Remove the Beta Private Book Checkbox

I guess this is something to try to keep admin from scrambling to recover books that aren't lost, just incorrectly marked.

Could we either finish/fix the private book check box or remove it entirely so people won't lose it?

Right now, it creates a phantom book that even the user who entered it can't edit or manipulate. It doesn't really help anyone.

Yes, please! I've seen so many posts from folks confused by that.

or hide it...

Or.

Gasp.

Finish it.

>4 Bookmarque:

Two weeks.

Yeah I know. It's ludicrous. There hasn't been any substantial development or improvement here for years. I like what I have, but it's so static. Sure the servers run well, but is that the end all-be all? I haven't even heard anything about Litsy which was acquired ages ago. What are they doing with that? Probably the same.

>6 Bookmarque: they announced two major updates to Litsy ... on Litsy and Facebook. Nothing here.

Oh ok, thanks g. I guess they've got all the conversions/subscribers they want.

It would take a lot of work to finish the feature. It should take almost no effort to hide the link/button.

And since that would save staff having to go in and rescue books, it would even save effort to get rid of it.

This is a great idea!

Yes, please. Keeping that box visible isn't helping anyone, is it?

Agreed. As things stand, it's only causing problems.

I have one book marked as private (an unpublished manuscript from a friend who might eventually get it published) and I have no problem seeing it and editing it.

>14 Rivendell: Phantom books aren't the most consistent problem anymore. The book isn't private.

Example: I can find see your "private" book page at https://www.librarything.com/work/22673435/book/163726310. That work information is currently available for everyone who isn't logged into LT, too, I think.

Bump. There have been quite a few problems lately, with export and searching, related to private books.

Why not just remove the checkbox until the feature is complete?

Bump

Please!

Bump

>19 gilroy: They removed it at one point, but several people protested that they find it useful and have had no trouble, so it's back. For better or for worse :(

Maybe it could be made less visible.

>20 SandraArdnas: I don't ever remember it being removed. Have you got a thread for the protests?

At least place it further away from the Save button.

>22 gilroy: Tried to find it, but no luck. I kind of remember it was part of larger discussion of some new feature, but not 100%. What I am 100% is that for a short time, as in a few days or a week, it was offline, but then reinstated at public outcry. Also, Tim was among those posting, if that helps track it down.

I agree with others it could at lest be moved somewhere less prominent.

Okay, found the discussion. It was disabled for like 3 days then reenabled, but never removed.
And from that discussion, Tim added a private book column for the display.

BUT they didn't fix the feature, so it's still very buggy. Some people get it to work, others don't.
Some people expect it to do something it's not designed to do.

I'm of the mind of making it just go away unless it's fixed.

>22 gilroy: >24 SandraArdnas: I believe this is the other discussion being referenced, link is to Tim's post #14 there: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349700#8109627
He asked later (post #24) for users to help contribute in identifying where the feature is failing but nothing really developed out of the topic. Though its proximity to the save button was mentioned.

Staff know where at least some of the problems are. I had one book that became private without my meaning it to. (Get it away from save, AND add A 'do you really mean this?' pop up.) Staff had to get it out of the private setting for me. If they are doing that, they know about it, so why repeat it?

Returning to bump this again, as we have another new bug report on the feature not working.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/371971

ETA: Just noticed the Beta Feature notice beside the private book check box no longer exists. This makes it worse.

>28 gilroy: That last part definitely looks like a bug to me. If you have a book set as private, it will show the "this is a beta feature" note, but only if it's already checked. Not helpful. I'll draw that up.