View Poll Results: Do We Continue with the OptiBoard Book Review Forum?

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  • Yes, it's a great resource

    8 53.33%
  • No, it's not very helpful

    0 0%
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Thread: OptiBoard Book Review Forum

  1. #1
    Forever Liz's Dad Steve Machol's Avatar
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    OptiBoard Book Review Forum

    To my surprise and disappointment, the OptiBoard Book Review Forum has never generate a single reply or much interest at all. I would have thought that OBers would be much more interested in new Ophthalmic texts.

    These texts have been kindly donated to our Book Review Panelists by Elsevier Science, Health Service Division. Before I ask them to continue this project I would like to know if the Members are intereasted, and if so, what needs to be done to create more activity and interest in this project? I did have the Book Review Forum in it's own link on the front page at one time but this didn't help.

    So the question is - do we continue or do we give up on this project?


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  2. #2
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    Hi Steve,
    I never knew the book review existed and this post made me search for it. It would be a pity to lose it from the site. I am happy to review my recent purchases and submit my reiews. There is a similar book review on Review of Optometry site. Lets give it another go .. ..I am a new boy ... but I notice that the OptiBoard does not seem to attract many newcomers who would discover the book review by nosing about. Would it worth linking OptiBoard to other sites I wonder? Palfi

  3. #3
    Forever Liz's Dad Steve Machol's Avatar
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    Thanks Palfi. The problem is that even when this forum was listed on the home page, it still never garnered any interest.

    P.S. You can visit this forum by clicking on the link to it in my first message. It's:

    http://www.optiboard.com/forums/foru...?s=&forumid=40


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  4. #4
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    I think the Book Review Forum is a good idea, but I don't think it's something a given person is going to visit frequently. To me, the Forum is like the non-fiction section of a library. I will visit it when I need to do research.

    It's a valuable resource to have, but it probably won't be visited frequently by any one person, but may have steady visits by different visitors.

    You may have to post reminders on an on-going basis to make people aware/remind them that it exists.

  5. #5
    Cape Codger OptiBoard Gold Supporter hcjilson's Avatar
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    Apparently PAW......

    You haven't read MY
    review!!:D :D :D

    Obviously I was kidding, but you raise a valid poin t. What we are trying to do with this forum is to provide a resource for those who are interested.
    I have some ideas in this regard, and I am sure you do as well. How would you like this forum to be presented ?


    I originally thought that we should allow book reviews of ANY book we wanted. To keep it from getting as dry as Binocular Anamolies Fiction-Non fiction- Professional etc:D :D :D

    What do you think....not only paw but anyone who can suggest how to improve this feature!

    Thanks for taking the time to make our board better.
    hj
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  6. #6
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    I really did read all the reviews of all 3 books!

    I think you would get a greater number of views in the Forum if you included other (non-industry) book reviews, fiction and non-fiction of all subjects, which would give greater exposure to the industry book reviews.

    I think people just have a habit of going directly to the General Discussion area and nowhere else. That's what I usually do, anyway. You have to get them to visit the Book Forum too as part of their Optiboard habit!

  7. #7
    Cape Codger OptiBoard Gold Supporter hcjilson's Avatar
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    Thats funny.....I just mentioned the same thing..

    Paw,
    It must be true that great minds think alike!I suggested something similar in another forum not 5 minutes ago . Lets face it, the amount of new professional books being published is not huge, nor are they of general interest (ususally)

    I think opening book reviews to all books is a great idea!

    Re: professional publications
    If a professional publisher wants a book reviewed they could get in touch with Steve and he could assign it as he has done in the past.

    So far we have two in favor! Lets see what the next couple of days bring in for ideas.

    hj

    PS would you make book reviews a sub-forum inGeneral discussion or keep it on its own. The reason I ask that is because I also agree with you that many members go right to Gen Discussion or Just conversation. I must plead guilty to that on occasion myself....but I am getting better about using "new posts since your last visit"
    "Always laugh when you can. It is a cheap medicine"
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  8. #8
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    My suggestion is to keep it as a sub-forum within General Discussion, at least until it develops a following. Then you could move it elsewhere and the fans would follow.

    You could get a large number of views in the Forum if you had a controversial book. By that I mean, is there a book discussing licensure of opticians; or a book on the how optical industry has been affected by chains, managed care, whatever. Look at the discussion going on now on the Nationwide Standards thread in the General Discussion Forum. If you could find a book to review that would spark that kind of discussion, it would give a fantastic jump start to the Book Forum.

  9. #9
    Forever Liz's Dad Steve Machol's Avatar
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    The original idea of the forum was to have 3 or more reviewers read and review the same ophthalmic text - all independently of each other. Elsevier donated the first three books and we arranged the reviews.

    It was my hope that people would read these reviews and discuss the books and their topics. I originally had the forum on the front page and with every new review I sent a newsletter announcement.

    Alas for whatever reason the idea never caught on. At this point I have no problem with opening the book review forum for other types of books. Personally I would have liked something dedicated to ophthalmic texts but perhaps there's not enough interest in these to warrant it's own forum. Or maybe the fault was in my implementation of the idea.


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  10. #10
    Cape Codger OptiBoard Gold Supporter hcjilson's Avatar
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    I don't see why we couldn't do both.....

    You still could assign Opthalmic reviews as books are made available. I don't think a review forum will generate the type of interchange that you thought would happen, because the reviewers pretty much did the same reviews. There were no major clashes.Certainly there was no rush to go out and buy a copy of Binocular Anomalies after our reviews.(not that they were bad reviews mind you!)

    The problem with opthalmic texts is that there is not a huge market for them.The one I reviewed was a text for Optometry students. Our peers for the most part are not out buying Opthalmic text books and probably won't until they need it for a course they take.

    My thinking is that an "any book" forum will maintain a certain level of interest, which will allow Opthalmic books to be slipped in whenever they, and reviews are available.I'm going to vote in the poll now because I have made up my mind!
    hj
    "Always laugh when you can. It is a cheap medicine"
    Lord Byron

    Take a photo tour of Cape Cod and the Islands!
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