Log in:
Email: Password:
ALSO BY CLIFF1976

All About Wish Lists

Using Wish Lists
Find a User
Search Wishes

Stats
BookCrossing Wishes explained by cliff1976

So, you'd like to know more about these wishes? You came to the right place.
  1. You really closin' up shop? How come? When?
  2. How can I donate funds toward the upkeep of this site?
  3. What are the basics I need to know about using this site?
  4. What is my obligation if I decide to use this site?
      Or:
    • Do I have to find books for someone else if I make a wish here?
    • If someone puts a book on their wish list and I have it, do I have to send it to them?
    • What if more than one person is wishing for the same book? Who should get it first?
  5. Is this really free?
  6. I made wishes for some of the same books by the same authors as other users, but my username and wish date aren't displayed in the Most Wanted Books section. What's up with that?
  7. Why is your site asking me for my email address?
      Or:
    • Are you going to sell or otherwise use my email address?
    • Is there some fine print about trusted "strategic marketing partners" that acts as a loop-hole to allow you to spam me?
    • If not, what you need it for then?
  8. How can I make a link to my wishes in my BookCrossing.com bookshelf/profile?
  9. Who are you?
  10. I need to change my email address and/or password and/or screen name. How can I update my info for the wish list?
  11. Who are you?
  12. Where else can I turn to for help?
  13. This is not the look & feel that I remember since my last visit. What has changed? Why?
You really closin' up shop? How come? When?
Yep. Given that the long-term goal has been reached, and BookCrossing.com now offers an integrated wish list feature, there's no need for this site to exist. It has been a lot of fun and I've learned a lot over the years about the technology as well as the interpersonal interactions with a broad base of users. I'm grateful. Head over to BookCrossing.com, join the Members Plus program and continue wishing away over there. You'll be helping to keep BookCrossing in business.

I'm not allowing any new sign-ups here on this site any more, but that doesn't mean anyone who has a wish list here already needs to stop using it. There's a lot of donated money in the account I set up for maintaining this site, and until it runs out, feel free to wish away here. Of course, it makes the most sense, in my opinion, to stop wishing here immediately and start doing it over there, since you'll be helping to fund BookCrossing and the team over there already has a snapshot of your wishes as of a couple weeks ago. It'll be easier (meaning less manual wish list upkeep for you) to make a clean break now.

So when this little site runs out of money or users, whichever happens first (I'm guessing money), it'll quietly go poof, and that'll be the end of it. Thanks; it was fun while it lasted.
How can I donate funds toward the upkeep of this site?
Thanks for the thought, but I'm not accepting any donations at this time. Check the news entry from April 24th, 2008 for details.
Back to top
What are the basics I need to know about using this site?
  • You need to have a BookCrossing.com screen name.
  • You need to have a modern web browser that accepts cookies and allows JavaScript.
  • This is a service I am offering; it's something I work on in my spare time for fun. As such, I offer no warranties, express or implied...blah, blah, blah.
Back to top
What is my obligation if I decide to use this site?
Your only obligation as a user of this site, is to cross off your wishes when they have been fulfilled or you have changed your mind. This is helpful to those of us who enjoy finding books for other people (as I do). Don't be surprised if someone else decides not give you their snail mail address — even though you're trying to do them a favor by sending them a book they're wishing for! Handing out that kind of information is completely voluntary, of course. If you do decide to acquire books for other people, and more than one user wants a particular book you have, I suggest you go by the wish date to decide should get it first. Or maybe you could contact the users using a private message to ask them how dire their needs are.
Back to top
Is this really free?
No, of course not. Someone has to pay for the hosting and the time spent making improvements. Consider it my gift to you.
Back to top
I made wishes for some of the same books by the same authors as other users, but my username and wish date aren't displayed in the Most Wanted Books section. What's up with that?
Before you make a wish, I suggest that you use the Search Wishes function to see if anyone else has already wished for the same book you desire. Check the spelling and formatting of author names and book titles in the search results — you may wish to format your wish identically to existing wishes. This may allow your wish to show up on the Most Wanted Books page...and that might help your wish to be fulfilled sooner.
Back to top
Why is your site asking me for my email address?
In order to make sure that you don't cross off any other user's wish by mistake I have implemented a username/password system for this service. I promise not to spam you. I hate spam.
Back to top
How can I make a link to my wishes in my BookCrossing.com bookshelf/profile?
Check out the section below entitled "The Code."
Back to top
I need to change my email address and/or password and/or screen name. How can I update my info for the wish list?
For changing your email address and/or password, or even the list of countries you specifically want to watch for: do it yourself in the User Settings section. For a screen name change: Send cliff1976 a BookCrossing private message.
Back to top
Who are you?
Well, my name is Cliff and this is my website. I like to travel. I like to ski. I am married to this woman. I like to learn about computers and databases and stuff like that. I really like to read. Here's what I'd like to read next: books on my wish list.
Back to top
Where else can I turn to for help?

Back to top

The Code

You can use this simple piece of HTML in your BookCrossing.com profile or a webpage of your own.

A simple HTML hyperlink

<a href="http://bcwish.cliff1976.net/MarahSulloy/">My Wish List</a>

Just make sure that you replace "MarahSulloy" in this example with your own BookCrossing username.
The result: My Wish List

An inline frame

<iframe src="http://bcwish.cliff1976.net/inline/MarahSulloy/" frameborder="1" ></iframe>

Same thing applies here — you have to put your own BookCrossing username in place of "MarahSulloy".
The result:

How It Works

It's pretty much like any other database-driven application out there on the web. There's a database holding the data in the background, and a webserver that queries the database and delivers the results to your browser. The guts aren't that interesting to most people, but if you're interested, I don't mind talking about the nuts and bolts. Just ask me.

So, you can put the code sample in your BookCrossing profile and other BookCrossers surfing by your bookshelf might decide to click on the link and see what books you're wishing for. You can distribute your wish list however you like (via email, for example) using just the URL part of the hyperlink above, i.e.:
http://bcwish.cliff1976.net/MarahSulloy/