beBee Reading Club
It's been four years since I wrote The Purpose of Being on beBee.
Here's what I wrote then:
This platform reminds me of an ancient Greek amphitheatre, the venue for orations where the orators spread their ideas, encourage conversation and engage the curious audience with these ideas. Many of them received a standing ovation. They inspire us and make us willing to not only be silent observers but to share our thoughts and ask questions.
Since then, beBee has gone through many changes. Once a "venue for orations," beBee is now more like a reading club.
It is not bad at all.
The purpose of reading groups is to get people together. Reading and starting conversations allow members with common interests to cultivate bonds. Instead of meeting in our homes, we mostly meet in Café beBee and sometimes in beBee Science Café.
During my student years, I had been a member of a book club for almost two years. I enjoyed our meetings, where interpretations of the book often differed. Being a member of that group was the starting point for me to see the values of discussions with differing opinions, even if everyone disagrees with my point of view.
beBee is just a different kind of club.
Everyone is given a choice to put the content they prefer for others to read and discuss by sharing it. People have different reading preferences, and there's no reason we all need to be reading the same content. In our club, there's no assigned reading.
Participating in discussions is different from live or virtual group meetings where you see and hear all the participants offering their opinions. Also, you can always jump into the conversation. Here, we discuss and share our thoughts through the comments sections. To know others' views and opinions, you should read their comments, although it can be hard to read every single comment in long threads. But also, if we do not read what others have said, we might say the same thing (albeit in different words). While it's OK not to read all the comments before posting your comment, it's not OK to comment based on other people's comments without reading the post first.
Perhaps we should embrace more of the reading club guides on beBee.
- Every author should be a discussion facilitator and engage in conversation with readers. Some prolific authors on beBee are bad facilitators. No matter how good the content, sometimes it can be hard to get a discussion started. The role of an author as the discussion initiator is pivotal.
- How to read is also important. It has been said that written words don't exist until they are read. If you only skim through a text without paying attention to words, the whole effort of writing is almost useless.
- Just like with book club meetups, you should avoid tactless acts or remarks on someone's article just because you disagree with h/her opinion. It has been seen too much lately on COVID-19 related posts.
- Before you participate in the discussion, read a post.
- When discussing, don't be pretentious and disregard others' opinions. beBee gathers diverse groups of people with a variety of views. No one is better than everyone else.
- Discussions do not have to be strictly about the post but shouldn't stray too far from the topic. Discussing the topic from the perspective of own experience is desirable.
- We, as readers, should also consider reading authors in-depth. It means reading more of their previous works on the blog. Re-reading my older posts, I realised how much I have progressed as a writer.
Our club is about community and about reading. Be it a book, article, blog post, or something else - reading matters. It broadens our perspective and develops our imagination and curiosity. Reading changes the way our brains work. To me, reading someone's thoughts is like listening to that person speaking to me without interrupting. And it is not just about 'listening' but trying to understand the meaning and stories behind words. The best reading experience is when you can't put down what you start reading. Like a good book, a good article or blog post almost read itself.
Blog posts cannot replace books for serious learning, but quality posts can have a learning element too. Both are important and useful in their context. Some blog posts are created for (intellectual) entertainment, and some challenge us and teach us something new.
Let's stay members of our small beBee reading club and find time to read and engage with each other content. Don't let blog posts disappear from our walls without, at least, being read.
I hope many more join our club.
Here are some questions to start the discussion.
- Have you ever been a member of a book club/reading group?
- In your opinion, what subjects on beBee stimulate discussion the most?
- Are you attracted to a blog post by title or author's name?
- How do you see the author's role in comment threads?
- Do you have the habit of reading others' comments before posting your comment? Do you think it's required?
- Have you learned something new from blog posts? Did they affect your perspective on some personal or societal issues?
u Engaged Readers i u Još 2 grupa
Članci od Lada 🏡 Prkic
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Komentari
Bill Stankiewicz
prije 8 mjeseci #26
well said, gotta run and teach a class! Best regards,
Bill Stankiewicz
Professor FORKLIFT SAFETY TRAINING/OSHA/ VR Virtual Reality Training
SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Savannah Supply Chain-CEO
Office: 1.404.750.3200
Info@savannahsupplychain.com
www.savannahsupplychain.com
https://www.theshippersgroup.com/article/1890-shippers-warehouse-leads-successful-fight-to-pass-ucc-art-7-in-georgia
Bill Stankiewicz
prije 8 mjeseci #25
4 years old and info still valid today @Lada 🏡 Prkic !!! Best regards,
Bill Stankiewicz
Professor FORKLIFT SAFETY TRAINING/OSHA/ VR Virtual Reality Training
SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Savannah Supply Chain-CEO
Office: 1.404.750.3200
Info@savannahsupplychain.com
www.savannahsupplychain.com
https://www.theshippersgroup.com/article/1890-shippers-warehouse-leads-successful-fight-to-pass-ucc-art-7-in-georgia
Debasish Majumder
prije 2 godine #24
lovely buzz @Lada 🏡 Prkic ! enjoyed read and shared. thank you for the buzz.
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #23
Dear Neil, your answers show how we are all different and have different preferences. :) I also learned a lot of new facts from blog posts, but comments are a great source for learning too, and that's why I read them.
Your answers nicely depicted why beBee is different from "the bigger boys in the yard." It is because of the people you mentioned, but also all the others who still write and thoughtfully engage with each other's posts.
As I see it, it is not about the size of our club but about connectivity and a sense of belonging to the beBee tribe. That’s why the magic happens. ✨
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #22
My dear Fay, thank you for your kind words. As you may know, I don't like tagging people, but I've tagged you because you belong to the remaining braves of the Mohican tribe, as I call the remaining active members on beBee. 😃
You were on my mind when I wrote about thoughtful reading and commenting. You are the type of reader that any author can only wish for. 🧡
I particularly like your answer about subjects that provoke discussions. Writing about, but also discussing, controversial subjects indeed requires an open heart and mind. Everyone is biased, and moving from your own biases to acknowledging all sides of the controversy is especially difficult. I know that. My several drafts remained unfinished because I couldn't present both sides of the issue properly with arguments and counterarguments. I need some research to do before finishing them.
Merry Christmas, and best wishes for this holiday season!
Fay Vietmeier
prije 2 godine #21
@Lada 🏡 Prkic
Dearest Lada .. Merry Christmas 🧡
Thank you for the tag .. it drew me here
I have been sidetracked with personal & business issues. Had you not tagged I might have missed this wonderful post.
I really like the “Guide”
.. especially “read the post”
.. pay attention to the words
Please allow me to add
.. might you discern - what is at the heart of this post – the heart of the author
I loved the picture you painted ..
This platform reminds me of an ancient Greek Amphitheatre, the venue for orations where the orators spread their ideas, encourage conversation and engage the curious audience with these ideas. Many of them received a standing ovation. They inspire us and make us willing to not only be silent observers but to share our thoughts and ask questions.
My response to your insightful questions:
.. Yes .. in several - though years ago
2. In your opinion, what subjects on beBee stimulate discussion the most?
.. “Hard & controversial subjects” .. that require thought and or research
.. most importantly that require an open heart & and open mind
3. Are you attracted to a blog post by title or author's name?
.. most definitely by the title
.. not so much by the author’s name (though sadly – some bees will be deterred by the consistency of perspective that some authors tackle a subject with)
4. How do you see the author's role in comment threads?
.. to thoughtfully read & thoughtfully respond ..
5. Do you have the habit of reading others' comments before posting your comment? Do you think it's required?
.. no & no (though at times I have read comments before responding)
6. Have you learned something new from blog posts? Did they affect your perspective on some personal or societal issues?
.. Yes
.. And Yes .. at times I gain new insights from the posts offered
.. some people share (professional) knowledge generously: @Jerry Fletcher & @Jim Murray come to mind
PS
I love The Last of the Mohicans
I am moved by deep thought & fine reasoning
Neil Smith
prije 2 godine #20
Hi Lada. In answer to your questions.
1. I've never been a book club member. I'm not by nature all that 'clubby' really.
2. Discussion seems like alchemy to me. Some posts are very interesting but produce little comment as the readers are in sync with the writer and the piece stands alone as a fait accompli. Other posts get little interaction here because the writer is clearly batshit crazy and many of us have no desire to feed the trolls. FB and LI are the race leaders in this genre. Sometimes though some magic happens and a real interplay of opinion and experience arrives on screen. (Also a quality, groanworthy pun from Ken.) This is what makes this site different to the bigger boys in the yard.
3. Name, odd title, interesting photo. All sorts of things may catch my eye and make me click on a post.
4.Authors often post and disappear but the ones with the best (not necessarily the most) interaction will comment and reply to readers.
5. I always read the comments. It does sometimes put me off commenting as I have no desire to just repeat that which is often well said already and for that reason I would welcome the ability to add a like to an individual comment. Is it required? Well yes for me but for everyone . . . I couldn't say.
6. Every single day. One of the great things about the web is that we can about all manner of things from all manner of places. I like the pieces that Ken does about his adopted homeland. Paul Walters stories of near and far places are great fun on here. Jo Watson, Greg Wyatt and Martin Ellis on LinkedIn have given me an insight into copywriting and recruitment. It may be esoteric knowledge but I find it very interesting.
And yes, I too would enjoy seeing the return of old analytics.
Right then, What was your question again? 😄
Sorry for the essay. Cheers.
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #19
Zacharias, I hope I didn't force you to comment. :) I'm not a big fan of tagging people. Thank you for being a member of our small reading club. Cheers!
Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris
prije 2 godine #18
Apologies for not participating in this discussion. I've been very busy lately with a new project (I'll tell you all about it when I'm done with it). Yes, the book-club idea resonates with me too, even if I haven't been a member of a book club before (at least officially). I too read a post often based on the author, though the topic also plays a role in this. Cheers
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #17
Perhaps we should expand this idea and start a proper online reading club. :)
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #16
Greg, thanks for participating in the discussion. Given the number of active users (most of them are in this thread except @Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris and @Fay Vietmeier), beBee reminds me of a reading club with a dozen of members. We are the remaining Mohicans. :) I hope many more people on beBee read what we post. After all, we are first the readers, then commenters.
I also read based on the author. Sometimes I'm attracted to a blog post by title, but some titles have nothing to do with the content.
Greg Rolfe
prije 2 godine #15
@Lada 🏡 Prkic your idea of looking at this as a book club is interesting. And in answer to your question I read articles generally based on the author.
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #14
Ken, I know that you hate being silent. 😃
Thank you for your lovely wishes. Although 2021 was a difficult year for me (I wrote about it), I want 2022 to be, at least, like this one that is coming to an end, if it can't be better.
Merry Christmas to you and yours! May you fill 2022 with fun and new adventures/travels! 🤗
Ken Boddie
prije 2 godine #13
As you must know by know, Lada, I hate being ‘silent’ about anything. 🤣
As for the missing stats, etc, all I can suggest is that you continue to lobby @Javier 🐝 CR at every opportunity.
Meanwhile I hope you have a Merry Xmas and that fortune smiles on you and your family in 2022.
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #12
Ken, you summed up the current state of our “club” in a few sentences. It is what it is. When writing this article, I had in my mind the “philosophy” of silent book clubs. They are small in size, and members often meet once monthly to read silently in a group and share reading materials without the pressure to socialize. Participating in discussion is optional. It greatly reminds me of beBee as it is now - a quiet platform. :)
I hope many more members read our posts than comment on them. That's why I would like the missing analytics to return to this platform, i.e., the number of views and "clicks" for our posts.
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #11
😊
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #10
@Alan Culler
Thank you for joining our small reading club, Alan. The catchy titles (just like well-chosen title pictures) attract readers, but well-written content and interesting story keep their attention to the end. Some beBee authors deliver good content behind catchy titles and images all the time.
beBee is a small specific audience, and I enjoy being part of it. Back in the day, beBee was a “big” group of members who offered a wide variety of ideas and viewpoints through their content. A small group (as beBee is now) allows us to get to know each other better as writers and commenters. But standards of behaviour are the same regardless of the group size.
I hope you'll continue to be a member of our beBee reading club, Alan. 😊
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #9
Jerry, thank you for answering the questions I put as conversation starters. You are a perfect reading club member. :) I write when I am inspired to do it, but knowing what subject intrigue readers also helps me to choose topics to write about.
I'm sure a certain Aussies will be glad to hear that you have become addicted to his puns (@Ken Boddie).😃
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #8
Thanks for the positive comment, Bill. :)
Lada 🏡 Prkic
prije 2 godine #7
Etiquette still matters, Pascal. :) It’s not only about rules and guides, but showing respect towards others and their opinions to make us feel comfortable being members of our club. 🤗
Ken Boddie
prije 2 godine #6
Perhaps the comparison with a book club is a good idea in principle, Lada, but I don’t believe there are enough contributing members these days even to make that work. You need authors to provide regular ‘books’ to read and members to read them, then regularly contribute to the round table ‘discussion’. Also, the authors would actually need to respond to comments in order to get a discussion going, and very few authors on this platform now actually take the time to respond to comments on their ‘books’ in a timely manner, if at all. The way things currently stand, book club members could only meet every other month and the discussion would soon fizzle out due to lack of participation on all sides.
Mind you the benefit of having such a quiet platform these days is that it is easy to catch up with who has been contributing and easy to add to the comments string (albeit late) when you have a couple of days off.
It is what it is. C’est la vie.
Paul Walters
prije 2 godine #5
Bravo !!!!!
Alan Culler
prije 2 godine #4
@Lada 🏡 Prkic
What an inspiring vision for beBee - a limited membership reading club! I think I started posting on beBee in 20014 or 15. At the time I was posting my ideas about change consulting, improvement and innovation. Over time I have posted more general market things. I am attracted to writers who are passionate, topics and titles that intrigue me and just good stories and poems.
I completely agree with your points about etiquette and generosity of spirit. We need more of that online and it the world on general.
Jerry Fletcher
prije 2 godine #3
Lada, I've never been a member of a book club/reading group. Subjects that intrigue garner the most interest from me such as your articles on concrete construction as well as the fantasies of another member. Titles get me first but if I find it an enjoyable read I'll return for more by the author. I believe the author's role in comment threads is to be apart of the conversation, questioning, clarifying and cajoling. I go back and fort regarding reading comments often based on who the commenter is. I've become addicted to a certain Aussies puns! I've learned about subjects I might never have stumbled upon and found my views changed because of input from the other side of the world.
Bill Stankiewicz
prije 2 godine #2
POSITIVE POST
Pascal Derrien
prije 2 godine #1
Etiquette Etiquette :)