Generating new private URLs for existing drafts? - GC Forums
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Generating new private URLs for existing drafts?
Would it be possible to add a function that lets us generate a new private URL, in case a previous private URL got leaked (for example)?
As a creator who uses the vertical scrolling format + is geared towards phone reading, finding a way to share my drafts properly with beta readers seemed almost impossible until I discovered Globalcomix has the option to share private URLs - so I do want to give props for even having this function at all! It's been such a lifesaver and a really smooth and positive experience because it's so easy to share the URLs.
But the ease of sharing the URLs is also why I worry about how easy it would be for a link to be leaked, hence the suggestion of being able to generate new links. I have no idea how difficult or easy it would be to implement, but I figured I could ask!
This is a great question! I'll add this to our feature request system. Thanks for the post!
Out of curiosity, how long do you typically keep something unpublished once uploaded? Would this be something you might use a lot?
It would be something I’d use a either occasionally or a lot, it depends!
I currently have 2 uses for keeping things unpublished for a long time:
1) for feedback – I have a separate completely unreleased comic where I upload the chapters to at multiple stages of being finished (thumbnails, sketches, lineart, etc, when I finish a step I update the chapter). I not only use this for myself as a way to check pacing and general reading flow, but also to share the private links to the chapters with my beta readers, and these chapters stay unpublished indefinitely. Regenerating links would be a nice safety measure in case someone stops being a beta reader, or if someone needs temporary access to these files (like a hired sensitivity reader, for example).
2) for patreon – I also use the private links to share the full chapters with patrons as a tier benefit. Currently, if someone stops supporting me at that tier, they could have access to these chapters forever – unless I create another release, rinse and repeat. It would be more user-friendly to be able to generate a new link than having to keep making new unpublished chapters to protect the access to these chapters.
About 2): I realize this is not the intended use of this function At All, and therefore understand if this part of my answer is not something to be taken into consideration for Globalcomix itself since it supports the use of another platform as well. If Globalcomix is open to more patreon integration, or making the site more user-friendly for that purpose, something like password protected works (where a comic access is password protected + the creator can change the password when wanted/needed) could also be considered!