PaperBackSwap :: Help Item - Similarity Index

Help Center - Similarity Index

Introduced August, 2008.

The Similarity Index shows how "alike" you and your Buddy are. it is determined based on the information you provide to the club through your participation. So when you apply star ratings to a book, add an item to your Wish List, or tell us what your favorite genres are, we're more able to come up with a profile of you as a reader. And as others do the same, we can start matching up people who have similar tastes and habits.

Right now, the Similarity Index is visible only on your Buddy List and on another member's Profile, but we do anticipate expanding this in many fun ways in the future.

To check your Similarity to a Buddy, go to your Buddy List (in the menu under My Account at the top of any page on the site, or from the Buddy List tab on the My Account main page). You will see a notation -- Similarity: xx% -- to the right of each Buddy's name. The range of similarity is from 0% to 100%.

Right now, most scores will be seem low. This is because the Similarity Index is based on some club features that are still pretty young or under-used. You can make your Similarity Index more powerful and accurate by applying Star ratings to every book you have read, and also choosing your favorite genres on the Member Homepage.

When you find a highly similar Buddy, you can

check her bookshelf for books she has that you might be interested in
check her Wish list for books she is interested in that you may want to Wish List too
revel in the glorious feeling of not being alone...you are not the only one with your weirdo taste in books! :)

This is a fun feature whose results may surprise you!