Tips for reading the digital Bilge Pump

Burrow's Bay Media, the publisher of the digital Bilge Pump, received an email from a Queen City Member. The member expressed some concern that he or she was not able to read the digital Bilge Pump because the type was too small, and was annoyed by the assumption that it was necessary to switch from the magnified page mode back to standard mode in order to turn each page.

It occurs to me that if this member is having difficulty navigating the interface, others might be as well.

Follows is most of the text of an email I sent in response. I have redacted some portions that might identify the specific member and his or her particular role in the club.

If anybody is having specific issues with reading the digital Bilge Pump, please let me know and I will be happy to see what can be done (if anything) to address them.

We are investigating an improved flip book interface that should be on line in July, but in the meantime the current system is not very difficult or awkward to use, once somebody bothers to list the steps involved.

Response letter reads:

Thanks for your remarks expressing your dissatisfaction with the digital Bilge Pump.

I'll post the "tricks" to reading this easily on the QCYC web site. If you're having difficulty navigating the interface, its no doubt other members are as well.

It's your right and privilege to prefer the printed version of the Bilge Pump, but I would urge you to take another shot at reading the digital version, referencing the technique below, and see if you might be able to adapt. We will be publishing the printed version, and you will be on the mailing list. The downside of the printed version is that it will be mailed the same day the digital version goes on line, so depending upon your mail service it might be a couple of days later in arrival. Yes, you can read the printed version everywhere you go- if you think to carry it around with you. You can read the digital version everywhere there is computer access. Some advantages both ways.

All of the ads in the digital version are functional links to the advertiser's web sites. Obviously, we can't do that with the print version. If you want to respond to an advertiser's message by sending an email or visiting a web site, ( or email another member about an upcoming event) you will wind up going to a computer to do that. If you are going to respond to an article or advertisement by computer, it can make some sense to read that article of advertisement on a computer. However, that's strictly your option.

To very easily read anything in the flip book format:

1. Select the "full screen" icon in the tool tray at the bottom of the window.
2. Select the magnifying glass next to the full screen icon

Steps 1 and 2 will display the top 40 or 50% of the page, in type that is much larger than the font in a printed version of the newsletter. If the type is still too small, slide the magnifying bar (with a + and - sign) to the right. The type will get larger and larger, the more you slide the bar. To read the lower half of the page, use the scroll wheel on your mouse to move "down" the page.

3. It is not necessary to get out of the full screen or magnified mode to go to the next page, at least not on any of the several computers I have used for this purpose. Simply click on the right hand side of the page (there should be a little white triangle there) and you will go to the next page with the very same magnification and settings you had on the page before.

[The sequence become pretty customary with a little practice, click and scroll].

4. If you are still having difficulty making the type large enough to easily read, I can put you in touch with somebody on our staff who is more knowledgeable about software.

We are looking at a new and improved "flip book" software, and there's a chance that when that comes on line you might like it better. We are also developing a specific "AP" for iPads and mobile phones.

Thanks again for your frank remarks. Feedback is helpful.

Best regards,

Chuck Gould