"What is the difference between Margeit and Goodreads?"

In the contemporary digital era, the diversity of social reading platforms remains limited, with a predominant platform named Goodreads. This situation often prompts potential users of Margeit, who have not yet registered, to ask the following question: "What is the difference between Margeit and Goodreads?" Although they share the goal of facilitating discussions around books, their features and philosophies exhibit notable differences. This article aims to examine these differences, highlighting the unique aspects of Margeit compared to Goodreads.

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Ability to comment on specific sources

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One of the major distinctions between Margeit and Goodreads lies in the granularity of comments. Margeit allows users to comment on very specific sources, such as a specific page of a specific edition of a book. This feature is particularly useful for researchers, students, or intellectual enthusiasts who wish to discuss specific passages of a book in detail. In contrast, Goodreads does not offer this possibility. Goodreads users can leave overall reviews of books but cannot comment on specific sections or pages, which limits the depth and specificity of discussions.

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Sourced knowledge and the end of vague summaries

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Another essential difference lies in the nature of user-generated content. Goodreads tends to gather summaries that may lack a direct connection to sourced and verified knowledge. While summaries are useful for a quick understanding, they can often be subjective and lack academic rigor. Margeit, on the other hand, aims to gather sourced and precise knowledge, focusing on detailed and documented comments. This makes Margeit a platform more suited to academic studies and in-depth research.

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Compilation of all human knowledge regarding a specific page of a given book

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Thus, Margeit becomes a platform where users can read the comments of other intellectuals and thinkers from different social backgrounds in the same book. They can access the collective human knowledge regarding the passages that arouse their curiosity or comment. Margeit is described as the abstract book of the book, a grand universal margin where comments are called "margins" and are gathered there.

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Against a consumerist evaluation of the book

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As mentioned in the article “How can Margeit revolutionize the world of books?”, the revolutionary aspect of Margeit lies in its ability to transform the superficial consumption of books into deep and centralized exchanges. In this article, Margeit explains why readers should stop treating books like shampoo. The article explains that Margeit's main advancement over other platforms lies in revaluing the book as an object of thought rather than a mere consumer good that can be rated with stars. Unlike sites like Amazon and Goodreads, where books are evaluated as ordinary products, Margeit seeks to change the mentality by encouraging a more reflective and less consumerist approach to reading.

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Margeit no longer talks about "taste," but rather "intellectual nourishment"

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Purchase of books and support for bookstores

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Goodreads, owned by Amazon, is intrinsically linked to this online sales platform. To contribute to discussions about a book on Goodreads, users are often encouraged to purchase the books in digital format via Amazon. This practice can be perceived as a way to promote Amazon's sales, to the detriment of independent bookstores and libraries. In contrast, Margeit stands out by not favoring any particular sales platform. As an "abstract margin," Margeit accepts all formats and forms of the book, thus indirectly encouraging the purchase of books in physical bookstores and the use of libraries, supporting local book distribution networks and preserving traditional reading practices.

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To conclude

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In summary, while Margeit and Goodreads share the goal of creating reader communities, their approaches and features differ significantly. Margeit stands out with its ability to allow precise comments on specific pages, its lack of summaries, its implicit support for bookstores and libraries, and its focus on sourced and detailed knowledge. Goodreads, while popular and widely used, lacks these specific features that make Margeit a unique and valuable platform for discerning readers and academic researchers. These differences make each platform suited to distinct reading needs and goals.

To better understand Margeit, we invite you to read the articles on our Blog: “Why Margeit?”, “Margeit reshapes thinking through the evolution of its support” and “How can Margeit revolutionize the world of books?”.

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