Federated MangaDex

[kokuhou]

I just got an idea and talked about it in Discord a little bit, and now I'm posting it here.

How Manga is Distributed Right Now

Scanlators Make a Release > They Upload it to MangaDex > Readers Read It

Readers like this model because it provides one convenient place to read their manga at anytime. Gone are the days of IRC and DCC. Now all an interested reader has to do is go to MangaDex and read what they want to read.

Scanlators feel like this model hurts their own profits. I'm not a scanlator, and I'm not involved in MangaDex, so I can't really speak for anyone here. That said, it seems reasonable that the middleman between the readers and scanlators might be making it economically hard to continue scanlating. There are also other reasons that scanlators want to be independent.

What is Federation?

You know how you can get an email account at any provider and then send email to anyone else, even if they're not using the same email provider? That's what federation is.

How Manga Could be Distributed Instead

Scanlators Make a Release > They Upload It > MangaDex pulls the release in and lists it > Readers Read It

Readers stay happy, we don't need to migrate from website to website every few years, since readers would be reading from scanlator websites through MangaDex.

After Writing All This

I realized that although this is cool and sustainable, it doesn't really significantly benefit anyone. It sets up the framework for a healthier scanlator <--> reader relationship by changing the way the distribution process works, but it doesn't actually benefit anyone directly.

That said, I spent a good 9 minutes on this, so I'm posting it anyway. What do you think?

 

[StumbleReel]

i really ought to learn japanese

 

[shouldsleep]

So... Mangaupdates or bakaupdates, basically?

 

[madbottler]

>Scanlators feel like this model hurts their own profits.

Stopped reading right there.

 

[BzzBzz]

If I get it right your suggestion is turning MD from aggregator/hosting to some "middleman" like search engine?

Problem 1. There's many "scanlators" without site. Like /a/non or some random single person that scanlate just for fun. From where MD should "pull release"?
Problem 2. There's many "scanlators" that change hosting on regular basis and they do NOT rehost their old releases. Does it mean that as soon as they change hosting (again) you can't read old chapters because no one hosting it now?
Problem 3. Groups that dies/disbands/whatever. See problem 2.
Problem 4. Many scanlators willingly deleting their work as soon as they get DMCA'ed. See Problem 2.
Can list some more just CBA 😋

If your "MangaDex pulls the release in and lists it" means that MD will download release and host it... then what's the difference with current model?

IMO it's just another "spherical cows in a vacuum" that won't work IRL.

 

[Kaarme]

@kokuhou You have considerable drawing skills. Maybe you should join a scanlator group as a cleaner/redrawer?

 

[Holo]

Do you mean we should be iframing the scanlator website?

 

[occu]

pulls the release in?

so they're an automated scraper? i'm confused

 

[LowSanity]

@kokuhou I'm just confused by your second pic. Can you elaborate how exactly is it supposed to work?

 

[Le_Dook]

@StumbleReel The real solution here..

 

[Oeconomist]

@madbottler—

Scanlators feel like this model hurts their own profits.

Stopped reading right there.

Laughed appreciatively right there. (As for me, I switched to skimming.)

 

[aberdeus]

I'm still going to check the translators website just to read it anywhere from 1 day to 5 minute earlier, then there's stuff like champion scans where they, well let's say are slower than molasses currently so I go check their site the moment even one chapter with their name on it pops up cause there like 6 more on their site from a month back.

That and your idea sounds dumber than you think, like no offense but you make it sound like you have a revolutionary world changing idea and even have a name for it. Kind of like Elon Musk now that I think about it.

 

[Garrett]

@Holo
Not sure what iFraming imply, but my understanding is that he basically want MangaDex to list all the capter released by every group and redirect to the scanlator reader if they don't want to upload here.
In this way, readers are happy that they can continue use MangaDex and keep all the notification in one place, and groups are happy they can still have their traffic and stuff.
Kinda like mangaupdates with direct links?

I'm not too technical though, so I don't know how is this possible, but it would be nice.

 

[Holo]

We're planning on that.

 

[notyurinotinterested]

It seems like you just suggested that Mangadex do a more complicated version of what they're already doing?

 

[crazybars]

Maybe something similar to a Mangaupdates like resource for scanslator news listed might be easier to implement?

I know a lot of users are using Mangadex like a Mangaupdates search index for group websites addresses since Mangaupdates removed all of them.

 

[ZipFile]

Federation will introduce even more drama. Imagine someone pulls out node from federation. Federation is all about collective authority, standards and trust. If someone ditch your authority, then we're back to drama we got this week. Without standards federation won't exist (software, APIs). Without trust... Well, scanlation is already gray zone, but it might be even worse, putting entire federation in danger.

Community part of MD might be federated to some extent (e.g. implement ActivityPub protocol), but for preserving scanlations it's not enough.