Questions
If something here does not answer yours, there is a link at the bottom.
- What is spooled?
- A place to keep what you watch and read, and to write about it. You log a film or a book, give it a shelf, and add as much or as little writing as you feel like.
- Do I need an account to read?
- No. Anyone can read reviews, browse the catalogue and open a film, show or book page. An account is for keeping your own diary, lists and writing.
- Is it free?
- Yes. Browsing, your diary, shelves, lists, writing, search, recommendations and export are all free and stay that way.
- Who can see my diary?
- Your profile shows what you have logged and written. If you turn on a private profile in settings, your profile and everything on it becomes visible only to you.
- Why is there no star rating?
- Because a shelf says more. Four choices — loved it, liked it, fine, not for me — is the whole of what you give a film here, and it is one press. A number out of five looks precise and is not: nobody agrees what three and a half means, and averaging thousands of them turns “half adored it, half could not finish it” into the same score as “everyone thought it was fine”. On a film page you get the split instead, so you can see which of those you are looking at.
- Can I bring my history from somewhere else?
- Yes. Upload a CSV export from a film tracker or a reading site in settings and it works out what is in it. A spreadsheet of your own works too, as long as a column holds the title. Importing the same file twice is safe, because anything already in your diary is skipped.
- Something I read is missing. What now?
- The import adds missing titles to the catalogue as it goes, so most gaps fill themselves. If a book, film or show is still missing you can request it.
- Can I log a book I have not finished?
- Yes. Start reading it and record where you have got to, and it appears under Currently reading. If you give up on it you can mark it abandoned and keep the note about why.
- How are recommendations chosen?
- From people whose taste overlaps with yours, from creators you already like, and from films, shows, and books that divide the people who have logged them. Every recommendation says why it is there.
- I only care about films, or only shows, or only books.
- Choose which one in settings and browse, your diary, the feed and recommendations all follow it. Search still finds everything, and people you follow still reach you whatever they write about.
- Can I get my data out?
- Export is free and always will be. It is not built yet, and it is coming.
- How do I delete my account?
- On the website, Settings, then Privacy, then Delete account. In the iPhone app, Settings, then Privacy, then Delete account. Either removes your diary, writing, lists and follows at once. Stuck? Email privacy@spooled.me from the address on your account.
Still stuck? Tell us.