Is there a way to toggle a "childrens' view when opening Logos
Hello,
Apologies if this has been addressed before. I am looking for a way to open a "dumbed down" (sorry but the only way I know how to describe it) or a view for children that would allow only certain resources to be accessed along with a "fun" desktop to encourage learning. I am looking for something for ages 8 and up. Either a modified desktop app or web app would work.
Thank you and blessings to all,
David
Best Answers
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Biblia. com is closest. But not very close.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Been begging for this for years, but the answer seems to be ain't gunna.
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I would strongly encourage this - and not just for children. Adding a much simplified interface option would vastly expand their potential user base.
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Give them the Free Edition. With 25 books and some basic features/datasets (incl. maps and media) it is "dumbed down" and can be fun. You can create a simple layout and encourage them to be creative with it.
Dave
===Windows 11 & Android 13
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Comments
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Biblia. com is closest. But not very close.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Been begging for this for years, but the answer seems to be ain't gunna.
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I would strongly encourage this - and not just for children. Adding a much simplified interface option would vastly expand their potential user base.
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Give them the Free Edition. With 25 books and some basic features/datasets (incl. maps and media) it is "dumbed down" and can be fun. You can create a simple layout and encourage them to be creative with it.
Dave
===Windows 11 & Android 13
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3rd grade, I was still … well… ok.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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I used to think this … but I suspect it would have little effect on the size of the user base that would buy resources on which they would make a profit. Would their purchases even pay for the cost of managing their licenses and their freebees
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."
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Across all denominations, young people and seniors are leaving the faith in droves. This has been the case over the last ten to twelve years (Barna has the data information). I am probably in the minority here, but using a "cartoon" Jesus to tell a story to preteens seems a little outdated.
The famous Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Richard Feyman, said that if you cannot take the most complex problems in physics and explain them to a twelve-year-old, then you don't understand it yourself. Providing teens with the tools to explore the Bible, its history, archaeology, languages, and related subjects may ignite a spark that sets them on a path of lifelong learning about the Bible. And you are right, the initial cost might be high, and the maintenance overbearing; however, what is the long-term cost of not learning something about God? I am examining all faiths here, including Judaism, the various facets of Christianity, Catholicism, and others, without proselytizing; I am simply learning about the past and its impact on today's world. Ok, off the soapbox or lectern or whatever one calls it.
Perhaps if someone at Logos is reading this, they might consider opening up their system a bit in terms of APIs for some sandbox configuration and testing.
Anyhow, go tell someone tonight that you love and cherish them.
Blessings,
David
P.S. I live in a glass house, so please be careful with any stones that are thrown.
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I know of several people who would probably benefit from something like that. But these people aren't going to spend much. They certainly aren't going to see any value in a subscription. I still think that your average person in the pew could go buy 1 or 2 of the starter packages, spend less than $50 (especially now since they are 30% off), and have enough to keep them busy for the rest of their lives. That doesn't really provide an income stream to Logos.
Bob Pritchett said in a post years ago as to why Logos stopped selling the cheap $5 libraries you could buy at a department store (I remember buying them, 25+ years ago) and focused on the much more expensive packages was because it was far more profitable to have 10 customers who each spent $1000 than to have 1000 customers who each spent $10 (I'm paraphrasing as I don't remember exactly, but that was the gist of it). Providing the tech support and customer service to 1000 people is much more costly than to provide it to 10. And that makes sense. People often seem to think of Logos as a ministry, but it is a business, and in order for it to stay in business it does need to be profitable.
But on the other hand, having inexpensive and easy to use programs does get the name out there. People hear it and become familiar with it. I've never seen an ad for eSword. But people are familiar with it - because many people use it. I've heard several people mention it in passing ("I looked it up in eSword") etc. Would a simplified option expand their userbase enough to make it worth their effort? I don't know.
I've tried getting some of the guys at church to try Logos. I'll help them make an account, add all the free books, etc. One guy does use it, and I believe even got one of the starter packages I recommended to him. Another uses it now and then. But I think for many of them, it was just difficult to learn. They aren't looking to do anything fancy. But it can be quite overwhelming and it turns them off.
I did have one guy tell me he went back to what he used before because of all the ads. He used it on his mobile. Screen space is at a premium, and a significant portion of it is taken up with trying to get him to subscribe with no way to even x out of it. That turned him off. I couldn't blame him for that.
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Well said. I used eSword in my teens and college classes and have been moving to Bible Time from the SWORD project. Resources are good, and best of all, most are free. I have also used the resources in a married's class with good results. People have seen my Logos in presentation mode and asked questions about it. But as you say, the learning curve is very steep and doesn't meet the need of having the Word easily accessed on multiple devices unless you really know how to use it, plus it can take up alot of space on your phone.
I appreciate the time you took to weigh in on the matter,
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I certainly still think this—that a simplified interface would 1) expand the user base and 2) make expanding Logos purchases more attractive, and 3) make a vast number of Logos users happier—and I am a moderately heavy Logos user with a noteworthy investment. Quite often, as I have asked for repeatedly over the years, I would use the children's version. At least we wouldn't get lost in the labyrinth of "discovery."
Most of the time I don't need all that fluff and gadgets. In fact, I want to NOT have it. But Sometimes I do. I bought Logos for that. Mostly I bought Logos to do simple searches on a big library. I am guessing 95% of Logos users who buy profitably for Logos are the same. Only a tiny 5% (I am being super-generous) regularly need an esoteric 747 dashboard in Logos. Anyone know different?
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too late, I'm in there → labyrinth of "discovery."
Then there's more libraries…OH there's more, I might need this; is this feeling of "need more" gonna ever end… ? 😥
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The web app (app.logos.com) is less cluttered and has some friendlier shortcuts. You could (1) use a browser that is more kid friendly to access the web app (that is, more colorful, more "fun" looking) and (2) create an account with resources you think would be good for your children. I have a vague recollection of something being announced (or perhaps looked into) for children, but can't recall what it was. This was not too long ago (in the last year?).
BTW the mobile app allows to draw on screen in Logos. Kids might enjoy that.
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I don't know. Olive Tree seems to make a go of it. They have a different product and business model, of course. But Logos doesn't need to develop a whole new library system to play in that market. They just need to put a simplified front-end on what they have now. The revenue gain might be incremental, but the cost of maintaining a simplified front-end should be incremental as well.
Maybe I should let it go. But I keep getting the same question from Faithlife, "would you recommend Logos to a friend," and I have to keep giving the same answer, "no." That makes me think they want to significantly expand their user base. If that's the case, looking to the sometimes rather essoteric needs of their current power users isn't going to get the job done.
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I doubt they 'can' do an easy to use app. They've always been driven by 'pretty.' and 'newest'. Efficient, no. Easy, no.
AI may be their only salvation.
Added: I thought Biblia.com might work, but right off the bat, advertising.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Tens of thousands of dollars later, still: (Yes, I am logged in)
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This is mine. And yes, the Bible gets kicked off the screen. The new Faithlife.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Added: I thought Biblia.com might work, but right off the bat, advertising.
And even if you're a paying subscriber, you still have an "ad" that takes up 1/12 of the space.
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Both ads show for subscribers, too. The side one did not originally show, but that's because my ad blocker blocked it. I tried in a different browser, logged in, and both the side and the top advertisement show.
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You may be right. But that's just sad.
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