Fixing How Latest Series Works (But It Might Be Really Tough)

[ThatTwat3000]

The Latest Series does not seem to reflect order based on the first chapter published. This creates a massive flaw in how new series are exposed to readers.

For example, let’s look at when Discovering The Unknown: Cosmic Sentinel and Destroyer Through the Multiverse released their first chapters.

Discovering the Unknown released its first chapter 10 hours before this post.
Destroyer Through the Multiverse released its first chapter 30 minutes before I started writing this post.

Which do you think is appearing on the Latest Series right now, and doesn’t require you to click the “View More” link?

Yep... you guessed it. Discovering the Unknown.

I think I understand why Latest Series is doing this— instead of basing itself on the first chapter's date of publishing, it bases the order either on the first chapter drafts' saved dates or on when the novels' pages themselves were created. If my hypothesis is true... a novel created on Jan 1st, but its first chapter published at night on Jan 5th would be “older” than a novel created on Jan 5th whose first chapter was published in the same morning.

However! This might be intentional, since first chapters all need to be approved by our holy lord and savior Tony.

If the Latest Series was based on first chapters, it would mean some novels might never see the light of Latest Series, since he usually approves novels in batches. As is, every novel still appears in the latest updates, and there’s always the possibility of novels appearing on Latest Series... but there’s still the possibility of them not, if the author drafted their chapters days prior to publishing them.

The only way to fix the flaw in my proposed solution would be to keep checking for pending approvals every few minutes... something that a guy with a life outside SH wouldn’t have the time for.

Maybe I’m overthinking this.
Maybe this is just a bug.
Maybe I am a bug.
Maybe we’re in the matrix.
Who knows? Not me.

 

[Deleted member 166076]

I believe the order is based on when the story is approved, not when you initially post it. Is it possible one was shorter content than the other? Otherwise, maybe it's random luck of the draw, but that's hardly a big in need of fixing.

 

[ThatTwat3000]

I believe the order is based on when the story is approved, not when you initially post it. Is it possible one was shorter content than the other? Otherwise, maybe it's random luck of the draw, but that's hardly a big in need of fixing.

Approval is based on the first chapter. If you create a series, and add a draft to it, and publish it days later-- that chapter will need to get approved. I don’t have enough statistical data, but it was what happened with my GL novel. Additionally, approved series are listed in the Latest Updates, and the times shown on Latest Updates are when they got approved. 1st chapters' update times (ex. 4 mins ago...) are almost always different from the time listed on the series page.

 

[Deleted member 166076]

Approval is based on the first chapter. If you create a series, and add a draft to it, and publish it days later-- that chapter will need to get approved. I don’t have enough statistical data, but it was what happened with my GL novel. Additionally, approved series are listed in the Latest Updates, and the times shown on Latest Updates are when they got approved. 1st chapters' update times (ex. 4 mins ago...) are almost always different from the time listed on the series page.

You're just talking in circles and making very little sense. Maybe you need some sleep

 

[Zirrboy]

You're just talking in circles and making very little sense. Maybe you need some sleep

The maybe clearer exec version:

New stories don't always pop up on the first spot of the latest series tab, even if their chapters are newer than entries to their left.
I've noticed this a few times myself, suddenly finding a new cover in between stories sometimes a day older. With how many content filters I have set up that might very well mean some don't show up at all without.

 

[ThatTwat3000]

You're just talking in circles and making very little sense. Maybe you need some sleep

Yeah, I was sleepy...

But what I’m saying stands. Novels that were published at morning may sometimes show up as newer than novels published at night... hiding the night novel from being shown via the Latest Updates.

Again, with the current Latest Series page, Known Continent Saga: War with the Norsan Empire (first chapter released 6 hours ago) appears to be “newer” than Spiritbound (first chapter released 3 hours ago).

You can be sure that order isn’t based on how Tony approved them, as there is a handy way to find out exactly when he approves new novels’ first chapters. You look at the time the first chapter showed up on Latest Updates.

On the Latest Updates, the first chapter shows to be published 3 hours ago for Known Continent, and the same 3 hours ago for Spiritbound.

However, its first chapter for Known Continent wasn’t published 3 hours ago. It was published 6 hours ago, on the Series page.

Now, from what I’ve shown here, it does seem like the order a novel appears is based on the time the first chapter’s approved, right? Well... let’s look at the ones I first mentioned. Discovering The Unknown: Cosmic Sentinel and Destroyer Through the Multiverse.

On Latest Updates, Discovering the Unknown shows up as published 24 hours ago.

Conversely, Destroyer Through the Multiverse is shown to have been published only 14 hours ago.

Of course, Destroyer never made to to Latest Series. Specifically, it should have appeared next to At The Reception, if the Latest Series was based on when Tony approved chapters.

Maybe I’m still being a little confusing? Here are the basics:

- First chapter release times shown on the Latest Updates section are based on when Tony approved them. That means many new first chapters show up at once.

- Novels published 6 hours ago are, under circumstances, considered newer than ones published 3 hours ago

- The current Latest Series’ order isn’t based on Tony’s approval time, nor on the actual date of the first chapter’s release. It is most likely based on when the novel was created.

- Some new novels may never show up on Latest Series.