A big concern of some webcomic creators is viewers will see their comics out of context, which is why programs such as some comic viewers cause cartoonists so much worry. However I'm wondering, is this something webcomic creators should really worry about?
I'm doing a university course that involves learning about interactive experiences, and how website designers should stop trying to control how their users view the website, and instead work with the user to allow them to view it how they want. To stop treating users as passive experiencers, and instead involve them in the experience of interacting with a website.
So do people here think that users should view comics in context and should be forced to not view the comic if they don't view it context? How can this be enforced? I demonstrate here how I am able to remove everything from the Questionable Content webcomic except for the comic and "next prev" buttons at the bottom. I even went so far as to remove the first and last buttons ;) I won't be viewing the news posts (which some webcomic creators claim is very important).
Its not the context of the site, but the fact that ad views pay the bills, our newsboxs directs people to our other projects or ads to the comic (ala PA) and the the real url to an archived panel gets more people to the site.
Unless you're high art, high concept, or webcentric, the 'context' doesn't matter, but everything else does.
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Context sensitive comic artists
A big concern of some webcomic creators is viewers will see their comics out of context, which is why programs such as some comic viewers cause cartoonists so much worry. However I'm wondering, is this something webcomic creators should really worry about?
I'm doing a university course that involves learning about interactive experiences, and how website designers should stop trying to control how their users view the website, and instead work with the user to allow them to view it how they want. To stop treating users as passive experiencers, and instead involve them in the experience of interacting with a website.
So do people here think that users should view comics in context and should be forced to not view the comic if they don't view it context? How can this be enforced? I demonstrate here how I am able to remove everything from the Questionable Content webcomic except for the comic and "next prev" buttons at the bottom. I even went so far as to remove the first and last buttons ;) I won't be viewing the news posts (which some webcomic creators claim is very important).
RE: Context sensitive comic artists
I've got two versions of my strip. One for the website and the other to be seen out of it. The only difference between those graphics is that, while one is tailored to be seen on the page, the other one adds some more information about where to find the strip, so the viewer can read more about the strip if he/she is interested.
If I find somebody linking -directly- to my strip, all I've got to do is asking to link to the one tailored to be seen out of the strip, since it never changes its name (it's always "ali-last.gif") and I change it whenever I change the main one. That means you can always have the latest installment of my strip on your own page with no messy watchdog scripts or whatnot.
RE: Context sensitive comic artists
The problem with telling web designers which way they should design their websites is that these one-way-or-the-other theories treat all web sites the same. Some websites should absolutely be treated as interactive particpants in the website. But not all of them. A storefront website, like Amazon.com, should be as customizable and customer-driven as possible. But when you visit the website of an artist, you're there for the artist's vision, not your own. It's fine to go into a store and complain that the layout isn't convenient enough, but it would be absurd to do that in an art gallery (unless they do something really inappropriate, of course).
Of course, the question of whether such ideas are enforcable is something else entirely.
Re: Context sensitive comic artists
[quote:c69e0c90d4="John"]A big concern of some webcomic creators is viewers will see their comics out of context, which is why programs such as some comic viewers cause cartoonists so much worry. However I'm wondering, is this something webcomic creators should really worry about?
I agree, all of those people who pay for their bandwith by putting up advetisements or having a link to a sponsor, or a tip jar are just silly poopie heads who want to take your fun away.
Fuck them... As hard as they fucked your mom.