Handouts - what a mess!

I just played with my first handout, on Psalm 73.

The idea isn't bad but am I the only one to think the execution is horrible? As in abominable. (Sorry to those who've worked so hard on this.)

First, lots of irrelevant information that only a blind search engine could dredge up. Necklaces? Herod's Temple? Something to do with Psalm 83?? Giant feet? Wow!

Second, no reasonable way to control what is put in the handout. Uncheck an item, wait while you try to decide if it understood the unchecking, then a blank screen, another long wait, and then you have to uncheck another. This is a t-e-d-i-o-u-s process.

Third, low and behold, after unchecking items they magically reappear as checked (I guess there is a rule there must be just so many items or the report can't be generated??). I don't understand.

Fourth, the Bible text is interrupted by good old Asaph's family tree. Now I want the tree, but not stuck in before the last few verses of the Psalm.

Fifth, I can't see how to control the order in which information appears and where the page breaks are.

Here's what I suggest: let us check what we want, arrange the order in which we want them (drag them up and down on the list?) then put a button saying 'generate'. Somehow let us also insert page breaks where we want them.

Please?

It's not a bad idea. It just needs some user friendliness.

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Damian McGrath

am I the only one to think the execution is horrible? As in abominable.

Have you met our Thomas? ...

http://community.logos.com/forums/t/2536.aspx

http://community.logos.com/forums/t/1173.aspx

http://community.logos.com/forums/p/2046/15757.aspx#15757

http://community.logos.com/forums/p/1173/19030.aspx#19030

Mark Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/20414#Comment_20414

Have you met our Thomas? ...

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Guess I have to spend more time reading these forums.

TCBlack

...am I the only one to think the execution is horrible? As in abominable. (Sorry to those who've worked so hard on this.)

Preach it Mark! I'm with you 110%. Handouts, in their current itteration, are broken. They do not work, they cannot work as a functioning item.

First, lots of irrelevant information that only a blind search engine could dredge up.

There is some information in the boards that indicate they are working on accurate tagging. But if this current functionality were part of the gold release it could easily turn into a massive target for complaints.

no reasonable way to control what is put in the handout.

Amen! Amen! amen! amen!

Third, low and behold, after unchecking items they magically reappear as checked (I guess there is a rule there must be just so many items or the report can't be generated??). I don't understand.

A full page is not a ready to print page, it's only a page of information I have to fight against to get something I can use.

Never autoselect anything. Ever.

Never force fill a page. Ever

I can't see how to control the order in which information appears and where the page breaks are.

You have no control over information order on the left side of the tool, but you can drag and drop things in the order you want them.

If you want to adjust page breaks, you can't. All control is completely out of your hands. You can kludge together a workaround by creating a blank item and then editing it with as many blank lines as you need to force things to flow. Yeah, I know. That stinks. It's broken.

Here's what I suggest: let us check what we want, arrange the order in which we want them (drag them up and down on the list?) then put a button saying 'generate'. Somehow let us also insert page breaks where we want them.

I love you man!

It's not a bad idea. It just needs some user friendliness.

'nuff said.

Mark Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/20481#Comment_20481

Thomas,

Thanks for affirming that I am not alone in this. Sorry I missed your earlier threads. Soldier on!

Bob Pritchett

Fifth, I can't see how to control the order in which information appears and where the page breaks are.

The order of the items on the left controls the order on the handout. The exception is images, which are forced into corners, because they can't break over column boundaries like a paragraph can.

We don't yet have enough excerpts for it to work fully as intended, so sometimes less relevant content bubbles up. This should improve over time.

If you create clippings and tag them with scripture references, your own content should be included.

spitzerpl

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/20992#Comment_20992

If you create clippings and tag them with scripture references, your own content should be included.

I put out a suggestion with scripture reference tagging. What sort of features does the current implementation have outside of this use in handouts?

Mark Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/20992#Comment_20992

The order of the items on the left controls the order on the handout. The exception is images, which are forced into corners, because they can't break over column boundaries like a paragraph can.

I see how to do that.

We don't yet have enough excerpts for it to work fully as intended, so sometimes less relevant content bubbles up. This should improve over time.

Here's what I got for Ephesians 5:21-6:9:

Jesus is mentioned in this passage, but it is hard to see how any of this information (including that body preserved in ash that keeps popping up) has much to do with the subject. I wouldn't want any of it as a teacher. I can print the passage and print a word find by myself and none of the rest here would ever make it into any handouts I used.

This just isn't ready for prime time. I hope you DO NOT release this with L4 in its current terrible shape. It is an embarrassment. Take time to work some more on it in separate Beta testing. As I said, what a mess!

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/21006#Comment_21006

Jesus is mentioned in this passage, but it is hard to see how any of this information (including that body preserved in ash that keeps popping up) has much to do with the subject. I wouldn't want any of it as a teacher.

I've mentioned on other threads how I think that Jesus-related media should only be displayed where there is a matching scripture reference.

Simon’s Brother

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/21011#Comment_21011

Jesus is mentioned in this passage, but it is hard to see how any of this information (including that body preserved in ash that keeps popping up) has much to do with the subject. I wouldn't want any of it as a teacher.

I've mentioned on other threads how I think that Jesus-related media should only be displayed where there is a matching scripture reference.

Agreed the material needs to be kept releavant.

Damian McGrath

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/21011#Comment_21011

Jesus is mentioned in this passage, but it is hard to see how any of this information (including that body preserved in ash that keeps popping up) has much to do with the subject. I wouldn't want any of it as a teacher.

I've mentioned on other threads how I think that Jesus-related media should only be displayed where there is a matching scripture reference.

Agreed