New Lit Story Page Preview

[BelleCanzuto]

As we continue to get more feedback on the reading time, it does seem like it's causing confusion for some people since it can't be accurate for everyone. Although it does give you a standardized story length measure, it's possible that we should start with number of words and then later allow users to turn on the reading time, either with a default calculation or with their own custom reading speed. We are thinking about it now and might try to tweak that data on the page before it gets out of BETA.

Thank you for the suggestion.

IF you're going to get rid of or hide the reading time feature, can you put the number of pages of the story in the story info box? It's nice to have some indication of the length of the story before reading through the first several thousand words. I agree with the other newer authors (because the same was true for me) that until I started writing, I didn't think in terms of word count.

 

[MelissaBaby]

This is part of the new Series feature, and will appear in the Story Info Box once the Series feature is rolled out in the Author Control Panel.

Great! Thank you.

 

[SimonDoom]

As we continue to get more feedback on the reading time, it does seem like it's causing confusion for some people since it can't be accurate for everyone. Although it does give you a standardized story length measure, it's possible that we should start with number of words and then later allow users to turn on the reading time, either with a default calculation or with their own custom reading speed. We are thinking about it now and might try to tweak that data on the page before it gets out of BETA.

Thank you for the suggestion.

My two cents:

I think this is, in theory, a useful feature. If an estimated reading time is accurate then it gives the reader more useful information than the story length. The question is whether it's accurate. I know, speaking personally, I would find this feature useful, because I like to read Literotica stories by other authors, but I'm sensitive to how long it will take to get through them.

You might offer an option on members' control pages in which they can input their reading speed. You might offer a default in the absence of an affirmative entry. I think this would be useful.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You might offer an option on members' control pages in which they can input their reading speed. You might offer a default in the absence of an affirmative entry. I think this would be useful.

I agree - if an individual's reading speed could be easily bolted into the formula, that would be handy. Seeing ia read time quantified in minutes would give me an instant order of magnitude, whereas page counts or word counts require a mental calculation - and, what with aluminium saucepans and various cheeky distractions, that's... why we have computers, innit?

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

You might offer an option on members' control pages in which they can input their reading speed. You might offer a default in the absence of an affirmative entry. I think this would be useful.

Regardless of the approach, if the estimated amount of minutes stays I'd think it would be very useful to tell the user what that estimation is based on, either the default or what they inputted. I mentioned it before, but something along the lines of "92 minutes (at 200 wpm)" would instantly tell people WHY it thinks it would take 92 minutes. That number can then be replaced if they override it in their settings, and the minutes would change, but for calculations like this it is very useful to know why you're getting the result that you do.

 

[SimonDoom]

Regardless of the approach, if the estimated amount of minutes stays I'd think it would be very useful to tell the user what that estimation is based on, either the default or what they inputted. I mentioned it before, but something along the lines of "92 minutes (at 200 wpm)" would instantly tell people WHY it thinks it would take 92 minutes. That number can then be replaced if they override it in their settings, and the minutes would change, but for calculations like this it is very useful to know why you're getting the result that you do.

I agree. I mean, you can do the math and figure out the WPM rate easily, but the easier you make data for people the more useful it is, especially when the point is to make their time more efficient.

 

[tomlitilia]

The new design looks great. Tags as a clickable option at the top is a very useful feature. Great job!

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

I know this has been possible in the past too, but maybe it's time users are prevented from being able to follow (favorite author) themselves? I just saw the button for it in several places, and while it's not that big of a deal, it is kind of weird to be able to do that, at least to me. Same as voting on your own story I suppose. Shouldn't be too hard to just not show those options if you're logged in and viewing one of your own stories.

 

[KeithD]

I know this has been possible in the past too, but maybe it's time users are prevented from being able to follow (favorite author) themselves? I just saw the button for it in several places, and while it's not that big of a deal, it is kind of weird to be able to do that, at least to me. Same as voting on your own story I suppose. Shouldn't be too hard to just not show those options if you're logged in and viewing one of your own stories.

I don't see a good reason to do it either, but if it takes time and effort to make it an exception in the system, I don't see a reason to bother with doing it either. Who cares?

 

[LaRascasse]

I miss the old comments page where I could see all the comments against a story with 50 per page. Is that still there? When I clicked on the comments link, I got redirected to the same page.

Example URL : https://www.literotica.com/stories/storyfeedbackboard.php?id=629929&pagehint=6

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Since I'm a multitasker, or maybe just distractable, I accept reading time as a rough guess based on something like nonstop 200 words per minute, plus or minus a bunch, and my mileage will vary depending on what else I'm doing. It's a derived quantity. What isn't derived is word count. Maybe keep the reading time and also add the word count? Over time this might help readers learn how to use the two quantities together.

 

[KeithD]

It hasn't occurred that a reader doesn't have a single, personal reading rate? It depends not only on their personal pace but also on the density of the individual work he/she is reading. Again, it's a hocus-pocus stat derived from the modern misconception that everything can be reduced to a meaningful stat and that it's worth whatever expense and effort need go to providing that stat.

 

[ElectricBlue]

It hasn't occurred that a reader doesn't have a single, personal reading rate? It depends not only on their personal pace but also on the density of the individual work he/she is reading. Again, it's a hocus-pocus stat derived from the modern misconception that everything can be reduced to a meaningful stat and that it's worth whatever expense and effort need go to providing that stat.

Which is why most of the commentary is along the lines of, "Gee, it would be nice if I could put my usual reading speed into the system, because that would be a handy guide for me." Clearly, for you, it's not a handy thing to have, but for others, it obviously is. It's a single data set that can be sucked into a formula that would make it vaguely more useful than picking a single metric. What's the big deal?

Manu has asked for feedback on various features - he's getting feedback. What the site does with the feedback is up to the site. You don't want the feature. Fine. If it's applied, don't use it. It's not hard.

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

I don't see a good reason to do it either, but if it takes time and effort to make it an exception in the system, I don't see a reason to bother with doing it either. Who cares?

I don't think it would take that much time to hide them based on user ID, but you never know for sure without having seen the source code. Maybe it is a lot of work. I don't know. I definitely wouldn't have suggested something as small as this normally, but if Manu is still actively working on the page anyway... I just thought it was odd and figured I would mention it. I'm not saying it has to be changed, just giving my opinion.

 

[KeithD]

my usual reading speed

So, I guess you slipped over the point that you don't really have a "usual reading speed." (It's a constantly moving stat. The very next thing you read changes the stat.)

But I can certainly see why the Web site would be pursuing esoterica like this rather than cleaning up the dormant stuff on the Web site. Ask Fern a question, shall we? Or look how current the monthly contest results are or the status of the annual "best of" voting?

 

[ElectricBlue]

So, I guess you slipped over the point that you don't really have a "usual reading speed." (It's a constantly moving stat. The very next thing you read changes the stat.)

But I can certainly see why the Web site would be pursuing esoterica like this rather than cleaning up the dormant stuff on the Web site. Ask Fern a question, shall we? Or look how current the monthly contest results are or the status of the annual "best of" voting?

Of course it's a changeable thing, that's a "duh" - which is why I deliberately used the word "usual". I know my average fiction reading speed - some authors slow me down, others are so turgid I stop, others I can skate over the top, twice as fast. But generally, I'm around 250 words a minute, and if I'm bothered calculating a read time, and the system allowed a variable, that's what I'd plug in.

It would be an occasionally handy feature, like two trip meters on a car. I don't really need two because the odometer is the master, but every now and then I get curious about a trip distance and set one to zero. Because I can, and because someone engineering a gadget to let me do it. Some of us just like gadgets - some more than others, obviously.

But I take your point about the other things that could be tidied up or just removed. But hey, the owners are doing something, which is better than nothing. I think so, anyway- but to quote a couple of others around here, YMMV .

 

[SimonDoom]

So, I guess you slipped over the point that you don't really have a "usual reading speed." (It's a constantly moving stat. The very next thing you read changes the stat.)

But I can certainly see why the Web site would be pursuing esoterica like this rather than cleaning up the dormant stuff on the Web site. Ask Fern a question, shall we? Or look how current the monthly contest results are or the status of the annual "best of" voting?

My reading rate is highly variable, but, just speaking for myself, I would find this feature mildly useful. While my reading rate varies for different kinds of writings, the density and difficulty of Literotica stories fall within a sufficiently narrow range that I could estimate a pace that would be useful to me. A number in minutes would save me some small incremental amount of time needed to estimate time based on Literotica pages or word counts.

It's not big potatoes, but it's not nothing. I applaud the Site for being responsive and introducing new features to make the Site more appealing, in big ways as well as little.

 

[Son_of_Battles]

So, I guess you slipped over the point that you don't really have a "usual reading speed." (It's a constantly moving stat. The very next thing you read changes the stat.)

But I can certainly see why the Web site would be pursuing esoterica like this rather than cleaning up the dormant stuff on the Web site. Ask Fern a question, shall we? Or look how current the monthly contest results are or the status of the annual "best of" voting?

lol, we are still about two and a half years behind on the monthly contests, and the voting for the 2017 readers choice awards was supposed to begin on October 1st, but that day has come and gone. We'll get to it when we get to it I guess, or it will keep getting put off until everyone finally forgets those contests ever existed.

 

[KeithD]

lol, we are still about two and a half years behind on the monthly contests, and the voting for the 2017 readers choice awards was supposed to begin on October 1st, but that day has come and gone. We'll get to it when we get to it I guess, or it will keep getting put off until everyone finally forgets those contests ever existed.

It seems a simple step just to drop them--along with Fern . . . and the "news" section, the current highlight of which is that Bill Cosby may have woman problems.

 

[Son_of_Battles]

It seems a simple step just to drop them--along with Fern . . . and the "news" section, the current highlight of which is that Bill Cosby may have woman problems.

Bill Cosby? When did this happen! I am so shocked by this recent turn of events!

 

[KeithD]

Bill Cosby? When did this happen! I am so shocked by this recent turn of events!

The top headline in the news section of the story page: "Bill Cosby Ordered to Stand Trial in Sex Case" (May, 2016).

 

[gordo12]

The top headline in the news section of the story page: "Bill Cosby Ordered to Stand Trial in Sex Case" (May, 2016).

Actually his appeal on his conviction was just denied today.

 

[KeithD]

Actually his appeal on his conviction was just denied today.

Which, if read against the current news posted on Literotica, could lead to a real headscratcher.

 

[tomlitilia]

The new Series feature allows authors full control of their Series. The first version was actually completed along with the new Control Panel and it worked very much like the Lists feature. We haven't rolled it out because we decided to rethink how it works, both in the Control Panel, and for readers. Since the new site interface is rolling out, we can soon roll out the new Series (with improvements over the unreleased version) as well.

We plan to eventually allow readers to "collapse" series on all of the main Lit hubs so that they can either see what is new/popular by individual story (chapters) or with series folded into a single listing. It's not a simple thing to do, because if you're a reader looking for popular Erotic Couplings stories, we can easily show popular single parts. But if we collapse all series into individual series listings, we need to show them that there is a full series, but that series has a popular chapter in this category. There are also issues with how we should show scores on series vs one part stories, etc. We've been working on it for a long time, with a lot of feedback from authors and readers, and it will be part of the new site.

That's nice to hear there will be some new series features. One thing I've been missing is the option to indicate the length of the series in the name, e.g. as "XXX Ch. 1 of 4." Then at least readers get an idea of how long the series is, and many probably appreciate knowing that it has an end. I attempted this with a series, and the first chapter was published accordingly. But when I submitted the second chapter, the "of 4" was dropped from both the first and second chapter, presumably to make them fit with how Literotica sorts chapter. Will this be solved with the new system?

 

[HeyAll]

Question/Suggestion:

The new version of Word has a feature that has a voice which could read the text to you.

How much would it cost Literotica to have a feature that reads the story for you by voice? Is such a thing plausible in the future?