Feature: Block users or comics

bilvyy 2017-02-15 12:06:54 UTC #1

I think a block feature is important to have on any website in which users can interact with each other, like if you have a commenter who makes you uncomfortable etc - The same goes for maybe blocking certain comics from appearing on the front page if it was something you didn't want to have to see whenever you're browsing.

UzukiCheverie 2017-02-15 19:30:10 UTC #2

The former would definitely be handy for those who have had issues with trolls or harassment from other users. Thankfully Tapastic is a pretty great community, but there are definitely still issues I've seen arise with users on the main site where blocking them would have been a nice feature to have.

As for the second one, in regards to comics, this one's a bit tougher to do. The front page is not like Youtube, where it's based on your reading habits/preferences/etc. The front page is static across all users, and is based on an algorithm that's built based on views/unique hits/subscribes/etc. that are gathered within a certain period of time (for Popular it's within 24 hours, for Trending it's within a smaller amount of time, like 6 hours or something like that). If you wanted to be able to block specific comics from showing up on the front page, Tapastic would essentially have to rebuild the entire system that the front page is based on... which is way too much unnecessary work just for being able to block comics, when the solution is as simple as "If you don't want to read them, don't read them". It's not like users where it's an actual person who can directly influence you (and I haven't seen any comics so far of users using their work to harass other users... they just harass the user directly).

eleoza 2017-02-15 20:44:48 UTC #3

I agree, a block option would be handy. Personally I haven't met any mean people but I've heard stories on the forum before of people being harressed >.< Hopefully we'll get this sometime :3
As for blocking comics on the main page, I kinda think I might know what you mean, I guess it must get annoying to see the same comics all the time whenever they update. As someone who has a comic that shows up on the front page I gotta admit that (even though I'm grateful for it) the thought crossed my mind a few times wondering if I wasn't annoying people with it. But like Uzuki said, blocking comics might be hard to do.
Personally I would like to see tapas opened with the 'fresh' section of the site since that changes all the time and less known comics would have a chance to stand out. However there have been some fake comics with movie ads going around which kinda ruins it. So 'trending' might be the better idea there.

indagold 2017-02-16 00:45:27 UTC #4

Blocking people is great feature that is sorely needed. Blocking comics? Not quite sure what the point to that honestly. Sounds really useless.

bilvyy 2017-02-16 01:52:34 UTC #5

@UzukiCheverie I see where you're comingfrom with the "don't want to read them, then don't" and I absolutely agree. I've had experiences where I've read a comic that was on the Popular page and the content made me extreemely uncomfortable, so now whenever I see it's icon I get shudders and think about it again when I'd rather see just a greyed out "You have this comic blocked" box.

A more personal situation that I was hoping not to go into is that I've had a bad experience with the author of a Popular comic, and now seeing their thumbnail or spotlight up there all the time makes me incredibly anxious and sometimes sick. I guess not everyone has this experience, but I thought if the feature was in place then people like me would at least have that way of making Tapastic a happier place for themselves.

@Lucazu I really like the idea of having trending comics on the front page! It would keep the page front page feeling fresh while still maintaining a high quality of work as the first impression of tapastic

@indagold I guess there aren't many people who have the same experiences as me then. I didn't think there'd be any harm in suggesting it though, so oh well!

GoldenPlume 2017-02-16 05:58:25 UTC #6

The current homepage is probably best for first time and irregular readers. For those who visit multiple times a day every day, we hear you. It gets rather boring seeing the same stuff up there all the time. We can also understand how someone might feel irritated if they were offended by a creator or a series' subject matter and keep seeing it up there all the time.

It would be nice for long term users of Tapastic to have a personal homepage based off what their reading preferences are. The likely result would result in new series being found easier. "Oh you like X Y and Z? Oh here are A B and C new series that you may enjoy." It might be hard to block each series individually, but genre exclusions could be easy enough.

As of recent, we've been bypassing the homepage completely, instead going direct to our dashboard to check for updates and access our reading list. The one episode only Staff Picks are really starting to become too commonplace and its demoralizing on the many creators who have invested far more of themselves, without any sort of recognition.

joannekwan 2017-02-16 06:19:00 UTC #7

I totally get this! This is why I avoid looking too long at the homepage as much as possible.

This is what I've done from the get-go. I like having my series available to edit as quickly as possible.

I really will only click on the home page like a couple times a week to see if the spotlight's changed. Other than that I'll click on comics to see the popular section and check on my ranking with a quick glance only when one of my series is updated.

Pik 2017-02-16 07:45:24 UTC #8

Not a perfect solution, but if you find certain thumbnails really bother you, you could try a browser addon like AdBlock Plus that allows you to right-click specific images and block them from ever showing up again. I don't think you could block titles this way, though.

This would be really nice to see, and would be a good way for smaller comics to get more exposure instead of everyone competing for the same front page.