The problem is that with two kinds of quality you need approximately 50%-60% more hard disk space for images on the server. That's a large % more on expenses, that not all scanlators can afford.

We're not the "lucky" ones, you're part of a tiny minority. If it's that bad for you, start downloading the chapters, rather than reading them online.


You can try it already at several groups' sites:
http://foolrulez.org/slide
http://reader.fth-scans.com/
http://reader.cxcscans.co.cc/
http://reader.holylolikingdom.net/
http://slide.extrascans.com/
etc.

It will still take a while before we link them, because we're first taking care of scalability. We're a bunch of 5 web developers from 5 groups, and we're having some fun that is different from the usual scanlation, for once.

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Member of FoOlRulez and head coder of the FoOlSlide project.

Why can't scanlators use methods that online readers couldn't use? They could convert their releases into PDF. I don't think online readers can make use of that (unfortunately, sharing sites like mangatraders would still be able to use them). And the Adobe PDF reader is free. It's not that convenient to read from a PDF (and ebook readers are readily available to those who can afford it as well). If a group can host their own releases, why don't they make a flash manga reader (like what one group is going to do)?


And to the one with the Butthurt picture, Ha Ha.. If you haven't been in a scanlation group and experience the work behind every release or if you have never spent any money (like scanners do), then you don't have any right to give an opinion about it.

Reading images from a PDF on a server is arguably easier than reading a ZIP or a RAR. Takes about 6 lines of code to convert PSD to JPG with a "stock" server.

Scanlators shouldn't think about protecting. That's impossible, and a mentality that didn't ever work online. There is no way to protect images from being copied.

Scanlators instead must be as open as possible, not to incur in situations where their work could be said to be used for profit (this could mean pageviews, or registration, not just money), and be legally prosecutable.
The only good reason for a reader to go to scanlators' site, is because they have a better service.

________________
Member of FoOlRulez and head coder of the FoOlSlide project.

Let's do it in a democratic way: a poll.
I suggest something like:
Poll text: Do you have an High Speed Connection and can afford to use manga readers with unresized and uncompressed quality images? Vote 1 if yes, otherwise vote 2.
1) I can afford to read mangas at the best quality available
2) I can't afford it and need to use manga readers that compress images

If you are so sure that we are a minority, you would win in no time (I think we are 1/3 of the total)

That's our money on the table and this is no democracy.

________________
Member of FoOlRulez and head coder of the FoOlSlide project.

Really? Damn, I thought that would work.

EDIT to add:

Oh, but wouldn't that just load only 1 file? Wouldn't that avoid loading numerous images which is what MF profits from? If that's the case, we won't be able to stop them but at least it'll put a dent to their profits, right?

" There is no way to protect images from being copied."
If I remember it correctly, the adobe pdf-maker also offers the option where the images will not be shared. Will a "stock" server also be able to use the images if the pdf is protected that way?

Last edited by Sachins at 4:03 pm, Aug 5 2011

reading releases in PDF form also removes alot of the ad revenue gained by online readers because theres no longer the ads on each individual page that receives 30 hits per person per 30 page chapter. PDF only opens once, so hits will be down to 1 hit per person per chapter

I don't understand this conversation at all.

First, scanlations are intrinsically illegal. MangaFox is intrinsically illegal. Scrap your legal arguments. Nothing's going to come of them.

Same thing with rights. You have no rights. Scanlators have no rights. Fans have no rights. By posting material online, you have no right to say what's done with it, purely because you're posting illegal material in the first place. That said, MangaFox can do whatever it damn well pleases and you better suck it up and take it because any argument about what's "right" and "wrong" is going nowhere at all.

Calls for scanlators to take action? It'll never happen. First, there are too many scanlators. Second, there are too many scanlators who don't care. Third, if scanlators stop scanlating, someone will replace them. That's the harsh reality of the situation.

Honest opinion? This isn't going to stop. Kill MangaFox and another equally terrible online reader shows up.

This opinion is my own and not that of MangaUpdates.

Yeah, what he said. Sorry, Agent556. I was editing my post while you posted this, so I didn't meant to write the same thing if I knew you already posted it.

uhh..this is my first time even hearing about mangahere.com, am i the only one? have i been living in a cave or something? o_O"

now that i know this i will be sure not to visit mangahere.com, but since it isn't mangafox that's doing the wrong, can i still use it without being glared at by scanlators? >.<

and anyways, instead of visiting mangafox just to read the manga, i visit the actual scanlators site and download and say thanks there. the only time i actually go to mangafox is when i use my ipod or when a scanlating site does not offer downloading and instead directs me to an online manga reader(usually mangafox).

edit: although this brings some light to those completely oblivious to what goes on behind the scenes, way to get scanlators vs scanlators, readers vs readers, and readers vs scanlators. i'm sure scanlators feel the love and thanks and readers the comfort of reading manga online.

edit 2: i say scanlators and readers band together to make a huge online manga site. scanlators providing the manga and deciding how the website is run, and readers donating and providing publicity? no? okay i'll shutup now~.

Last edited by neonkitty at 4:24 pm, Aug 5 2011

There was a manga reader, now closed, that offered images in 2 ways, uncompressed and compressed: the compressed ones were compressed on the fly through a php script.
The script can be found on Weatimages project: function "resize_image" to resize and compress them.
Here is the code http://pastebin.com/cCZV9N3K
I even provided you the script, isn't it enough?

FoOlSlide is full of resizing and optimization functions. They're done on upload, because they take so much processor, you're going to put your server to stop for few seconds.

Resizing on-the-fly is not doable, and you'd be likely wait more time for the server to be done compressing the images, than downloading the full size ones...

________________
Member of FoOlRulez and head coder of the FoOlSlide project.

The script allows to save the compressed image too.
Anyway, if worst comes to worst, you can use a VPS for us "minority": on http://www.santrex.net/vps-hosting.php there is one at 9$ at month, and I always heard good things about them.

woah...never knew that.
@XiongMao-kun so true...scanlators will replace each other when they leave
and another online manga reader site will pop up again even if you get rid of mangafox..

________________
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I hear you say "Why?" Always "Why?" You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?"

So you're asking a scanlator to pay more?

No.

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Member of FoOlRulez and head coder of the FoOlSlide project.