The death (sort of) of Smackjeeves

[137beth]

The free webcomic hosting site Smackjeeves is changing drastically. Currently, the default site layout is good for use on a large desktop monitor. They have a mobile website, but it isn't very good. Additionally, artists who know some web design have the ability to create custom layouts for their comics. Also, authors can use their own domain names instead of smackjeeves.com subdomains.

Starting on December 2, Smackjeeves announced that they will be revamping their site into a clone of Tapas and Webtoons. The ability for comics to use their own domain or custom site layouts will be removed. Much like Tapas, the so-called "Desktop" version of their new site is seemingly optimized for reading on tiny touchscreens, making the "mobile" website redundant. They will also be launching an iOS/Android app, allowing for more intrusive spyware than is possible on a website.

There are four comics I follow on Smackjeeves which use their own domains and site layouts. Three of them have announced that they will move to a different hosting provider before the December 2 change. The fourth one, Galebound, is on indefinite hiatus, and the author hasn't what, if anything, she will do in response to this change (if the comic ever comes back).

There are six other comics that I follow on Smackjeeves which don't use their own domains or custom sites. Presumably, those will still be on Smackjeeves. However, I currently read those six comics exclusively on my deskotp, Since that is going to be less pleasant after the redesign, I'll probably stop following some of them and read the others less frequently (I was already considering dropping two of them).

On the flip side, I suppose this change will be good for some users who only read comics on their iOS/Android devices. But Tapas and Webtoons already exist for those people, and I am frustrated by the fact that Smackjeeves seems to be losing any advantage it had over those two sites.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Ah, so that's why I couldn't find Everyday Heroes!

You would think they would put up a message instead of just redirecting to a homepage stuffed with random comics.

...And having found the comic, it is pretty much the worst redesign of a site I've seen, and that includes all the times my employer has revamped their timesheeting and review systems.