TheNextBigWriter Premium → Tablet editing frustration
I spent an hour trying to edit a chapter on my IPad mini and gave up. It took me five minutes to do the same task on my desktop. Google chrome had the same issue as Safari. I think the problems are, the interfaces being mouse friendly but difficult for touch interface, screen lockup, and scroll hijinks.
Yeah, editing on a tablet or phone is not ideal. We've been experimenting with this a bit and may have some ways to make it easier. For now though, I would recommend posting and editing on computer.
Sol:
I'm very fond of my iPad as I believe anybody owning an iPad is. Are you planning to upgrade the site to a more iPad-friendly environment.
Kiss,
Gacela.
Sol:
I'm very fond of my iPad as I believe anybody owning an iPad is. Are you planning to upgrade the site to a more iPad-friendly environment.
Kiss,
Gacela.
We've done a lot of work to make the reading and reviewing experience work well on tablets and phones. If that's not the case, let me know specifically where the problems lie.
In terms of editing and publishing, are users doing a lot of that on their mobile devices (tablets and phones)?
Sol
Communication is feasible on the phone. Reviewing is harder. I would attempt only the most minor of story edits because I don't thinkthe Android's physical interface is up to the challenge.
I find it difficult to type in an extended comment. I can only use the space given in the text box. I can't scroll down, and the enter key won't take me further down.
I can do the in-line review without any trouble. It's just the comment boxes that deters me.
Not that I do a lot of reviewing, but thought you might want to know. If it's helpful.
I have been having some frustrations too, but not to the extent I see here. However, I did find one interesting thing today. If you have an iPad, using the dictation button for long sections of text is awesome.
I have been having some frustrations to, but not to the extent I see here. However, I did find one interesting thing today. If you have an iPad, using the dictation button for long sections of text is awesome.
Sounds wonderful!!
Imagine the reviews you could get done. ☺️
But... I've got ipad2. It doesn't have that feature.
It's a good enough reason to upgrade though.
I wonder if there's a dictation app...?
I find it difficult to type in an extended comment. I can only use the space given in the text box. I can't scroll down, and the enter key won't take me further down.
We'll take a look at this and other iPad bugs and get them fixed.
If you have a problem, please provide very precise information on what the bug is. Loulou what you provided is a good level of specificity. Even more detailed information, like does this happen on every comment box or just certain ones is also helpful.
Thanks,
Sol
I have an iPad 2, also. I can't do in-line reviews with it. I click on a passage and no highlighting occurs.
I have an iPad 2, also. I can't do in-line reviews with it. I click on a passage and no highlighting occurs.
It can be done, maybe you aren't clicking right? I've got ipad2
First highlight the word -
- drag the little circles to make the highlight cover any other words you want to comment on
- touch the screen, but not on the highlighted area
- comment box will appear
- type comment
- submit.
I think I've relayed that correctly.
Sol
It's the comment box that is annoying. I haven't tried the regular review, so can't give feedback on that. Inline review comment box is the problem for me. The cursor jumped to the top. I would place the cursor where I wanted it to be, using my finger. Type more.
New paragraph, I would enter and it jumps back to top.
Place cursor back where I want and so forth
Until, the screen would no longer accept moving down anymore. I had not used
my word quota.
I had to submit my review as it was. Ending on a quirky note, and hopefully not to discouraging
When the site first came up and I tried the inline review (I did, I did!) I had something like that happen. But because I didn't have to do the precise point-here-point-there that you had to, I didn't suffer so much, and I had cursor keys to work with.
Sol
It's the comment box that is annoying. I haven't tried the regular review, so can't give feedback on that. Inline review comment box is the problem for me. The cursor jumped to the top. I would place the cursor where I wanted it to be, using my finger. Type more.
New paragraph, I would enter and it jumps back to top.
Place cursor back where I want and so forth
Until, the screen would no longer accept moving down anymore. I had not used
my word quota.
I had to submit my review as it was. Ending on a quirky note, and hopefully not to discouraging
This, coupled with the inability to "save" final comments before posting is a recipe for frustration and mistakes.
Yeah, editing on a tablet or phone is not ideal. We've been experimenting with this a bit and may have some ways to make it easier. For now though, I would recommend posting and editing on computer.
I think this is probably shortsighted. The number of people using tablets for this kind of thing is large and only going to grow. Serving the tablet crew should be front and center of any website these days.....
It seems to me that the difference between 'painful' and 'unusable' is the jump-to-top combined with the lack of cursor movement control. Fixing those might be a stopgap.
It seems to me that the difference between 'painful' and 'unusable' is the jump-to-top combined with the lack of cursor movement control. Fixing those might be a stopgap.
Agree. I also can't "paste" into the comments box. I had this great idea to do my comments offline in another app (Drafts), because there is no way to "save" a review in the closing comments. But it was a waste, as I couldn't paste. I ended up having to use the dictate feature - which work swell, but not ideal.
Sol, I forgot to add, I can add text at the top of the box. It seems, what I type first will eventually be last. ie. The enter key starts a new paragraph at the top of the page. And hence that is where I left my parting comment "sorry for the chaotic review..."
Thanks, I appreciate it
Sol, I'm sure I posted specifics on this issue the first few days or so after the new site went up, with specific issues. As I recall, you said you'd be addressing them. However, after seeing this post, I thought I'd reiterate:
1. Cursor jumping to the top in the panes, whether in reviews or forums, is an ongoing issue. My cursor bounces to the top, or off the edge of the bottom.
2. Scrolling is also a continuing problem.
3. Editing my novel's text is pretty close to impossible. Since I use iPad most of the time, these glitches are more than a tad annoying to me.
Thanks so much!
We'll be looking into all of these over the next week. I'll have updates to report shortly.
Sol
We'll be looking into all of these over the next week. I'll have updates to report shortly.
Sol
Happy to hear that. Thanks.
This is in regard not to a tablet but to my Android smartphone. They're both screen--oriented mobiles, so I'm trying here.
A few days ago I was delighted to find a page on this site that showed which of the reviews I gave has a reply. Now, on the Android, I cannot find that page.
Is it available on the mobile, and if so, where?
Where is it? Am I finding a different page? Are there two pages alike except that one has the reply/no-reply indicators and the other doesn't? Am I in a twisty maze of little web pages and one of them is not like the other?
Sol, I'm sure I posted specifics on this issue the first few days or so after the new site went up, with specific issues. As I recall, you said you'd be addressing them. However, after seeing this post, I thought I'd reiterate:
1. Cursor jumping to the top in the panes, whether in reviews or forums, is an ongoing issue. My cursor bounces to the top, or off the edge of the bottom.
2. Scrolling is also a continuing problem.
Did you have this problem on the old site with your iPad or with the forums? Do you have it on any other sites when you fill in a text box? We're troubleshooting this now.
Thanks,
Sol
Where is it? Am I finding a different page? Are there two pages alike except that one has the reply/no-reply indicators and the other doesn't? Am I in a twisty maze of little web pages and one of them is not like the other?
This column does not show on mobile due to space constraints. You are not going crazy 
. We can try to put it back but we are trying to make mobile a bit slimmed down because of the screen size.
TheNextBigWriter Premium → Tablet editing frustration
