Warning for missing chapters in follows

[Ponnari]

If you're reading a manga and come across missing chapters, the reader gives you a helpful warning "There seems to be a gap between the current chapter and the next available one". I'd like to also have a warning on the follows screen when a newly uploaded chapters isn't the supposed next chapter. Currently such a chapter would show up normally on your follows and you might spoil yourself if you don't catch that the chapter number doesn't match what's supposed to come next.

 

[Oeconomist]

I came here to make the suggestion made by @jampidampi.

There is a passive-aggressive agent who is taking advantage of the lack of such warnings in the Follows listings. He posts final episodes, and pretends that his victims should have been alert to the fact that they had not read intermediate chapters. The Follows listings have been made into booby-traps.

 

[Holo]

So a warning that shows if the chapter number you click on isn't your last recorded read chapter +1?

 

[ItsQuote]

just FYI, this has been requested before: https://mangadex.org/thread/52990/

 

[Oeconomist]

@ItsQuote—

The proposed change to the Following page doesn't seem to have be part of the early discussion.

 

[ItsQuote]

@Oeconomist you're right that it's not an identical feature request (slightly inaccurate wording in my previous post) but the two requests are pretty closely related. additionally, that thread contains a link to an almost exact copy of this feature request: https://mangadex.org/thread/56423. since they're so closely related, i think it makes sense to at least link it here.

 

[Ponnari]

@Holo: Yeah, exactly this. Or maybe there could be a small warning icon next to the link.

 

[ZaxaPac]

I understand what you're asking for and why you're asking, but honestly I've just gotten into the habit of loading the manga page from my Follows list instead of the chapter for this very reason to make sure it's something I want to read or possibly hold off until the gap is filled. If I've already read a previous chapter recently and it's not too far back in my Follows list then I'll just go ahead and click the chapter instead obviously. I'm not saying something like this wouldn't be welcome, but having to load one extra page as opposed to the possible amount of extra work they would have to do to implement this feature doesn't bother me that much.

 

[truepurple]

I want this feature too. And having to go to another page and scroll down and look at the chapter list every time follows tells you there is a new chapter is kinda a pain.

An alternative could be follows showing you the latest chapter, and the previous chapter that came out too as a number, so one can see at a glance with follows for any immediate gaps.

But this isn't just about follows. If you're reading a new (to you) comic you want to be able to keep clicking next page. And not have to look at the list of chapters before hand carefully to note for gaps and keep track of what chapter your on as you read and so on. Especially as names of chapters can spoil the plot a bit sometimes.

Here's a alternative idea. Not sure if I should make a new thread for it or what not but.. how about uploading gap chapters as a separate category for a comic. That is, a gap chapter will be marked as such when uploaded. When new chapters are uploaded sufficient to fill the gap, someone removes the mark. The marks effect will mean that gap chapters won't show up in follows, or will show up differently, and new page when reading a comic won't bring you to a gap chapter, you have to manually go to the gap chapter to read it. Should I make a new thread for that suggestion?

 

[ebgeek]

I'd like to suggest adding a way to report a spoiler chapter in the "Report Chapter" window. That way something temporary can be done to at least warn people. Either adding a spoiler warning page or locking it for a day or... idk something.

 

[truepurple]

spoiler chapter=gap chapter?

 

[421cookies]

@ZaxaPac Upvote for you my man.

Even if there's a warning that it isn't your last read chapter +1, you will still have to go through another page to go to the chapter that you wish to read. Either it's the manga page or just the warning page.

 

[ZaxaPac]

@truepurple
There's already a warning if you're reading a series and there is a gap between chapters, as was noted by the OP of this thread, and if you're following the series it already keeps track of what chapters you've read with the eye symbol both on the series page and in your Follows list. Or are you saying there should be some kind of warning before you even start reading? In that case, there's a Missing tab to let you know that there are chapters missing in the series, although that can sometimes be misleading, since it doesn't seem to take into account when chapters are sometimes released in parts (1.1, 1.2, 1.3... etc).

 

[lightingcloud]

@ZaxaPac yes but since I follow tons of mangas, going through that is more time consuming than a warning. A simple warning would just lead me to closing the tab, instead of having to scroll down and check. Since I usually read mangas on my tablet, your way is much longer. So, no thanks, I'll keep up requesting this "warning" feature.

I'm also wondering how come you're so much against something that would help people and not hinder your user experience at all. Beats me.

@truepurple I'm afraid that wouldn't solve the issue, as those who upload gap chapters are usually a**holes

 

[truepurple]

Then readers and mods could mark gap chapters with votes for such, to help readers that come after them. And if there is alot of issue with inconsiderate people who upload gap chapters, shouldn't they be blocked from doing so? Like you wouldn't allow someone to upload porn or upload chapters to a completely unrelated comic. If there are people uploading gap chapters and not marking them as such with said future suggested system, then you'd stop those people just the same.

 

[JVI]

Yesterday I reported an ending chapter uploaded by a fake scan, bad traduced and with a gap of previous chapters not translated by the original scan group. Malicious users can’t be prevented, but the owning proyect group has no tools to clean their content, and this is the basic fact to be checking on this platform.
Meanwhile, I suggest everybody report the chapter until the admins remove the scammed upload.

 

[Yautja]

To add to this, and reiterate as the other users have, Chapters should an indication if a new posted chapter is skipping the last posted chapter by any number greater than or equal to 2, in both the following and the regular manga page.

I don't know exactly how the infrastructure or categorizing on this website is designed, but it shouldn't be too unreasonable to add a simple integer check into the process of when a chapter is uploaded. There is a field that takes into account the Chapter Number. The tag should occur in such a scenario, comparing Ch.46 (the chapter being uploaded) to Ch.12 (the most recent up-to-date chapter) would trigger a tag, but not when comparing any of the following:
[ul]Ch.45 & Ch.44
Ch.45.1 & Ch.44.
Ch.12 & Ch.44[/ul]
To hijack this post a bit, if possible, since it's a similar endeavor that stems from the same issue, there should also be a check to see if an upload is a re-upload and mark it as such. If Ch.44 is posted and another chapter has already been uploaded with the integer 44 in the Chapter Number section, the newest upload should be subsequently be marked with a "Re-upload" tag, just as we have an "end" tag.

Simply put, just as we see an "end" tag on a chapter in the following/manga page list, we should have some sort of indication if a chapter is an irregularity: skipped chapters or a re-upload.

As for why these changes should be implemented, some translators / groups are intentionally assholes.

Hatsukoi Zombie recently had the last chapter spoiled by a user who uploaded the last chapter after another group has already put in a great deal of work into the series. Said user has done this before, and clearly does it maliciously as per his words in the comment sections. Sniping a series is one thing, but uploading the last chapter of a series after another group has already done the bulk of the work, and skipping several chapters in the process to spite and spoil users is on a whole other level. It's not like the series wasn't getting regular updates or the user cranked out the last few chapters because the uploads were too slow, he intentionally skipped chapters, sniped the last chapter, and intentionally spoiled some number of users.

Another example is multiple groups have intentionally posted re-uploads several weeks to months behind, often in retaliation to another group picking up a series they felt they "owned". I've seen multiple series not receive uploads from anywhere between 1 to 3+ months at a time from the group who was most recently translating it, and then have said series be picked up by another group. Shortly after a new group has picked up a series, the previously group will run back to the series, like a child fighting over a toy they had discarded at a daycare and wanted back once they saw another child playing with it, and try to claim some sort of ownership over the series. Usually with excuses of being delayed, the new group should have asked permission, etc. If a re-upload filter is implemented, this could be a non-issue, but it's still irritating and somewhat of a problem seeing a group try and fight another group over a series they neglected by trying to lay claims of ownership over the series or complain about not being contacted or such. Especially when it ends with the new group leaving and the old group neglecting the series again after a few chapters.

I think the administrators should genuinely consider adding rules in regards to spoiler chapters and maybe even certain re-uploads. There are rules against spoiling in the comment section, there should be rules against uploading chapters way ahead of the last translated chapter. Not everyone is going to notice until it's they've already read half the chapter. Groups being passive or overtly aggressive dickheads and re-uploading chapters because they feel a series was poached when they haven't uploaded in 2 or 3 months should also be deliberated. It's one thing to have a race between groups as we had on Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet, or a re-upload that has a serious jump in quality; redrawing sound effects or text in panels instead of text bubbles, or significantly higher quality scans, but re-uploads of worse or equal quality, with largely analogous grammar / wording, that are done out of spite or a narcissistic sense of ownership, especially if there are no plans to implement a re-upload tag, is an issue that Admins should consider implementing rules against.

 

[ZaxaPac]

I'm also wondering how come you're so much against something that would help people and not hinder your user experience at all. Beats me.

Where in the world did you get that from? Did you read my first comment? Especially this part:

I'm not saying something like this wouldn't be welcome, but having to load one extra page as opposed to the possible amount of extra work they would have to do to implement this feature doesn't bother me that much.

I specifically say that it's a feature that probably would be welcomed by users, myself included, it's just that I personally wouldn't be too bothered if it isn't, since I already do something to get around it. I know my personal experience isn't going to be the same as everyone, which is why I wasn't saying I was against it in the first place, just giving an option for those who might want a way around it if something like this doesn't get implemented.

 

[truepurple]

There's already a warning if you're reading a series and there is a gap between chapters, as was noted by the OP of this thread,

Can someone please link me to a comic with a gap chapter so I can experience this for myself?

and if you're following the series it already keeps track of what chapters you've read with the eye symbol both on the series page and in your Follows list.

??? How does knowing whether I've read a chapter warn me if it's a gap chapter?

In that case, there's a Missing tab to let you know that there are chapters missing in the series, although that can sometimes be misleading, since it doesn't seem to take into account when chapters are sometimes released in parts (1.1, 1.2, 1.3... etc).

What is a "missing tab" and where is this?

What I am describing is in my follows list, right along side the latest release chapters shown is previous chapter released shown and from the follows list one can see for themselves any case of missing chapters. BTW what happens with Mangadex's follows list if multiple chapters are released at once for the same comic?

 

[Oeconomist]

@truepurple—

Can someone please link me to a comic with a gap chapter so I can experience this for myself?

De gustibus non est disputandum.

Go to the last Anglophonic page of chapter 33 of Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet and then attempt to click to the first page of chapter 34. At present, you'll get a warning page.

What is a "missing tab" and where is this?

Don't throw away capital letters when quoting someone; that's just rude. Go to the summary page for Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, and look between the Chapters tab and the Comments tab.

Knock yourself out.