October 2024

Type the Word

Hey there Reader,

This month, we crossed 70,000 verses typed on TTW, which means we have typed the Bible over two times! Great work everyone!

October Updates

In October, I mainly fixed bugs and interacted with all of you to figure out what is next for TTW. There are three main feature requests on my mind right now:

1. Tracking Speed and Accuracy statistics
2. Enabling custom color themes
3. And adding more translations like NLT and CSB

Speed and Accuracy

My original goal with TTW was that it would help people focus on the Bible itself. I was hesitant to add speed and accuracy stats because I was afraid that would distract from the scripture. Since launch though, this has been the most requested feature by far. I think my initial concerns can be solved by making the experience configurable. There are probably a lot of little rabbit holes here, so while I am proceeding, this will take some time to release.

Custom Color Themes

In September, someone reached out about the red and green colors within TTW being hard to distinguish. Custom themes will allow you to configure the colors used within TTW so they are easy to see, and also add some fun to the project. Here is a demo of what the UI looks like so far:

And here are some of the color options I am enjoying:

On a technical note, while creating this feature I learned a lot about oklch, which is a new color format that allows for high vibrancy colors. I can't wait to see what themes people come up with!

More Translations

I reached out to Lifeway this month to hopefully get access to the CSB translation. I'm thinking of trying to add NLT too. So far I haven't had much luck getting these bible translation companies to respond to me, so I might have to find people on LinkedIn and cold email. I'll keep you updated. Let me know if you have recommendations or connections within Lifeway, Crossway, or any other translation companies.

Fixes

• Song of Solomon is now correctly formatted and chapters 4 through 6 are accessible.
• When you complete a verse, there is no longer a flicker on the left line that indicates completion.

Until next time 👋

Josh