4 replies to this topic

[TomCol]

There is a website called Bookcrossing (http://bookcrossing.com) where you can get and give books to random people. It works by just leaving a book in a random place and posting on the site where it is. Someone then comes and picks it up, logs it on the site and leaves it somewhere else.


My sister is unnaturally obsessed with this for some reason .

[sheepdog]

Ok, that is just a bit strange. What if somebody picks up the book that doesn't know anything about the web site? Or what would be even worse, what if stalkers and other such perverts all joined in on the site and watched to see who came to pick up the book so they could see who left it and if it was someone they might want to pick as a victum for future stalking.....I don't know, sounds kind of creep to me, think I'll stick with the local library.

[anwiii]

sheepdog, on 27 June 2010 - 02:54 AM, said:

Ok, that is just a bit strange. What if somebody picks up the book that doesn't know anything about the web site? Or what would be even worse, what if stalkers and other such perverts all joined in on the site and watched to see who came to pick up the book so they could see who left it and if it was someone they might want to pick as a victim for future stalking.....I don't know, sounds kind of creep to me, think I'll stick with the local library.

i think whoever came up with that idea is a genius. sure, there is a chance you can run in to stalkers, but if someone is a stalker, they will be stalking people whether people use book crossing or not. also, nobody knows when a person will actually find a book. a stalker would have to be staking out a place for days so i feel the chances of a crime due to this book crossing is so low, it's not really worth losing sleep over. but you do bring up a point that people should be aware of their surroundings no matter what they are doing or where they are at any given time. not paranoid, but aware. and yes, the way you put it, that WOULD be creepy, sheepdog haha.

[deadmad7]

I think this is a good idea, you can let others read your books instead of throwing them away which becomes a waste. Though it would be a little sad for me part with my books There is the factor of people looking up on the site and waiting for someone to pick up the books, but they actually won't wait that long just to kidnap or rob something, they can do that just about anywhere

But, what i don't get leaving your books in picnic benches or schools, what will people do if you drive over there and find out someone already picked up the book who didn't know what bookcrossing? or where will they look in the school for the book? It's a totally insecure system, that explains why there are little followers and why it hasn't caught on already.

Overall, I think its a good idea but it has to be more popular to be any interesting.

[John05]

Thanks for the nice stuff here