Website update changes

[Silver]

When I clicked on a notification that someone had replied to a comment I had commented on, it took me to the chapter the comment is under (I assume its the right chapter) but not to the comment so now I have to play hide an seek with it..

[Darth_Biomech]

• subscribe button is hard to find

I mean, really? Its a huge button right on the main page right next to bright yellow "continue", how can people miss that?!

[HRAM]

Thanks for that, I managed to find the episode list thanks to your comment. Having it on the right hand side will take some getting used to, but at least it's there! Now if there were a way to bring back the banners that'd be great. It makes no sense at all to hide those away,

[ajcrwl]

on episode pages. it's there, hidden in a menu in the bottom bar. if people had to go to series profile to sub that's even worse.

[wrentemple]

I feel Tapas' only advantage now is that it allows for the hosting of novels.
(I do not consider the support system an adv due to the egregious number of fees craved out of it
EDIT: The support system is even less of an advantage now because it's hidden in the details page...)

It just thwipped the last of it's personality and goodwill outta' the window for... Idk for WHAT exactly? ahah.

Readership was already waning for a lotta' non-premiums, and I can't imagine it'll get any better in the next few weeks where they scramble to spice this change up.

@Darth_Biomech
Yes, but how many readers are used to in-chapter subbing and will just wander off because of extra steps appearing where there were none previously?

The new in series sub button is nested in the bar next to the report button? like eh?

[ajcrwl]

the support button is hidden in the description page

huh? i still don't see it.

[HRAM]

I don't think it helps that 'subscribe', 'report', 'share' etc are all replaced with tiny wee symbols that not everyone is going to immediately understand. Just write things in plain speak.

[Likri]

You see it if you're checking another author's series, since yoou cant support yourself. above the list of donations.

[ajcrwl]

ohh, of course. thanks, I see it now.

[BeautifulDoubt]

I cant seem to look at my scheduled comic pages anymore either as a creator.
I liked how it was before. I want to look at my own pages and see who liked my stuff....this is frusterating and I dont think i like it.
I'll have to move if they dont change it again soon.

[AdamBraveOfficial]

Luckily, I had a chance for my comic to gain a good amount of subscribers before the update. But new creators are going to have a hard time.

Just what I want to hear...or read.

[HRAM]

"I cant seem to look at my scheduled comic pages anymore either as a creator."

Wow, that is pure idiocy. 'Coming soon!' What? As creators we ought to be able to see how they'll look onscreen whenever we want. I mean it's not like it'll be a spoiler if we post the things in the first place!

[ajcrwl]

As creators we ought to be able to see how they'll look onscreen whenever we want. I mean it's not like it'll be a spoiler if we post the things in the first place!

well, you can see it. from your dashboard go into edit mode for the episode and click preview, and see it in desktop or mobile format. it will be all the same when it's published.

[krisadafantasy]

What in the world my rare new reader suppose to know what my story is? Where's my banner and story title? Where is the chapter name? It's essential part of my work! Why bother with chapter thumbnail when it's so small down in the hidden menu? What with auto-hide menu bar? This is desktop website not mobile application!

Why chapter list is not pin by default? My story title, my banner, my chapter title, and chapter thumbnail is no where to be seen by default yet More like this series and Read Next is so prominent. They are already famous enough! Leave some space for us unknown creator! w(ﾟДﾟ)w

[HRAM]

Thanks for that! Though I still think we ought to be able to see it in regular mode anyway. The 'coming soon' is a bit daft from a creator's point of view.

[OBC]

Ah, thank god I'm not the only one. When it first loaded, I genuinely though something was wrong how it loaded, and tried refreshing.

And oh dear, do I wish it was a glitch.

Starting with what I like...

• I think having the comics and novel buttons, when clicked on, automatically directing you to the popular section, rather than Tapas exclusives, is a good change. It'll be far more welcoming for new readers to be presented with a mix of popular free and paid comics, rather than just comics that'll all need to be paid for.

-The free and paid button is a nice addition in general, because as someone who isn't buying comics, it's nice to know/avoid them so I don't get hooked and then surprised. Once again, this'll be nice for new readers.

Now, for the issues I have so far...

• In the Popular, Binge, and Fresh comic sections, there's a sort of annoying shifting with the comic covers due to their different sizes. This was never a problem with the old design. So now, you're left with a disorganized collage of covers.

• This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that there's no pages dividing up the categories now. So you're left with a continuous scroll that, in popular, binge, and fresh especially due to the aforementioned shifting, feels a bit overwhelming to wade through.

• The near complete white-out of the website. I liked the yellow and grey colors as they served as a nice contrast. Now, it's like 99% white, and it feels a lot more boring and straining to look at.

• The copying of the Webtoon/ redesigned Smackjeeves layout. It just begs the question of why? As far as I know, there were no real complaints against the previous layout. In fact, there were several things I personally, and probably many other people, liked with Tapas that weren't available with Webtoon. Such features was the side menu (rather than a separate page) to navigate and select episodes, auto scroll to the next page, starting off on the latest or last read page automatically...just to name a few major things now gone.

Now we're left with a copy, that nobody asked for, that feels unfinished in some areas, and messy in others.

And unfortunately, there's probably be a lot more changes I haven't found yet. Changes that'll hurt authors, break comics, or annoy readers. Changes that makes it clear Tapas, in rolling out this redesign, didn't ask several important questions:

Why do people like Tapas? What separates from other web comic websites? What's best for its users?

And lastly, as cliche as this may sound...
What makes Tapas...Tapas?

[HRAM]

There seems to be an uneasy trend nowadays where developers think that everyone uses mobile 'phones for the internet. Many do, but I don't know anyone who creates content on a smartphone. They use laptops/desktops, art programs, scanners and - well - desks covered with art supplies! You can't do any of that on a 'phone.

[mlocik97]

Most importantly, please change navigation bar to be fixed! When I scroll on bot of page, I need to scroll again on top to be able to click on something in menu. WTF?! And reading comics? I was always using arrows to navigate throught page of comics, now I need to use mouse!!!!

[CarltonIsaac]

You took away what made you unique to become another run-of-the-mill web-comic site.

Sad, Tapas, Sad.

[HRAM]

I remember thinking it was a bad idea to change "Tapastic" to "Tapas" mainly because when internet searching, the main thing that comes up under "Tapas" is food, not comics.