CSP: I Can't Satisfy Anybody About the Footnotes · 4:04am Sep 1st, 2017
First, I came through Harvey all right. I was well away from the winds for landfall, and I was on high ground with good drainage for the 25+ inches of rain that fell at my house. And, thankfully, one of the roads leading out of where I live reopened just barely in time for me to travel to this weekend's convention for selling things.
Second, today I had yet another complaint about the footnotes.
So, here's an idea. What if I had one chapter for just the footnotes? It would require multiple tabs or windows for reading, but it would make them easier to find.
Also, if I did that, should it be one huge footnote-y chapter in order, or should each chapter have its own subordinate chapter of footnotes?
Or should I leave things as they are?
(BTW, next chapter is about 2/3 done first draft at 8500 words.)
Some people would complain about being hanged ⁽*⁾ with a used rope.
(*) Not hung. Look it up.
Do footnotes the way you want. We'll work around them.
Definitely think iisaw's method is the best for footnotes here, having a whole second chapter just for them is awkward, and can screw over people using e-readers to read offline.
Just scroll through any of his stuff to see how he does it, seems to work well.
4654528
I have to agree agree here, unfortunately. I read fics on my mobile, so by the time I get to the footnotes, I have forgotten what they are referencing to, and scrolling up and down becomes a mission.
But what ever you do, please don't use a multi-chapter approach.
Having a whole second chapter is a torture for those reading your story on the go on mobile devices.
Fimfiction itself isn't the most footnote friendly environment, but your current method kinda works, so kudos for that.
“It's over, Harvey! I have the high ground!
Please don't do separate chapters for the footnotes. Those of us with tabs can already read the footnotes that way by opening two copies of the same chapter. One for story, one for footnotes. Splitting them into two chapters will just make reading on a mobile more painful and confuse some people.
There is not currently a good way to display footnotes on this site that will satisfy everyone. Just keep on the way you are doing. We'll muddle through well enough.
If you do change your format, update your old chapters. It is best to be consistent throughout your story, irregardless of if the new format is better or worse.
Honestly I don't care too much how you do footnotes. What you're doing works. But since you are soliciting opinions, I think using a separate chapter has merit. Even mobile browsers have tab functionality and I find switching tabs easier than frantic scrolling, especially when I don't know exactly where I'm scrolling to, on any platform I use for websites. Multiple footnote chapters would be a mistake, though. That much division isn't necessary and it makes binging old chapters more annoying.
I'm with 4654595 on this one. Currently you can either scroll down to read the footnotes, or to open a copy in a new tab and keep it scrolled to footnotes. But if you move footnotes to a separate chapter, the first option will no longer be available. Noone will gain from that.
So I strongly suggest you stick to your current ways until proper footnotes have been implemented.
I was undecided, but, after reading some of the comments, I think I'll vote for just keeping the current system.
Also, glad you're safe.
Personally, I'm fine with it as is.
4654520
It seems to me that any chap who was hung with a used rope has several unique "concerns" we'll say, that ought to take precedence over any complaints.
Keep the footnotes! I personally pass them over during a first read. When I do go back, their context is easy to understand in line like they are now.
4654569 Well, he is a Jedi Knight.
Do the footnotes however it's easiest. I saw someone doing a one-shot that had text boxes mid-story to put the footnotes into, but I can't remember now who it was. It worked because they were kind of more sidebars than footnotes, so less scrolling involved. But I have no complaints on your footnotes.*
*: This is MLP, shouldn't they be hoofnotes?
It requires multiple tabs for reading for me anyway. Go for it!
You can not please everyone all the time. Do what works for you.
4654753 I believe that's the Right_Insert⁽*⁾ tag
(*) Everything betwee the [right (underscore) insert] and the [/right (underscore) insert] area is put in a box to the right
It puts things over to one side and out of the way. Very nice for some things, but mostly short stuff. It used to put a real box around the stuff, but since the update, it's boxless, which isn't that bad.
I don't mind them how they are now, but putting them in a separate chapter would make it more of a hassle to read them on mobile.
Glad to hear that you're fine.
4654753 Typical pony-centric bigotry, #griffonrightsmatter
Well, the current system isn't bad.
4654820 Yep, looks like it. Marvelous format code IMO.
I agree with my fellow commenters: the current system works alright as-is, variations thereon would work fine, and relegating the footnotes to another chapter/page (turning them into endnotes) would make things much less convenient. Cheers, and I'm glad to hear that you've come out of the storms alright!
I'd prefer the footnotes to appear immediately after the referenced paragraph or section, but that's because I read exclusively on mobile and by the time I get to the footnote it's difficult to go back and find the number, and the significance of some are lost. Though if the numbers stood out, such as in bold, that might help.
People complain about everything. How it works is okay. Is there a better way? Yes. Is it worth it to retroactively fix all the footnotes? NO. Will it stop the complaints? Still no.