Antennapod: Toggle for "Discover" display

[Mokura]

Checklist

• [x] I have used the search function to see if someone else has already submitted the same feature request.
• [x] I will only create one feature request per issue.
• [x] I will describe the problem with as much detail as possible.

System info

App version: x.y.z

1.8.3 (7f0acbbcf)

App source: F-Droid

Feature description

Problem you may be having, or feature you want:

Regarding #4355, I would appreciate being able to hide the "discover" element from the main activity screen entirely, as an option. I'm not going to wade into the frankly ridiculous "censorship" argument, but at the same time, I'd love to be able to open the app without immediately being faced by content that's hostile to people like myself.

Suggested solution:

Include a switch in Settings > User Interface to show or hide the Discovery section.

Screenshots / Drawings / Technical details:

See above, place it before/after nav drawer items. "Show Discovery on main page" with a toggle, default on.

[tonytamsf]

I would love to see the Discovery list of podcast be optionally hidden as well. Maybe a long hold and then a remove option

[ByteHamster]

Include a switch in Settings > User Interface to show or hide the Discovery section.

We already have a huge number of settings. More settings are usually pretty bad for the user experience - especially if they are only used by a few users. If you are interested, you can more read about that here: http://neugierig.org/software/blog/2018/07/options.html

Maybe a long hold and then a remove option

This would mean we need an option to show it again.

An option that could achieve this without adding more settings would be to combine it with #3982 and provide our custom "language" that never has any suggestions.

[Mokura]

More settings are usually pretty bad for the user experience

So is being told that you're subhuman, fake, a danger to others just for existing, etc. Not a developer problem, naturally, but anti-trans sentiment in the media is a huge problem in the US and UK, among other places, and the option to _filter_ (not remove!) your media is crucial.

especially if they are only used by a few users

I am certain you're acting in good faith, but this specific kind of phrasework has always given me pause, as it's all too often used to punch down on us. Not your fault, naturally. (Also, for further mulling: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majoritarianism)

An option that could achieve this without adding more settings would be to combine it with #3982 and provide our custom "language" that never has any suggestions.

If suggestions are set by region, as part of the language option, that'd be bloody brilliant. I'd be a little worried about options bloat in the submenu, because you'd need to make a "no discover" option for each language the app already has, hence the toggle suggestion.

[tonytamsf]

My mock up skills will be slower than me just writing the code.

1) I'm thinking of moving the 'more >>' to the bottom of the list of images
2) adding a '...', user tap it, they see 'Language...'
3) tapping 'Language...' will show select list of region + language
4) There is a 'none', which will hide the discovery content

[ByteHamster]

What about adding the option to the discovery screen (like in #3788)? That way, the "add podcast" screen stays a bit more clean.

[tonytamsf]

What about adding the option to the discovery screen (like in #3788)? That way, the "add podcast" screen stays a bit more clean.

Can you see this work in progress? https://github.com/AntennaPod/AntennaPod/pull/4515

[Mokura]

What about adding the option to the discovery screen (like in #3788)? That way, the "add podcast" screen stays a bit more clean.

Can you see this work in progress? #4515

Oh, that looks like a good way to do it! Thanks for all your hard work on the app.

[keunes]

Include a switch in Settings > User Interface to show or hide the Discovery section.
What about adding the option to the discovery screen (like in #3788)? That way, the "add podcast" screen stays a bit more clean.

I didn't jump in to this discussion before, but I would still like to share my opinion. I think you're absolutely right @Mokura that AntennaPod shouldn't be making you feel bad. However, removing the Discovery section, I feel, is the wrong way to go about it.

We should offer a stable user interface, which is (in principle) the same for all users. I'm not sure I'm fully understanding @ByteHamster's proposal, but I think it is to include an option in a child screen to hide an element in its parent screen. That would be a terrible idea I think, as it's not very user-friendly and the relation between action & consequence is obscure.

Instead, I think we should tackle this issue (#4509) together with #3952 and #3756 in a holistic way, creating a coherent user experience. How? Firstly, regarding methodology, we should take the time to merge the three discussions and come up with mock-ups (which can happen alongside developments in #4515). Secondly, regarding the 'solution', I see two (parallel) venues:

• introduce a new 'home' screen, and let users tweak it so that they can reorder and hide elements (here, you could remove the 'discovery' section in a logical place)
• introduce global (as in: for the whole app) filtering system
  
  
  
  • if we integrate with podcastindex.org further, users could have the option to 'replace' the default API key, so that individuals as well as collectives can filter on a higher level
  
  
  • 'discover' suggestions, as well as all episodes from all podcasts, should be made filterable, e.g. based on domain or key word
  
  
  • to support this, we might want to introduce a new 'content filtering' screen covering all possible areas
  
  

I know this would be a big undertaking, but parts could be implemented in trunks. Disabling a whole feature because it doesn't work well, I just don't think is the way to go. If not on your 'home' screen, the same negative content could show up on other discovery screens...

[Mokura]

However, removing the Discovery section, I feel, is the wrong way to go about it.

I take pains to say I want the section _hidden, not removed, as an option,_ and people still can't read. If you go back to the original post, maybe you'll notice I'm using the word HIDE. You're making an argument that doesn't exist, to everyone's detriment.

We should offer a stable user interface, which is (in principle) the same for all users.

Stable? Sure. The same? Awful from an accessibility standpoint.

introduce a new 'home' screen, and let users tweak it so that they can reorder and hide elements (here, you could remove the 'discovery' section in a logical place)

This is the first sensical thing you've said so far, and indeed, this is what the open source YouTube app NewPipe does.

introduce global (as in: for the whole app) filtering system

Long term? Cool beans idea. Hell, a simple blacklist a la Twitter word filtering would do.

I know this would be a big undertaking, but parts could be implemented in trunks. Disabling a whole feature because it doesn't work well, I just don't think is the way to go. If not on your 'home' screen, the same negative content could show up on other discovery screens...

You're making a mountain out of a molehill when all I'm requesting is roughly the equivalent of a display:none !important; CSS rule toggle. It's exhausting trying to suggest devs implement a tool to filter my experience and have people like yourself imply that I want to tear things out of the app wholesale, like I want to ruin the app in the name of hurt feelings, or something. This is just the OSS podcast app I've stuck with so far (especially because of Auto integration, thank you!) and I want to make life a little easier in a world full of hostile media.

[tonytamsf]

I have ideas already working, which will lead to what you are seeking ( which I support ) there is one particular podcast I cannot stand the sight of personally appearing in that list.

[ByteHamster]

'm not sure I'm fully understanding @ByteHamster's proposal, but I think it is to include an option in a child screen to hide an element in its parent screen. That would be a terrible idea I think, as it's not very user-friendly and the relation between action & consequence is obscure.

That option influences all suggestions, in particular those on the full discovery screen where the option is displayed. So I think it is reasonable to put the setting on the discovery screen.

I think we should tackle this issue (#4509) together with [...] and #3756

That was basically my idea. #3756 suggests to add an option for selecting the language. My idea was to use the same option for disabling the suggestions altogether. While this is not the most clean approach, I think that this reasonable. The number of users who want to hide suggestions is probably not too big - so an additional setting just for hiding would add overhead. (@Mokura sorry for using the phrase again. Making the app better for a few users and worse for everyone else would be a problem, though. We always need to try to find compromises)

I think we should tackle this issue (#4509) together with #3952

I don't think this is enough. Even if we show suggestions on the home screen and allow to hide them, the "add podcast" screen would still be there. Additionally, adding the home screen is a much bigger project that will likely take a pretty long time.

[Mokura]

(@Mokura sorry for using the phrase again. Making the app better for a few users and worse for everyone else would be a problem, though. We always need to try to find compromises)

You're good! Compromise is needed, I just loathe being intentionally misunderstood for the sake of FREEDUMBS or whatever.

I have ideas already working, which will lead to what you are seeking ( which I support ) there is one particular podcast I cannot stand the sight of personally appearing in that list.

If it's the one that rhymes with 'Hoe Jogan' I'm gonna laugh. 😛

[tonytamsf]

@Mokura laugh away

[tonytamsf]

@Mokura see my latest update and screenshot. I'm pretty happy with the extra feature of seeing all 250 country's content in Discover, as well as just hide them all.

https://github.com/AntennaPod/AntennaPod/pull/4515#issue-500681331

[Mokura]

@tonytamsf looks good!