Game, round #5, Tell us about the New Series Page!

Loic 2013-10-26 01:51:55 UTC #1

The rules of this game are simple, give feedback for brownie points

Did you herd? That's right, Tapastic just got a super crazy series page makeover. What do you think? I luz it.

You're gonna like the way it looks, we can guarantee it.

ninakester 2013-10-26 02:07:35 UTC #2

Iz lurvz it SOOO much! : D

but I might be a little biased... What do all y'all think?

Andrej 2013-10-26 03:28:35 UTC #3

It's nice and super tidy -- although the resolution adaptability from before's gone.

Before this update, i could resize my browser and my resolution to any size and the comic page would adapt to it. Now there's a bit to the right I can't see, and there's no h-scroll to get over there. I gotta zoom out to take a full look at it.

Also, at my dashboard, It's saying I have 0 comments now -- although I had a few comments here and there (they're still there, I just have to manually check them out through the dashboard), and my rating's now a not super flattering 1. I had a single vote of a 5 before, but still!

EDIT: For curiosity's sake, I checked out the site on my netbook, ...

Here the comic scaling works just fine -- even if the screen resolution's smaller than my other computer. Still, there's a problem here as well: I can't browse through my comic pages from here. That bit where it says "The First Day - Page 30" is all the room I have to scroll through my pages. It won't go down any further, and I have to brute force it to get it respond.

And it's likewise if I'm using a amartphone and checking out the fullsite through an internet browser -- the comic won't fit in the space, but I can point and drag over my comic page to check it out, but the space to browse through comic pages is non-existant.

Love how it looks and (should) work, but I feel it's not as 100% ready for everything as the previous one.

Yoon 2013-10-26 11:13:29 UTC #4

Thanks for the feedback!

Yes, I agree with you. we will improve it more! (if you want to use the previous one, please delete your browser *.tapastic.com cookies.)

Yes, I know that's buggy.. So we'll build our new comment system pretty soon.

Yoon 2013-10-27 05:37:44 UTC #5

@Andrej I've added a beta version of reading mode for solving this problem. For now It's just like a hidden menu. Please feel free to let me know any feedbacks. Thanks.
Switch reading mode hotkey is "r".

Andrej 2013-10-27 14:29:44 UTC #6

@isyoon The R hotkey works fine on both computers, though to different results On the first computer (the one where the comic page didn't fit at all), the comic thumbnails line up to the side, allowing the comic page to be read in full.

I really dig the way the icons line up. Reminds me of Ubuntu Unity!

Meanwhile, on my netbook, in which the comic page adapted nicely to the screen size but I had no way to browse through the comic pages, now the comic menu pops upwards, allowing me to browse through the pages.

Both results work fine!

Yoon 2013-10-27 22:58:43 UTC #7

@Andrej Thanks for the feedback!

I think the second one is not working perfectly. I think that version of chrome(with linux) has a problem. I'll take a look at it then fix it!
Thanks.

Andrej 2013-10-28 01:52:19 UTC #8

Super weird. My main computer, in which I make my comic, also runs Linux (Ubuntu 13.10, to be precise. The netbook runs Lubuntu 13.04) and in Chrome the pages are shown like in the Windows 7 screenshot. Maybe it's something about the screen resolution?

Hope this helps!

Yoon 2013-10-28 02:12:24 UTC #9

Thanks for giving your information!
Sometimes, browser doesn't work exactly the same on different O/S even if the same browser. Like
slightly different. Anyway, I'll fix it soon after installing Linux!

Thank you so much for participating!

Drezz 2013-10-28 12:40:13 UTC #10

I have a couple of questions.

1) How are pageviews counted now that all of your work is posted on one page? Or is this system being eliminated? Personally, I don't feel ranking by pageviews is necessarily the best gauge for good content. If anything, more people are directed to comics with higher page counts on the main page, and the other comics get buried in the pile.

BUT

2) If pageviews are not important and everything is to be set up in one long vertical scroll, how is ad revenue going to be affected for those who receive something for having ads on each page of their work?

3) Is there a way of possibly condensing the size of the images in the 'commercial break' between each comic. For long form series that release a single page per update (El Cuervo, Shadowbinders, etc) it definitely ruins the reading flow by having a bunch of promoted comics in between pages.

If the pageview thing is being nixed, I have no problem reformatting my comics to go by chapter, in order to limit the amount of crosslinked comics breaking up the pages. But I get it if you're still in a user-beta phase to see how this thing is going to work out in the end.

Thanks!

Drezz 2013-10-28 14:36:03 UTC #11

On further inspection, the scrolling mechanism is quite intuitive.

I checked in on a subscription, and the page was filled only with the specific content, so it appears that individual page system still works - but if you begin anywhere else in the stream, the comics that follow will be displayed below until you've reached the last one. Also, it looks like the pages are independent, as the URLs change as you scroll.

What sort of witchcraft is this!?

STAFF 2013-10-28 17:24:39 UTC #12

Every time a reader views an individual episode, it will count as a view, just like the previous system. You'll notice once you scroll onto a new episode, the url changes

Ad revenue functions the same as the previous layout - there's still an ad between each episode.

We're still testing the waters and constantly making changes.

brianorlando 2013-10-28 17:36:13 UTC #13

Just to add to that:

-AD revenue works the same way as before...although this format will most likely increase ad revenue due to the higher number of ad impressions. Yay.

Drezz 2013-10-28 18:34:08 UTC #14

Thanks for the responses!

scudderkidwel 2013-10-29 16:46:42 UTC #15

Just finished reading the above listed questions, concerns and/or comments. Good to hear that the page-counts still count each page/episode as one view; and also happy to hear that the revenue earnings might actually increase as readers scroll through the pages. Does this count for both up and down scrolling... or only just scrolling in one direction-- up or down?

Also, my concern is where does a new reader end up in the series and where does the returning reader end up? Especially the new reader-- do they start at the beginning or do they start at the most current page/episode?

Loic 2013-10-29 17:37:57 UTC #16

@brianorlando can correct me if I'm wrong, but new users will start at the beginning of a series and returning users should end up where they left off (I just tested this today on the series I follow). If you click on "Serial", as seen in this image, you can alter the order in which the episodes appear! As for the likelihood of increased revenue... let's just say it's harder to stop reading something that's infinitely scrolling

brianorlando 2013-10-29 23:37:26 UTC #17

Yep. We are working on making this process less confusing. Update coming soon.

scudderkidwel 2013-10-30 18:28:37 UTC #18

One thing I've learned over the years from my own experience... the more bells and whistles you place on your comic page presentation, the less readers you'll receive. All they want to do is click on a link, read the latest page and move on. Although, the extra bells and whistles look so pretty and Star-Trek like, it only adds to the navigational confusion of the reader. The readers only want to see the comic, and the buttons for the next and/or previous page. The first time I experienced the scroll-only page presentation... I was like, "WTF." KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid.

You could be standing directly under the sign that point the way to the nearest restroom and you'll always have someone ask, "Where's the restroom?" Never fails.

Loic 2013-10-30 19:15:29 UTC #19

@scudderkidwel In this matter we have two camps here at Tapastic. The complicate-and-add-flare-to-everything camp (me) and the keep-it-simple camp (everybody else). I'm told that my idea of making something awesome looking is just... awful. I disagree... I think neon strobe lights are appropriate in any setting!

You're absolutely right that simplicity is key and it's something the design team lives and breathes. As this new iteration of the series page becomes more streamlined and polished, it will be (we hope) more to your liking.

scudderkidwel 2013-10-30 19:34:00 UTC #20

One of the things I learned from my mentor was knowing when to stop before you totally ruin your work. Throw a can of paint onto a canvas and sell it for thousands of dollars. Spend days and/or weeks creating a masterpiece and no-one notices. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder... and sometime the beholder is blind as a bat.