New Insights Sidebar on the web app

Mark Barnes (Logos)
Mark Barnes (Logos) Administrator, Logos Employee Posts: 1,888
edited November 21 in English Forum

Today we've launched a beta version of a new Insights sidebar on the web app. It's available in all Bibles.

The idea is to (optionally) bring the most useful content from your datasets and library directly into the Bible panel. At the moment, that's just a study bible and a commentary, but we're working on adding new content, too.

We'd love your feedback on this:

  • Is it helpful?
  • Can you see yourself or others using it?
  • What changes would you make?
  • What additional information would you like to see?
  • Is this worth bringing to desktop or mobile?

Like experimental search, your feedback will determine whether this feature goes away or gets enhanced!

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Comments

  • Lew Worthington
    Lew Worthington Member Posts: 1,501 ✭✭✭

    I hope I'm not being oxymoronic here: I like it and I can see where it would come in handy; but I don't know if I would use it much. For one thing, if I want commentary, I'll pick and choose various commentaries or I would use the passage guide. Also, there are other ways to get a similar behavior with the depth that I normally want (like link sets).

    I have one issue as it is: the windows are kind of small to offer much information. Even when I click "More>>", it doesn't give me much text to be helpful.

  • DMB
    DMB Member Posts: 13,407 ✭✭✭

    I'm like Lew, I guess. Interesting, but kill it.

    I'd think the question should be directed to light users, who want their Bible, and some hepful information. When you add datasets, I'd think they'd like that. Bible class especially.  

    "If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.

  • John Fidel
    John Fidel Member, MVP Posts: 3,330 ✭✭✭

    In its current form it is not at all useful to me. However, it may be for others. I get a reference to two bible study commentaries neither of which are ones I would choose.

  • Matt
    Matt Member Posts: 2

    I love it!  Definitely a keeper - at least for the desktops.  Having commentaries that scroll with my reading is a fantastic idea - many thanks!

    I don't see the way to add additional commentaries - it would be nice to have 4 to view.  

    I'm not sure about on mobiles - I'll get back to you.  

    Thanks again and God Bless,

    Matt

  • Matt
    Matt Member Posts: 2

    I love it!  Definitely a keeper - at least for the desktops.  Having commentaries that scroll with my reading is a fantastic idea - many thanks!

    I don't see the way to add additional commentaries - it would be nice to have 4 to view.  

    I'm not sure about on mobiles - I'll get back to you.  

    Thanks again and God Bless,

    Matt

  • Sean
    Sean Member Posts: 1,761 ✭✭✭

    I like this!

    We'd love your feedback on this:
    • Is it helpful?
    • Can you see yourself or others using

    Yes and yes! When I want to study in-depth, I have my own layout already set up or, as others have suggested, use the passage guide. However, I don't always want or need to do study at that level. Sometimes I'm just curious about a passage and would like to see a few "insights." This looks like a convenient and easy way to do that.

    • What changes would you make?

    Have a button to send the present passage to the passage guide for more in-depth study.

    • What additional information would you like to see?

    Additional types of resources I would use for a casual study: cross references, a Bible dictionary like LBD keyed to key terms, something like the Dictionary of Bible Themes, again keyed. I don't know if that's too much to ask or if it could be done without overcluttering the panel.

    • Is this worth bringing to desktop or mobile?

    Please bring to desktop at least. While I like what all you've done with the web app, I rarely have need to use it. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,018 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Having commentaries that scroll with my reading is a fantastic idea - many thanks!

    You know we already have this with linked set, on the desktop at least.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle Member, MVP Posts: 32,426 ✭✭✭

    on the desktop at least.

    And mobile and web app

  • John O'Keefe
    John O'Keefe Member Posts: 3

    I really like it. I found myself using it without even realizing it. Just a natural experience to look right there when you want to know more about a passage. Keep it!

  • A. Harris
    A. Harris Member Posts: 4

    I think I like this addition!

    While it costs me some screen "real estate”, It’s well utilized.

    Of course, I’d like to be able to change or customize which resources I could use.

    Thank you!

  • A. Harris
    A. Harris Member Posts: 4

    May I ask where your quote come from?

    "God will save his fallen angels and their broken wings He'll mend."

  • Paul M
    Paul M Member Posts: 636 ✭✭

    Having commentaries that scroll with my reading is a fantastic idea - many thanks!

    You know we already have this with linked set, on the desktop at least.


    Thank MJ, as I mentioned here a couple of years ago, this doesn't work in the way you suggest.  It is a poor experience if you want the commentary to follow the text, the other way around is fine though!

  • PL
    PL Member Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭

    Insights sidebar

    Hi Mark,

    When this is all built out (e.g. with the additions suggested above, Bible dictionary, cross references, etc), how is it different than the current Bible Explorer? I can see:

    - Insights is part of the window (right sidebar) while BE is a separate skinny window;

    - Insights expands and displays just a few resources while BE (like Passage Guide) still lists out many resources and you need to click to see the content;

    - Insights will probably still end up having fewer sections than BE.

    Have I missed anything? Aren't they conceptually basically the same thing, just a slightly different implementation?

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,018 ✭✭✭✭✭

    as I mentioned here a couple of years ago, this doesn't work in the way you suggest. 

    I understand what you mean. Because I understand where the milestone tags are placed and what drives "current location" (which I learned recently), the linking works as I expect it to abd I didn't notice any change here ... I'll have to play around with it a bit more.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Detlef Kozlowski
    Detlef Kozlowski Member Posts: 2

    Hallo, liebes Logos Team

    Die Informationen sind sicher sehr hilfreich. Jedoch die Oberflächen Anordnung ist eher störend,,,,vor allem bei kleineren Notebooks. Dieses Tool sollte separat in einer Ordner Folge extra angewählt werden können. Liebe Grüße

  • Mark Barnes (Logos)
    Mark Barnes (Logos) Administrator, Logos Employee Posts: 1,888

    Aren't they conceptually basically the same thing, just a slightly different implementation?

    Conceptually they're similar.

    Apart from the fact that Insights is much easier to find and turn on, the most important difference is that Explorer links you to useful content, whereas Insights brings the content (or most of it, at least) directly into the sidebar. It's more glanceable.

    We're also planning to bring some new content into Insights that isn't currently available in Explorer.

    It's possible that if we bring Insights to desktop, we might deprecate Explorer so there aren't two very similar tools. If we did that, is there anything you'd especially miss or want to see copied across to Insights?

  • PL
    PL Member Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭

    I don't really use the Explorer; just noticed the similarities :)

    I think Insights should have at least a few key cross-references (listed out in my preferred Bible translation, not just listing the Bible references).

  • Beloved Amodeo
    Beloved Amodeo Member Posts: 4,181 ✭✭✭

    It's possible that if we bring Insights to desktop
    I prefer having control of my layout rather than having a default feature on the desktop. I don't mind its presence on the app to test its utility and maybe from there moving to mobile as it gains acceptance and proves itself useful.

    My overall impression is, meh.

    Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.

    International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.

    MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.1 1TB SSD 

  • J. Gary Ellison
    J. Gary Ellison Member Posts: 138

    I like the option!

    1. It is optional.
    2. It does not take up much room.
    3. As small as it is, several resources can "peek out."

    As I am reading Daniel 10, it has proved useful in just the first few minutes. I will use it.

    How can I get the Beta version on my Mac?

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,018 ✭✭✭✭✭

    we might deprecate Explorer so there aren't two very similar tools.

    What am I missing ... I only see one shared section

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,018 ✭✭✭✭✭

    rather than having a default feature on the desktop

    I see it as essential on the desktop as the leader is apt to be working from a laptop and needs to be able to replicate the participants' experience on mobile or phone on a screen... not a duplication but the same information in a similar format. As it is a side panel option (along with translate) I don't see it as having any impact on desktop users who don't need it.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle Member, MVP Posts: 32,426 ✭✭✭

    How can I get the Beta version on my Mac?

    It's only currently available on the web app

  • Paul M
    Paul M Member Posts: 636 ✭✭

    as I mentioned here a couple of years ago, this doesn't work in the way you suggest. 

    I understand what you mean. Because I understand where the milestone tags are placed and what drives "current location" (which I learned recently), the linking works as I expect it to abd I didn't notice any change here ... I'll have to play around with it a bit more.

    Please do share what you've learnt too!

  • Rosie Perera
    Rosie Perera Member Posts: 26,202 ✭✭✭✭✭

    May I ask where your quote come from?

    "God will save his fallen angels and their broken wings He'll mend."

    Google is your friend. Literally plug that quote (including the quotation marks) into Google and you'll have your answer.

  • DS
    DS Member Posts: 40 ✭✭

    I like it!

    Have we seen features added to web first before? Besides the new search-experiment? I'd like to see Logos as a desktop or mobile first, performance on the web just isn't there (at all). Please invest most resources on the native apps, and keep the web-client as an aside. Speed is all we need.

  • Mark Barnes (Logos)
    Mark Barnes (Logos) Administrator, Logos Employee Posts: 1,888

    What am I missing ... I only see one shared section

    One shared section at the moment. If there are other useful sections in Explorer (cross-references has been mentioned a few times), we might bring those across too.

  • Mark Barnes (Logos)
    Mark Barnes (Logos) Administrator, Logos Employee Posts: 1,888

    Have we seen features added to web first before? Besides the new search-experiment? I'd like to see Logos as a desktop or mobile first, performance on the web just isn't there (at all). Please invest most resources on the native apps, and keep the web-client as an aside. Speed is all we need.

    Most new features we plan to bring to all three platforms. In the past, we've started with desktop, before bringing them to the web later. At the moment, we're sometimes going to switch that order. That's because:

    • We can develop faster on the web than we can on desktop, because desktop is bigger and more complex.
    • We can iterate and improve much more quickly on the web app. We deploy improvements to the web app every day, but no one wants their desktop app updating every day, so on desktop, there's usually about a six-week delay between writing code and having it used by our customers.
    • Users can beta test features on the web app without formally joining a beta program, or without taking risks with their main Logos install. We love our desktop beta testers, but they're not representative of our whole user base. So if we want "ordinary" users to test something for us, we need to put it on the web app.

    So where we're exploring a new space, it's likely that it will come to the web app first, so you all can test it out as we're building it and let us know what you think. Your input will make a significant difference to the eventual shape of the feature (and even whether we release it at all). In the past, there have been times when we've received great feedback from desktop beta users, but it's been too late to act on, and the improvement hasn't been made.

    Of course, there will be other times when improvements come to desktop or mobile first, especially when it's clear to everyone what needs to improve, and we don't need to test it.

    In this new world, there may also be times when we remove beta features from the web app after testing. Once we've learned all we can, we may take the feature down to rebuild parts of it before formally re-launching it later.

  • Daniel Harris Leiva
    Daniel Harris Leiva Member Posts: 1

    Very Good!! Thanks

  • Beloved Amodeo
    Beloved Amodeo Member Posts: 4,181 ✭✭✭

    rather than having a default feature on the desktop

    I see it as essential on the desktop as the leader is apt to be working from a laptop

    My take on this is that the presenter would most likely be working from an iPad or some other tablet this is why I urge that this feature be adapted for mobile devices first. Reading Mark's comments I understand that Logos is leaning towards a universal approach. I believe that the desktop is where most do their personal research and therefore this should be kept in mind when envisioning the GUI for this platform.

    Edit:BTW I really appreciate this recent move towards making beta more accessible. I hope it's paying dividends in participation.

    Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.

    International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.

    MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.1 1TB SSD 

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,018 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I’d like to be able to change

    I originally missed that as well - you can already do that from the change bar on the card.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."