Factbook struggles

Francis · 2025-09-26T13:52:46+00:00

* Let me start by stating that I am grateful for all the work that is being put into features, including that which has been put into Factbook. That being said, I must say that while the new Factbook is visually more appealing, it seems to be off. It looks like the pendulum has swung perhaps too far from a messy page with…

Francis

Let me start by stating that I am grateful for all the work that is being put into features, including that which has been put into Factbook. That being said, I must say that while the new Factbook is visually more appealing, it seems to be off. It looks like the pendulum has swung perhaps too far from a messy page with all kinds of content categories to a simplistic page that more often than not fails to pull out good content out of the library one has. Here are a few elements that I find somewhat useless or too clumsy to be useful and others that are simply lacking:

Filter bar. What it offers is a nicely detailed nomenclature but I fail to see how one would practically use it on a regular basis. I'd be curious to know how many people do. Would not the filter bar be better devoted to categories of content similar to the library's? At the very least, it should have a search field as in the Library filter bar.
Customization. Sections kebabs say it all: they have two options, expand and collapse (wow). How about a full add, remove and relocate capability as in guides, with a full selection of sections available from an Add menu?
Media. The media tool fails to produce many results that one can find with media search. So, the content of this section carries over the limitations of the media tool and fails to produce the wealth of media content one may have in Logos books.
Factbook tags. Often times it is difficult to see what that section offers over the Dictionaries section. Not clear, I often bypass it.
Sermons. Okay, I get it, Logos wants to cater to pastors. I don't have a problem with that. For the rest of us, however, "Sermons" may not be a major category we'd find most useful in Factbook.
"All" lense icon. Looks like the AI icon. Confusing as it does not seem to be using AI.
Lemma "All" vs. "Biblical" lense: let's just say that the difference is underwhelming. A "Media" section under a lemma entry???
"Writings" support. These entries would benefit from a section that links to editions or translations one has. It is terribly uneven there. Some entries reference one or more primary texts others don't even when present in the library.

This is not to say that Factbook is garbage. I am sure that it is satisfies the needs of users with simpler needs. Yet it really feels like a project that still falls way short of its potential. Often it feels like a building for which construction is started but is left midway into building. Hopefully the above and comments from other users can contribute to making it much better.

To summarize, I would love Factbook to be:
1. A simple starting interface for newbies and people who don't need more.

2. A fully customizable interface for users who have greater needs.

3. Have a powerful filter bar to find content one is looking for.
4. A better integrated guide to one's content.

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Comments

Fabian Jovanovic

I like the Factbook very much. I use it every day and it‘s getting better and better in my opinion.

DMB

It's a waste (for me).

I right-click Onesimus from the LEB for info. No Factbook choice.

I choose Elimelech in Factbook. It says zippo for journals. I search my journals, with 26 having results, one in depth.

Right-clicking in untagged monographs, it's no-show, even though copying the right-click, and pasting Factbook works.

Who knows. It's a zippo tool for me.

And I agree with Francis' review as well.

NetworkGeek

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1380847#Comment_1380847

Did you click on person after right-clicking? Factbook shows up there:

Screenshot 2025-09-26 at 11.01.04 AM.png

Morgan

In my mind Factbook is good for tertiary information and broad topical info. It gives me the overview and helps utilize dictionaries that are hard to manage on their own at times. If I need to do a quick review of an event or person, Factbook is a good way for me to get the basic information I need that I don't want to dive into. I also enjoy using it for systematic studies.

I don't think I like the idea of it replacing our custom guides entirely - but maybe that's just a meaningless mental hurdle I have. One tool for for broader reading, another for a deep dive.

DMB brings up a good point that there are times when the Factbook is frustratingly incomplete. I remember a discussion on the entry for Enuma Elish not even linking to the text in Pritchard's ANET, which seems like a no-brainer to me.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1380853#Comment_1380853

Nope. Not something I'd think to do. In lookup, lexicons etc are automatic (showing choices). And other text entries, it's a right-side choice.

Logos continues its unintuitive policy (including the nutty toolbar).

But thanks for the reminder.

MJ. Smith

Factbook tags. Often times it is difficult to see what that section offers over the Dictionaries section. Not clear, I often bypass it.

I use this section heavily … perhaps because I add Factbook tags heavily. It allows me to get information from my library that Logos has not tagged without the noise of a search. But I spend a lot of time with extended scripture canons and parascriptural resources.

As I usually use guides in one or two section units … rarely a long guide, I wish I could limit Factbook to only opening a small subset of sections … or to have it always open with all sections closed.

My biggest complaint is its incompleteness. I generally like the changes.

Francis

The problem with Factbook tags is that just about anything can be tagged. As a result, this section can indeed contain just about anything.