Distribution-extension: Updates Coming Soon
I need your input first
Update: it’s been released
Obviously, you can still read the article to know what I would like feedback on. Also, I’d like to know whether you think I have implemented the new features in a way you like. Let me know!
Original Post
As some of you might know, I have created a little chrome-extension that displays which of your stories are currently Chosen For Further Distribution (formerly known as Curated). There is magic in programming. It feels good whenever something you want to do works. And given my skills at development, I must tell you: it’s a rush!
Today I spent some time creating some new functionality. I have some cleaning up to do (oh, the code is horrible!), but most of it is nearly done. I’d like some input on how to proceed. I won’t bore you with the details of the small changes, but I do want your input! What do you want to see and how do you want the information being shown to you?
Missed my latest update about (some) new functionality, check the 1.1 release notes here. Or read some more details at the original release.
Do tell me what you think! I value all of your opinions and I am sure you will bring me some new ideas to work with!
Let’s start with the smallest change:
More details at the post-details:
On this page I want to show the distribution status. If it is distributed, I’ll show when it was distributed. If it wasn’t, I’ll show whether it still has a chance of being distributed or that it has already been rejected.
In case you’re wondering what I am talking about, check out this article by Ben Ho that explains the different statuses a story can have about Curation.
I have some more ideas on what to do here, but they won’t make it to the upcoming version. But more importantly: tell me what you think: useful? Superfluous? Anything else? Let me know in the comments before you move on to the juiciest update.
Oh, and before I forget: bonus-points if you tell me what you think about the story in the screenshot. Just don’t forget to turn down the sound if you have sensitive ears and want to listen to the music while you read the article.
Post-details
Seeing your distribution-posts at the stats-page is nice, but I can imagine you want something more. Distribution/curation has its mysterious ways. Sometimes you want to know everything. I got you covered.
You know how all the tags that the author has specified appear below a story? Take a look at the tags of this story by Charlotte Zobeir Ali in the screenshot below.
In the screenshot I have augmented the existing information with the additional topics the post was Chosen for Distribution with. Interesting, huh? I’m sure there is something to learn about the preference of various tags on the Medium staff.
Celine Lai was the first to point out to me that posts can have multiple distribution topics associated with them. One of those topics is the primary topic. What that means? It’s another mystery!
Let’s get back to what we do know.
Let me first remark: you’re looking at a snapshot of my development-version. I have not done any work to pimp the aesthetics! What is shown, is by no means final. This is where you come in!
Furthermore, I haven't implemented any primary topic functionality (yet). Feel free to comment about how you’d like to see that, though.
Let’s first break down what we see here:
- Tags by the author. One is Chosen For Further Distribution
- Topics Medium has selected to be Chosen For Further Distribution
- There is one duplicate between the user-tags and the medium-topics
What I can use some help with:
I am not sure how I am going to display #1. It’ll be very close to how Medium presents us the tags. I don’t want to break Medium’s style too much. Thoughts?
Somehow I remembered Medium showing the tags as I do in my extension (see this little musical image). I have grown rather fond of the way it looks. I think I will re-use this for #2. Sounds good? Oh, wait. We should first decide on #3, the duplicates.
Now for the hard part. #3 is about duplicates? My first thoughts were to omit the entries in the second row. That makes a lot of sense in a post where I came across this:
The screenshot above shows a post where the topics align nicely with the tags. There is definitely no need for an additional row. Or is there?
So, can we keep everything in one row? Even if there is an additional topic? I don’t think so: one is specified by the author, the other is chosen by Medium.
Fun fact: according to the author the post above used to be distributed under #Election2020 as well. That’s been taken away, it seems. It could very well be human error. Or buggy code. Or both. Let’s decide it’s another mystery, shall we?
Feedback? Feed me!
Anyway, let me know what you think. It’ll probably be some days/weeks before I release another update, but don’t let that stop you from providing input! What would you like to see and how do you want it to be shown to you? Let me know!
If there is anything else I can interest you with (regarding this extension), please let me know in the comments as well.
Done commenting? Go finish that awesome story you have been working on. I am sure it’ll be curated in no time.