Paper 196

Notes on an Improved
Web Presentation
of the Urantia Papers

The Urantia Papers deserve the best presentation we can give them. It can be a model for how books are presented on the web for study.

Paper 196 (links at top) is used to demonstrate how a few simple changes can improve readability, usability, and study-ability.

Paper 196 Test:

1. Uses Verdana font. Verdana was designed for readability on computer screens. In surveys, people prefer it over other fonts. Also, Verdana is a standard font included with both Windows and Mac computers.

2. Uses white space in the margins. Some Urantia Book versions place words from one edge of the user's window to the other edge. White space increases readability.

3. Uses a wider separation between sentences and paragraphs.

4. Improves on the positioning and format of tables in the text.

5. Places references unobtrusively at the end of each paragraph using the Paper: Section. Paragraph format. This allows easy reading, referencing, and cut & pasting.

6. Allows for optional white or black backgrounds.

7. Currently links to the Truth Book Site for English audio.

Future Innovations

1. Up-to-date search engine having logical ordering of results and multiple lines of context.

2. Multiple languages.

3. Multi-language synthetic speech.

4. Java or other tools. For example, hovering over a word with your mouse will yield glossary items, language translations, and/or 1930's definitions. (Students should be able to learn a foreign language using this version of the Urantia Papers.)

5. User adjustable screen background, font size, and other variables.

Versions

Foundation Version

This is likely the most used online version.

An easy fix for this site would be to set the page options to include a generous right and left border. White space makes for easier reading.

The Foundation's implementation of page numbers makes cut & pasting difficult since the user needs to delete page numbers and horizontal lines whenever they appear in the needed quotation.

The search engine used might be the best of all UB online versions, but it could be better. The results give excellent context, but the number of results is limited. A search for "beauty" gives the researcher 25 results, though there are over 70 mentions of "beauty" in the Papers. Whenever the 25 result limit is exceeded, the following message appears:

"Limit of 25 files exceeded. Check the search options."

However, there is no way for a user to check the search options. This is probably in the hands of the site owner. The search software used is WebGlimpse. It's an old version and a new one might be available.

Ideally, the results should be presented in Paper order. This is not currently the case.

The current Foundation version is inconsistent in formatting. Some Papers use paragraph indentation and some do not. (Compare Paper 3 with 4, and 32 with 33.) Also, many tables have no indentation making it confusing for the student to understand the structures being presented.

Truth Book Version

This is another popular online version.

This has better use of white space, though the margins could be wider.

The references make cut & paste easier, though the use of page and paragraphs is not needed online. Paper Section Paragraph numbering can universally be understood by online users and paper book readers. Placing the references at the end of the paragraph would make casual reading easier.