Site Post » Cover Images Explanation · 7:25pm Jul 27th, 2013
Please read this post in full before commenting
Wow I was not expecting that response.... Anyway, I'd like to clarify exactly what would be happening with this change and why I wanted to do it.
The problem: Stories with saucy or other catchy, but otherwise fairly irrelevant artwork get an unfair amount of exposure.
The solution: Remove cover art from pages where users are browsing generic story lists. Any page where people know what they're going in for would not be affected. This means cover images will always show on read it later lists, favourites lists, user pages, group pages and the story pages themselves. They would only be removed from generic browse pages and the front page.
Why this works: Most of the people saying no to this change seem to be going on about how it's part of the presentation of the story. Well yes, it is, but it is not a defining factor in whether a story is good. People keep consistently saying how a cover image is there to attract attention. Well...DUH? Noone is arguing that, and that is the problem it itself. Removing cover images from browse pages where users are looking for something new gives a level playing field, where people aren't going to randomly see something eye catching and stop scrolling, which gives that story a totally unfair advantage. Note how I said "eye catching", not good. The best cover art to grab attention is not something subtle and carefully put together, it's something that barely gets past our nsfw filter. THIS is the problem that I want to fix. to those saying it'll make the front page look bland, I disagree. I have always hated the tiny story images. They make the page look unaligned when some have them and some don't, and they're too small to be useful anyway.
Hopefully this clears some of the reasoning up. Based on the vitriol aimed at the idea in the last post, I probably won't end up doing it anyway.
Or just learn to, you know, write a good hook/synopsis.
Do it
The issue doesn't seem to be with most covert art. It seems to be with the saucy ones. You have a shitty clopfic so you slap a barely SFW image that has almost nothing to do with the story on it, then draw in all the sexually frustrated 14 year olds on the site who have no idea what good writing actually is.
This is our issue.
1241304 I love you. And I really wish this were the case. It's a factor, but not the full contributor as it should.
I, for one, don't oppose this change at all. It puts emphasis on the actual writing of the story, not some potentially misleading image. Ever heard of the phrase, "Don't judge a book by it's cover?"
I'll never complain about changes aimed at leveling the playing field, as you say. I wonder what will come of this, and wish there was a way to map the effects, but that's impossible to automate.
Ok
this is fair 
i support this decision
Have a mustache
I like the idea.
I'm against this. Not every synopsis can give away everything or it can ruin that story. Some of them are meant to be a mystery and many people ignore that mystery but an image can give away more information. Please don't do this... Synopsis' on the front page have to be shortened anyway which makes getting new readers in even harder a good picture can help. 1241304
I'd be quite happy if you did it for all the reasons you seemed interested in it: Many of them were reasons I hadn't even considered during the initial post, and that seems all the more reason to do it. Just my two cents.
1241310
This.
I don't know if this would be a good change or not, to be honest. Most of the community seems against it. I do think it's a slap in the face to those who comission coverart...but the story is what really matters, not the art.
I say do it
one thing though, would you change the featured box? I'm assuming that you wouldn't change it... but you did say the front page...
This is kind of ridiculous. I'm paying a famous Brony artist for a commission for my image. Just ban guys who post NSFW images or something. Don't take away the whole point of using a picture.
How about you have a selection of generic cover pics that stories must chose form unless they have there own? That way people who want unique ones can have them, but people who don't can still fit in.
I understand your reasoning but image art doesn't really give an advantage. Yes it makes it more likely that people will stop to look at it, but the second thing they'll look at is the description which is overall the deciding factor. The images don't decide whether you read a fanfic or not so removing the images wouldn't do much except alienate people.
1241320 Read the full post before commenting. He is not removing cover art.
Still no. I understand why you want to do it, but I don't think it's a good idea.
Seriously? Why can't you just let us filter out clop already? That's a far easier solution.
My earlier opinion still stands. Remove all book covers? No, compete with others by finding your own better book cover. Book covers are part of the adventure of reading a book. Just because someone else has an awesome book cover does not mean you cannot compete. Imagine a book store with all of the paper covers torn off because the book-store owner deemed them unfair. People are not shallow enough to judge something by it's book cover only. Removing this even in generic lists removes a vital portion of the beauty and if people are shallow enough to judge a book by its cover then just let them miss out. Voting and darwinism will sort out the winners and losers.
I can see your reasoning. But if the cover images are removed from the browsing pages, will the short description be expanded in any way to compensate? A short blurb on the front page won't attract much attention, and 250 characters isn't much to work with.
1241328
If you look at the previous thread, you'll find that a lot of people said that the cover image was the reason they'd decide on reading a story... which is a pretty terrible thing to see on a fanfiction site, I think.
This still doesn't quite sit well with me because it doesn't really solve anything. For example, I'd say the synopsis (for me at least) has a FAR larger impact on the story's popularity than the image. Remove the images and the ones with the craziest descriptions would end up taking an unfair priority, and you'd have to, in the interest of fairness, remove the descriptions. Then all we're left with is the title. Until people complain that the crazier/more outlandish titles are taking priority, in which case, where the heck do we go from there?
I never said that. I don't want it removed from the front page. Don't assume. I changed my post, please don't assume. 1241330
1241335
If you can't describe your story in 250 characters you have problems with your story. The whole REASON why it's "restricted" is to help you as the writer, because it's easier for people to read quick blurb to get a feel for the story.
Mrm. Maybe. Do a Google vote or something.
Hmmm... Alright
You know, if there's a lack of tags on the general browse lists to prevent bias I see no reason to allow pics that cause bias.
Alright then, I support this change.
Could there be an option to toggle showing cover art when browsing generic lists? People who don't want it don't have to deal with it, and people that do can get it.
Go ahead and do it, it's your site after all. So don't let the majority get you down.
1241320
No, vague 'mysterious' descriptions tell me nothing about the story. If you write 3 rhetorical/mysterious questions, then I have no clue what the story is about and don't know if I actually want to read it or not.
The story above/below yours with a clear and concise idea of what I will expect in the story will get my vote long before I venture into yours.
1241304
But it's haard....
Yeah, I'm all for removing the cover art from the front page. In fact, that removes a great deal of pressure when it comes to finding art (which can be problematic, especially if you're as cheap as I am) and might make the site look cleaner.
Will it also be removed from the Featured box? I kinda like the diversity found there; it adds some colour.
No! Just wait like... one week! Then you can do whatever the hell you want. I finally get an awesome cover image for a story and you decide now of all times to do this!
1241328
No, you don't get it, you're being totally illogical. If more people stop scrolling at a story, more people are going to read the description, and on average more people are going to read it. This is super SUPER basic logic! Why don't I make a checkbox that says "give me 2x the time on the front page". By your logic that makes no difference because people don't read it if they dont like the description.
In that case, could you have that the stories will have all of their tags visible on the story's description box?
What if it is a mystery story?
1241355
1241343
Point. Point.
Still no, for my part. It just doesn't sit right :/
I am happy with this solution.
What about making it an option rather than a site wide change?
It could be opt-out, with the default setting not displaying cover art for generic story lists, and registered users could choose to display cover art at all times.
It could be opt-in, where the default always displays cover art, and registered users could choose to remove it for generic story lists, or even more places.
Expand functionality instead of altering the site, maybe?
Well, people will just start judging the stories by titles, that's all. But, you know, that's your site. You can do whatever you want with it. Democracy? Pff. Not like we're in America, right?
Please don't end up doing it, this sounds like a step backwards altogether. There is no 'unfair' amount of exposure that comes from how well a story is pieced together by the author. I mean, hah, if they chose a good pic they chose a good pic! Let uhm reap the benefits.
If you want to make things more fair, rework the front page, add a random story list of the day feature, take your own personal twitter clip off the front page. Give the popular stories scroll window a more prominent slot. The entire design of the front page is weak and geared entirely towards just the feature box. Heck, remove the downvote button.
This is a silly
decisionidea and not to compare it to leftest weenies or communism, but it's aimed at pleasing everypony by gimping the few.If I could make a small suggestion.
What if that was apart of the story approval process? Making sure that there is some relevance to the actual story and is appropriate for viewers.
I'm sure there are flaws with this idea but I at least want to see what you guys think.
1241363
Then you tell me that this is a mystery story about who framed Roger Rabbit with some actual plot points that don't spoil it.
"The darkest nights hide the worst secrets" (an actual short description that has failed in the past) tells me NOTHING about the story! Neither does the incredibly dark and vague coverart you used to make up for it.
As a new writer I feel kinda sad about all this since someone went out of his way to make a cover image for me. I didn't even ask for it, he was just nice enough to make it for me.
I do understand the reasoning for this though. A story should be read for its content, not because the image was saucy. Unfrtunately that is what happens most of the time though so I got a feeling good stories will get less views because the cover image is gone. Apperantly reading a synopsis is too hard for some people
I guess this could work. I suppose if anyone wanted to, they could join groups where stories with content they want to read would be posted with a notification alerting the user that something they might want to read just got uploaded.
As for people just wanting to browse... I guess? If the cover art for stories on the feature box was removed I wouldn't be against that at all.
I think we (or most of us) understood you the first time.
1241304
That's not always the case, silly Meester. Some people hate revealing what their story is about so they struggle with the synopsis, but the actual work is fantastic.
Would the feature box still have coverart displayed?
1241382 No, you're not. Or rather: the internet isn't a national entity (or are you completely in favor of China's heavily filtering the internet access of it's citizens?)