. To give one example, there is a post from Rick O 'Shea. He did want to remove his details from this site. As he works professionally in Data Protection, I would trust his judgement. RISI could not remove his e-mail address, but he did remove his name, address and postcode. Yours polish6, Marek I was in no way treating site security lightly; I was simply pointing out that the data held by RiSi is already publicly and widely available elsewhere, and questioning exactly what is the point of asking someone to remove your name and address when no one can now see any of these details via the normal RiSi channels, and given that no one in their right minds is likely to hack the site. Of course you have the right under the law to have your details removed, if admin can do so now that the plug has apparently been pulled - it just seems to me a bit like asking for your details to be removed from the phone book, even though phone books are no longer being printed.
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Post by bookman on Oct 23, 2017 19:14:32 GMT
I am on bookmooch I preferred readitswapit at a loss without out it, I gather points from sending books out but the books I want are never available to mooch so have to get them second hand on line I have tried setting up a website like readitswapit but quite hard to do. Lost my wish list on readitswapit because I didn't use the forums before it closed so didn't know about it. Lots of book swapping sites in USA but not here strange.
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Post by janetandjohn on Oct 23, 2017 19:26:08 GMT
I am on bookmooch I preferred readitswapit at a loss without out it, I gather points from sending books out but the books I want are never available to mooch so have to get them second hand on line I have tried setting up a website like readitswapit but quite hard to do. Lost my wish list on readitswapit because I didn't use the forums before it closed so didn't know about it. Lots of book swapping sites in USA but not here strange. Hello bookman....... lots of us feel the same, bookmooch is really unlike RISI, isn't it? You can list a few books and ask if anyone wants to swap, but at least here you can talk about books - and the end of the month is good for listing books you have read, and your cracker and stinker of the month at the very least. Come back, mooch around and chat - some lovely folk on here.
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Post by janetandjohn on Jan 24, 2019 17:11:06 GMT
I am on bookmooch I preferred readitswapit at a loss without out it, I gather points from sending books out but the books I want are never available to mooch so have to get them second hand on line I have tried setting up a website like readitswapit but quite hard to do. Lost my wish list on readitswapit because I didn't use the forums before it closed so didn't know about it. Lots of book swapping sites in USA but not here strange. Hello bookman - just nipping in because you are currently online. Have you looked at others lists on here for anything that you might like? You might be able to swap that way. But do be a bit more "woke" as the kids say, or people will not know who you are. I looked at your list but sadly nothing on it for me. But keep trying!
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