WhatsOnMyBookshelf

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WhatsOnMyBookshelf
Type of site
Book swapping community
Available inEnglish
OwnerDan Ostermayer
Created byOlexiy Merenkov
URLhttp://www.whatsonmybookshelf.com
CommercialNo
Launched2006
Current statusNot active

WhatsOnMyBookshelf was an international online book swapping and book trading community launched in 2006 by Dan Ostermayer .[1] It had over 4000 users who swapped an average of 10 books daily .[2] The total number of shippable books registered by the site was 22,535 as of July 9, 2013 .[3]

Site description[]

WhatsOnMyBookshelf, when compared to other book swapping[4] communities, had a relatively small but dedicated community of swappers.[5] The site started out as a home for fiction books.[6]

Registering and using the site was free, the only requirements that users needed to provide their addresses and they should be able to ship books to other users through postal services.

Swapping method[]

The site used a point system as a form of book swapping currency. This method makes using the site flexible, however less personal than other book swapping communities.[7]

New users received a 1-point bonus per every five book that they registered. After having registered the first 100 books, this incentive is no longer valid and users receive points only for shipping books to other users (which means that the users have to pay the postal fees for sending the books, but receiving a book is free). Though the site offers a free service, users may purchase 5 points per month if they wish to (purchased points cost $2 each).

Book value points are calculated based upon the new book price of the book in question ($20 – 1 credit point).

Users can request a book by adding it to their shopping cart. The user in possession of the book has to ship it within 5 days and mark the request as “sent”. Similarly, the recipient is obligated to mark the request as “received” immediately upon delivery.

The site has an API, and it is possible to embed WhatsOnMyBookshelf in other sites.[8] A Firefox add-on is also available to users so that they can manage their wish-lists.

Ranking and Technical Information[]

According to Alexa page ranks, the site was the 6,296,551th most popular website in the world as of 7 July 2013.[9] The site is officially registered by WhatsOnMyBookshelf (Moscow, PA), with Dan Ostermayer as its technical and administrative contact.[10]

Press Coverage[]

See also[]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "About Us". whatsonmybookshelf.com. 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  2. ^ "FAQ". whatsonmybookshelf.com. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  3. ^ "Main Page". Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  4. ^ For a comprehensive list see: http://www.swaptrees.com/swap_books.php and http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Comparison_of_Book_Swapping_Websites
  5. ^ Colley, Angela. "The 4 Best Sites for Trading in Your Old Books". Money Talks News. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  6. ^ Vascerallo, Jessica (September 21, 2006). "Online Book Swapping". WSJ Online. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
  7. ^ Yamamoto, Mike (2006-07-21). "Points and other forms of currency allow more flexibility, but Swaptree's person-to-person system makes it more appealing to some". CNET. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
  8. ^ Keegan, Victor (2007-06-21). "It's a new online chapter for books". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
  9. ^ whatsonmybookshelf.com page metrics on Alexa (as of July 8, 2013): http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/whatsonmybookshelf.com
  10. ^ WHOIS result for whatsonmybookshelf.com, http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=whatsonmybookshelf.com. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
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