Rewritten Article:
Disapproval of Negative Reviews for 'Hillbilly Elegy' by Goodreads Enforced
It appears that Goodreads has imposed temporary restrictions on rating and reviewing JD Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy." According to 404 Media's initial report, users encounter a notification informing them that the book has limitations on user-submitted ratings and reviews due to suspicious activity.
When reached for comment, Goodreads remained tight-lipped, directing Gizmodo to the pop-up on their website.
JD Vance, a junior Senator from Ohio, has a lengthy list of questionable opinions. He's advocated for a "de-Ba'athification" program, suggested that daylight savings time negatively impacts women's fertility, and criticized "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" as a "cruel movie."
Before entering politics, Vance stirred controversy with his 2016 memoir detailing his family's struggles in Appalachia. The book, which was a massive success, was met with disapproval by many in the region. Netflix's movie adaptation, starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams, also faced critical backlash.
Online platforms often become battlegrounds for users expressing their disdain for artists and writers. Known as review bombing, this phenomenon occurs when users flood a platform with negative reviews due to personal gripes or cultural disagreements.
Goodreads has found itself amidst several review bombing controversies in the past. Churning out vitriolic comments like no other, populated by passionate young adult book fans, Goodreads took measures in October of 2023 to counter review bombing. Their system temporarily suspends user reviews when it detects posts that violate their guidelines.
Announced last year, Goodreads' new system has previously been implemented on books like "Israel" by Noa Tishby in December and "To Gaze Upon Wick Gods" by Molly X Chang in March. Curiously, users on Amazon, which owns Goodreads, are not under similar restrictions.
A one-star review posted on July 16 reads, "This book is much like the man who wrote it- garbage. It is inflammatory towards mountain people, so harsh and critical, and lacks any basic understanding of post-industrial collapse in a region that is rife with political oppression, lack of representation, and crumbling infrastructure."
For anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the historical and economic factors shaping Appalachia, I'd recommend digging into "Night Comes to the Cumberlands."
- Critics may question the future of Goodreads' tech, as the platform continues to grapple with the issue of review bombing, repeatedly deploying temporary suspension of user reviews to counteract such activities.
- Amidst the controversy surrounding JD Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," some may wonder if tech companies like Goodreads could eventually become more akin to tech-led governments, scanning for and moderating suspicious activity.
- It's interesting to observe the stark contrast between the passionate young adult book fans found on Goodreads and the 'hillbilly' population mentioned in Vance's memoir, who faced oppression and a lack of representation, much like the Jedi order under Palpatine's regime.
- In the future, tech-savvy individuals such as JD Vance, with their keen understanding of technology and tendency to voice strong opinions, could find themselves at the forefront of both political and cultural discourse, wielding the power to influence tech policies and shape the future of tech-driven platforms.