Don't ask me why but I was flipping through a few of the more read entries from the old staff 24 Hour blog at Comixpedia and thought this post "How Do You Read Webcomics?" might make a good forum thread.
Unlike a newspaper there is no handy 'vehicle' to hold all webcomics in one place each morning (or whenever you read webcomics). If you read a couple a day, bookmarks are fine, but what if you read a lot? I have a little page where lots of my links are in the left hand frame and those links pull up the webcomics pages in the right frame. That works pretty well for me. What's your webcomic reading ritual?
I still use bookmarks personally but I don't have a list near the size of some folks.
I use my links page at my site:
http://www.nofrailty.com/index.php?view=links
pretty buttons...
I just added your suggestions Greg (and also accepted your claim).
Some good stuff in your reading list! :)
Just so you know - that calendar on the front page of this new site - you can add entries to it, like conventions, etc. - looks like you're going to a lot next year - (SPX is the one I usually get to everyyear).
* Atlanta Comic Convention - Atlanta, GA, February 5, 2006
* Techwood Con - Atlanta, GA, February 17-19, 2006
* MomoCon - Atlanta, GA, March 18-19, 2006
* FLUKE mini-comics festival - Athens, GA, April 1, 2006
* SPACE (Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo) - Columbus, OH, Sat May 13, 2006
* MoCCA Art Festival (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) - New York, NY, June 10-11, 2006
* Heroes Convention - Charlotte, NC, June 30-July 2, 2006
* Dragon*Con - Atlanta, GA, September 1-4, 2006
* Anime Weekend Atlanta - Atlanta, GA, September 22-24, 2006
* SPX (Small Press Expo) - Bethesda, MD, September TBD, 2006
Thanks! I don't see an "add" button on the calendar that will let me contribute events.
I already had to cancel FX, MegaCon, and MTAC to be able to afford MoCCA and Heroes Con. I plan on having a printed GN-size collection by MoCCA so I had to cut back early in the year to save up the casharino.
I hope SPX doesn't end up being the same weekend as AWA like 2005 because AWA will win. That's a big money maker for us UpDown Studio artists.
I use comic-nation to read my comics. You can find a full list of the comics I read (discounting those whose archives I'm currently reading) here. As you can see, I read WAY too many comics ;)
I read my comics off my own links list (but I use the local HTML file on my computer so I don't artificially inflate my hitcounts). I have them divided up by time of day, a trick I picked up from Eric Burns.
Comicsnation seems like a good tool and they've stuck around so I doubt they'll disapear or anything. If I wasn't building my own stuff I'd probably consider trying that one.
I don't like locally saved link pages because I read stuff from different places so I like to have a web-based list of links to read from.
And John - that is a lot! Your list might catch up to mine someday :)
I mostly use bookmarks, but I've been going over to RSS feeds where available, using a newsreader that reports new updates when they come. RSS is convenient for comics that tend to update irregularly or late.
I read mine in English. /sarcasm
I use my links page as a jumping off point for the webcomics I read and enjoy.
-Krishna
[quote:862ff25e80="timtylor"]I mostly use bookmarks, but I've been going over to RSS feeds where available, using a newsreader that reports new updates when they come. RSS is convenient for comics that tend to update irregularly or late.
I do that for some of them - its especially good for irregularly updating ones. I use Bloglines as my reader - web-based so I can log in anywhere.
For now, I'm using bookmarks... but, I'm working on adding the links directly to my site.
I've just started using del.icio.us to organize my webcomic links. Also, I just realized they have an RSS feed. One could, in theory, attach that bookmark list to your webcomic site. Anyone know of an aggregator in php to grab that stuff?
I have a folder in my bookmarks of the few that I read. I know what days each updates, those that do on a regular basis, and visit their sites that day. About five or so have very sporadic updates so I check them every day.
Because I've been SOOOOO good this year, I bought myself an iPod video over the weekend, and I definitely see myself reading comics on there. The screen is ridiculously clear, and some things look better on it than my big old 20" monitor. I cropped up my comic and threw it on there and it looks SILLY good.
This thing has filled the gaping void in my life.
scarfman wrote:
I read my comics off my own links list (but I use the local HTML file on my computer so I don't artificially inflate my hitcounts).
xerexes wrote:
I don't like locally saved link pages because I read stuff from different places so I like to have a web-based list of links to read from.
Fair enough ... however I carry that file on my flash disk ...
[quote:29324df17b="scarfman"]Fair enough ... however I carry that file on my flash disk ...
Now that's not a bad idea! I don't know why I didn't think of that.
I've become completely addicted to Comic Junkie. And for the few comics that aren't there, I still rely on the "links" page from my site.
But I also got an ipod for christmas, so I may be looking into that soon as well!
I've four or so folders, each with multiple bookmarks. Then I open up the folder under Favorites, go to the "Open in Tabs" section, click it, and wait for all of the comics to load in one fell swoop.
Unfortunately, DSL being half the speed of Cable, sometimes a comic will fail to load. But it's still quicker than loading each and every comic one at a time.
I was asked for a link listing, and decided to put them up on my LiveJournal (which I mostly don't use, except when Keenspace crashed on me, and I was waiting for Panel2Panel to finish preparing for my move over there), seeing that I didn't have to html the links or anything.
Some of the comics on this listing have stopped updating, and it isn't current (I've added a dozen or so comics since that time), but you can find them here:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/looniewolf/3885.html
(The added benefit of this listing is that when I'm not at home, I can go to the LJ and click on each link on down the road. Suppose someday I should create a Links page...)
I've just started using del.icio.us to organize my webcomic links. Also, I just realized they have an RSS feed. One could, in theory, attach that bookmark list to your webcomic site. Anyone know of an aggregator in php to grab that stuff?
http://www.geckotribe.com/rss/carp/
They have a free version that works just fine. What will CaRP do for you?
Show RSS feeds on your website: Convert RSS feeds into fully customized HTML & display them on your website.
I read RSS comic feeds using Mozilla Thunderbird. If all webcomics had an RSS feed the world would be a better place.
I also use Comic Junkie, it constantly checks for updates and pops up a message in your taskbar when one of your comics has an update, and if you hadn't been in a while it takes you through each comic you missed in order, keeping track of what you've read. It's only shortcoming is they need to add more comics to the database. http://www.comicjunkie.com/
http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/ has a good thing going too, showing you all the updates for the day. It's just that you have to contantly check its site then. I like the idea of just having comics pop up in my task bar or e-mail software since they are always running.
I bought myself an iPod video over the weekend, and I definitely see myself reading comics on there.
I don't have one so here's a couple of questions: can you Zoom in/out on the image? Could you look at my comic's podcast (http://www.lineitemvito.com/rss_ipodvid.xml) and let me know if it is legible?
Thanks. Eddie
sure, I don't have it on me, but I'll give it a look. I bet you CAN zoom but I just got the thing and don't have a lot of widgetry loaded on it right now.
Folder O' Bookmarks for me.
:D
For me, I use RSS whenever possible. If not possible, I either relie on my onlinecomic.net account to notify me of updates or it good old memory.
Part of the problem with RSS feeds is that many of the webcomics still don't provide them. Even though OnlineComics.net provides an excellent update service (and RSS feed), many of the webcomics don't make use of it! Similar for the not-quite-as-excellent ComicAlert service. TWCL's update spider seems to produce a never-ending list of "broken comic" non-updates.
So I pretty much rely on bookmarks.
I bought myself an iPod video over the weekend, and I definitely see myself reading comics on there.
I don't have one so here's a couple of questions: can you Zoom in/out on the image?
Could you look at my comic's podcast (http://www.lineitemvito.com/rss_ipodvid.xml) and let me know if it is legible? Thanks. Eddie
I can't this to load on my iPod right now, and it entirely possible I have something configured wrong, as I didn't near as much time to play with this this week as I would have liked. Though it sounds like theses newest of iPods need some special formating you need Quicktime Pro 7 to do.
Though it sounds like theses newest of iPods need some special formating you need Quicktime Pro 7 to do.
This may be the problem. I'm using Flash to export the movie in .MOV (Quicktime) format, but I don't know if this is the required version. Thank you for your help! Eddie
Though it sounds like theses newest of iPods need some special formating you need Quicktime Pro 7 to do.
This may be the problem. I'm using Flash to export the movie in .MOV (Quicktime) format, but I don't know if this is the required version. Thank you for your help! Eddie
Hey, no charge. I think this may be the problem then. The apple site says the new iPods require this formating, surely to curb people from illegally distributing video up and down the block. Bastards.
Wow, I think this thread is detinated to become the biggest thread on Comixpedia for a long time to come. A good thread like this can inspire a lot of posts.
I have a handful of dailies right in firefox's bookmarks toolbar that I check at some point early in the day. I have the rest in a regular bookmarks folder that I check when I get a chance, sometimes once every couple of days when i have a chance to catch up.
I use HTTrack to download comics from their sites to my computer.
I know this will sound silly, but I like webcomics yet absolutely despise reading comics over the web. If it's a small amount, fine, but for large amounts it drives me crazy.
By downloading comics to my computer, I can read them with ease using CDisplay or Irfanview.
I read all my web comics in english. But weather I am standing or sitting is a fifty/fifty depending weather I am standing or sitting. I hope that helps.
Am I one of the few people who memorize URLs and just type them in whenever I want to check for comics? Sure, I never remember to check all the comics I read, because I read quite a lot of them, but it's awesome when I realize that I haven't checked a comic for several updates, and have several strips to read at once. =)
Am I one of the few people who memorize URLs and just type them in whenever I want to check for comics?
Only if you ignore the posts of people like me!
Fabricari wrote:
I've just started using del.icio.us to organize my webcomic links. Also, I just realized they have an RSS feed. One could, in theory, attach that bookmark list to your webcomic site. Anyone know of an aggregator in php to grab that stuff?
I take that approach a step in a different direction. I have all my webcomic links on del.icio.us, and I take the RSS feed of every category (daily, MWF, TTh, Weekly, etc) and add those RSS feeds to my Firefox live bookmarks. That way, every time I bookmark a new webcomic to del.icio.us, it automatically gets added to my Firefox bookmarks. Amazingly handy. Then, every morning, I open the daily folder, hit "Open all in tabs" and start reading. This is the only way to get through 200 webcomics a day. :D
rabbitpie wrote:
Am I one of the few people who memorize URLs and just type them in whenever I want to check for comics?
rezo wrote:
Only if you ignore the posts of people like me!
Oops! I should not read/reply to things wee hours in the morning after taking cold medicine. =) Lack-of-bookmark people unite!
I like to eat the first one right away, and then save the second one for later so that I have something to look forward to.
Wait... you did say Reese's peanut butter cups, right?
ErikTheHack wrote:
I like to eat the first one right away, and then save the second one for later so that I have something to look forward to. Wait... you did say Reese's peanut butter cups, right?
Yes they did. I eat the centers out of mine and throw away the rest.
Fabricari wrote:
I've just started using del.icio.us to organize my webcomic links. Also, I just realized they have an RSS feed. One could, in theory, attach that bookmark list to your webcomic site. Anyone know of an aggregator in php to grab that stuff?
DrSetebos wrote:
I take that approach a step in a different direction. I have all my webcomic links on del.icio.us, and I take the RSS feed of every category (daily, MWF, TTh, Weekly, etc) and add those RSS feeds to my Firefox live bookmarks. That way, every time I bookmark a new webcomic to del.icio.us, it automatically gets added to my Firefox bookmarks. Amazingly handy. Then, every morning, I open the daily folder, hit "Open all in tabs" and start reading. This is the only way to get through 200 webcomics a day. :D
OK, THAT's awesome. I'm gonna try that.
Fabricari wrote:
I've just started using del.icio.us to organize my webcomic links. Also, I just realized they have an RSS feed. One could, in theory, attach that bookmark list to your webcomic site. Anyone know of an aggregator in php to grab that stuff?
DrSetebos wrote:
I take that approach a step in a different direction. I have all my webcomic links on del.icio.us, and I take the RSS feed of every category (daily, MWF, TTh, Weekly, etc) and add those RSS feeds to my Firefox live bookmarks. That way, every time I bookmark a new webcomic to del.icio.us, it automatically gets added to my Firefox bookmarks. Amazingly handy. Then, every morning, I open the daily folder, hit "Open all in tabs" and start reading. This is the only way to get through 200 webcomics a day. :D
This is brillliant.
After DrSetebos recommended del.icio.us I tried it. It was OK, but it didn't perform any better than setting up my own bookmarks in Firefox and using "open all in tabs". Actually, I found the del.icio.us interface slower to use than the "manage bookmarks" interface in Firefox. Also, it felt a little weird -- exhibitionistic? -- to put my bookmarks in a public place.
Also, it felt a little weird -- exhibitionistic? -- to put my bookmarks in a public place.
That's what social bookmarking is all about. Hold your freak flag high.
Personally, del.icio.us serves 2 purposes:
1. It allows me to sync my bookmarks at home and at work (although I didn't think at all about using the live bookmarks technique until I read it here).
2. It subtly spreads the word about things (like webcomics) that I want to promote without requiring a lot of effort on my part.
I'm fairly new to the whole del.icio.us thing, but social bookmarking is pretty cool.
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How Do You Read Your Webcomics?
Don't ask me why but I was flipping through a few of the more read entries from the old staff 24 Hour blog at Comixpedia and thought this post "How Do You Read Webcomics?" might make a good forum thread.
A few folks back then noted RSS feeds; (and bloglines.com which I still use btw).
KJC has a page with her comics on it: http://www.apocalypse.org/~kjc/comics/web_comics.html
Ping has hers set up in tabs:
http://thejaded.keenspace.com/viewimage.html?forums/safari.jpg
I still prefer a framed page with a list (which I recently set up with all of the webcomics in the new Comixpedia library - you can find it in the Portal or just go here.