Simple Navigation Enhancements

Discussions about the Notes and Journal tool on LDS.org. This includes the Study Toolbar as well as the scriptures and other content on LDS.org that is integrated with Notes and Journal.
KathrynGZ
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Simple Navigation Enhancements

#1

Post by KathrynGZ »

First, I have to say that I love this site! What a fantastic idea.

This time around on my scripture reading, I've decided to try something new. Using the online scriptures, I play the audio and read the text at the same time. I've found this surprisingly effective--I'm learning new things and I think I'm retaining more (probably because of the involvement of multiple senses). So I'm very grateful the site is set up this way.

Using the scriptures this way has revealed a couple of possible navigation enhancements:

1) All chapters of a given book (e.g., Mosiah, Alma) contain Next and Previous links, except the first and last. But the first chapter contains only a Next link, and the last chapter contains only a Previous link. It would be helpful if all chapters contained both links--just this morning I wanted to go from the first chapter of Alma to the last chapter of Mosiah. And whenever I get to the end of one book, I want to go directly to the next one.

2) In order to reach my spot in the Book of Mormon each day, I have to drill down through four levels. I can think of a couple of different ways to redesign this--one might be using flyout menus (similar to the main navigation on lds.org). Or the current design could even be simplified: List each book, and directly under one one line (or two if necessary), put the links to all the chapters.

3) It would be nice if the audio player was embedded in the page rather than having to click to bring up the popup. As it is now, each time I open a new chapter, it's necessary to click the audio link again to re-open the player--otherwise, it keeps playing the previous chapter.

Last (and on a different topic), I just want to add a "ditto" to the requests to view different language versions side by side. Our ward works closely with a Spanish branch which also meets in our building, and I'd love to be able to see English and Spanish at the same time.

Thanks!

Kathryn
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WelchTC
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#2

Post by WelchTC »

Thanks for the suggestions. I can see your need for these features based upon how you are currently using the online scriptures.

Tom
josh-p40
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#3

Post by josh-p40 »

I had a suggestion on drilling down.

In Harold Stuart's Handy Scriptures for the palm, you just type out the book you want to go to, and it auto-completes as you go.

So if I type 2 Ne, it knows that's second Nephi and completes it, etc.
--josh
reachtheworld-p40
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#4

Post by reachtheworld-p40 »

As for side-by-side languages, you can do that yourself without having to wait for the Church. Just build yourself a little web page and put them in side-by-side frames. Easy!

Look, I'll even do it for you, I'm so nice: http://www.geocities.com/sidebysidescriptures

There you go! Is that kind of what you wanted? It's a little messy at first if your screen is normal-sized, because of the lovely but ginormous pictures of the scriptures they have for you to look at on the top page (you can fix that by AdBlocking that image if you have Firefox and Adblock, or by an equivalent blocking manuever with your browser or choice), but once you click on something to start going to particular books and chapters, you'll see that it sizes itself very nicely to fit into the frames. Like this: http://www.geocities.com/sidebysidescri ... ephi1.html

I hope that helps your ward! I won't take it down or anything, and I made it at Geocities so the link can be considered permanent unless Yahoo goes bankrupt. Spread the link around if you think it would help anyone else.

Or just copy the code and put it on the host of your choice.
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mkmurray
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#5

Post by mkmurray »

Perhaps a horizontal break might be better, as the adds are taking up a lot of the right vertical space.

Also, I'm sure without too much effort, the two frames could be synched to the same passages of scripture. Like you pick a default language on the left from a little drop down menu, pick a language on the right side, and then the right side follows whatever navigation happens on the left side.
reachtheworld-p40
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#6

Post by reachtheworld-p40 »

I see no ads because I'm using Firefox. If you were using Firefox (and why aren't you?!:eek:), you too would see no ads there! So sorry for not taking that into account. It's easy to forget they're there.

Since it involves changing exactly 3 characters, here's one on the plan you prefer:

http://geocities.com/sidebysidescriptur ... below.html

If your ISP gives you free webspace, you could also copy the page's source (View > Source) and put up the same page ad-free at www.internetcompany.com/~mkmurray or whatever. But for Firefox users, it's already ad-free on Geocities.

" Also, I'm sure without too much effort, the two frames could be synched to the same passages of scripture."

Ah, but not-too-much effort is more than none. I went with the "none" option. You are absolutely right and it probably would take only an hour or two to make a really slick menu that would automatically make both frames come up at once, in whatever combo of languages the user wanted. So if someone wanted to, and to put their work in a better place than Geocities, that someone could of course feel free.
KathrynGZ
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Side-by-Side Scripture Languages

#7

Post by KathrynGZ »

reachtheworld wrote: " Also, I'm sure without too much effort, the two frames could be synched to the same passages of scripture."

Ah, but not-too-much effort is more than none. I went with the "none" option. You are absolutely right and it probably would take only an hour or two to make a really slick menu that would automatically make both frames come up at once, in whatever combo of languages the user wanted. So if someone wanted to, and to put their work in a better place than Geocities, that someone could of course feel free.
This is great! I hadn't even thought about making my own page and pulling the scriptures into frames (or even iframes?). After looking at the horizontal version, the vertical one seems easier to use, at least for me. And I definitely would want them to stay in sync as I studied.

I won't have time to work on something any time soon, so if someone else does, please let us know! :)

Kathryn
KathrynGZ
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Copyright/Proprietary issues?

#8

Post by KathrynGZ »

reachtheworld wrote:As for side-by-side languages, you can do that yourself without having to wait for the Church. Just build yourself a little web page and put them in side-by-side frames. Easy!
Hey, I just thought of something the other day...would it violate any Church copyright or intellectual property policy to frame or otherwise incorporate the Internet version of the scriptures on a personal web site?

Kathryn
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WelchTC
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#9

Post by WelchTC »

Kathryn wrote:Hey, I just thought of something the other day...would it violate any Church copyright or intellectual property policy to frame or otherwise incorporate the Internet version of the scriptures on a personal web site?

Kathryn
According to the "Rights and Use Information" link on the scriptures site, it says:
You may not post material from this site on another web site or on a computer network without our permission. You may not transmit or distribute material from this site to other sites.
I think what you want to do is to embed the actual web site into your web site using frames. Before you do that, I'd ask for permission.

Tom
edwardlalone
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Scriptures and the Ward Websites

#10

Post by edwardlalone »

One suggestion I would make is to have a direct link to the scriptures from the Ward and Stake websites so that it is easier to get to them directly when logged into the Ward websites. This would be a great feature and would make navigation of the site easier. I would assume that this would be easy to implement (i.e., adding a link) but I am not sure as I am not a tech person and do not know how the Ward websites are designed. Some of the suggestions I have read here sound good yet complicated and I am looking forward to the Church implementing some of them over time.

Edward Lalone
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