We Don't Need More Stars, We Need SUNS!

originally posted by: Lysergic
Just wait til you find the ATS Cow level.

Best post ever.

I would use my weekly sun on that post if stars were allowed in board business.

a reply to: 200Plus

Most people are capable of doing both & *gasp* perhaps even willing.

It's an unrelatable argument imo. Just because an individual has a personal apathy towards the interactive features of the forum doesn't negate its usefulness in keeping a userbase entertained & coming back. Humans thrive off personal gratification, even unconsciously.

The key to business is creating an attachment between the customer & their product. We are customers via advertising. The more invested the average member is in their ATS account, via stars & Suns, the longer they remain customers.

Vanity is real, & not feeding into your customers in every possible way is detrimental to a businesses long term growth.

originally posted by: Dumbass
If something like that is implemented please make a "turn it off" button for stars, suns, dodo heads, cat pictures and cupcakes in the settings. Thank you

Lol, says the avatar with a symbol for his mood.

originally posted by: Rocketgirl
a reply to: Eunuchorn

I brought it up because your idea was just as odd/weird like I stated in my post. I wasn't trying trying to be witty. So you can stop getting upset about what I wrote because my idea was just as dumb as yours and that was the point of my post. Again, that is entirely my opinion.

I can't see a reason to think the idea is weird. Someone can not care if it got implemented, sure, but to be opposed to it?
I didn't consider your ideas weird, in fact I didn't even consider them ideas, you were mocking me, simple as that. & don't take my acknowledgment of that as my being upset, I laughed when I read it. But saying we should also be able to give rainbows & clouds without saying what purpose they would serve isn't an idea.

originally posted by: Eunuchorn
a reply to: 200Plus

The key to business is creating an attachment between the customer & their product. We are customers via advertising. The more invested the average member is in their ATS account, via stars & Suns, the longer they remain customers.

Cost vs reward. if it was as simple as you make it out to be, the existing issues would get worked. Do you really think there are avatars out there with only 3456 posts and 9,879,879',236 stars? I'm sure if it was an easy fix they would've done it by now. Adding an additional ratio certainly isn't going to help things. No since modifying code to a broken widget.

Besides, if you are arguing that as a business they should pony up to connect with there customer base, don't you think it would be more practical to increase content and not widgets? The added Jessie and Ben Swann, even if it's not your thing at least they're making moves. You really want to have an opinion on what makes ATS better? Why no send them your resume and a business plan. If they can see profit and increased viewership from a sun widget than hey, I say 5 stars, 1 sun, 1/2 moon and a dodo head squared to you!

a reply to: Rosinitiate

I can remove my symbols but the YibidiYibada would still be there.

A simple Dumbass would be sufficient.

The star system works fine. Adding other symbols or whatever to the mix wouldn't do anything to increase the quality of quantity of content, it would just confuse people and turn into a pissing match.

originally posted by: Dumbass
If something like that is implemented please make a "turn it off" button for stars, suns, dodo heads, cat pictures and cupcakes in the settings. Thank you

I don't see why not, but is the fact that stars can not be hidden ruining your ATS experience? Avatars can be hidden, that should be enough.
Are people that against adding some more color to the forum?

originally posted by: Rosinitiate

originally posted by: Eunuchorn
a reply to: 200Plus

The key to business is creating an attachment between the customer & their product. We are customers via advertising. The more invested the average member is in their ATS account, via stars & Suns, the longer they remain customers.

Cost vs reward. if it was as simple as you make it out to be, the existing issues would get worked. Do you really think there are avatars out there with only 3456 posts and 9,879,879',236 stars? I'm sure if it was an easy fix they would've done it by now. Adding an additional ratio certainly isn't going to help things. No since modifying code to a broken widget.

Stars & Suns have nothing to do with each other. The star issue was well documented & discussed, & yes, that is an example of if they tried to go back & fix it the problem could get worse.

Adding a Sun icon/award would be a completely separate entity in the code.

A Sun is essentially the equivalent of each members favorite post of the week.

Why do people stand so staunchly by the status quo? Same reason they think voting is real, I guess.

a reply to: Rosinitiate

No, the concept is more of creating a connection & reliance between the customer & the product. "They" are the omnipotent 3rd party reaping the rewards of a more addicted viewership/member base.

a reply to: Eunuchorn


Lol, do I come across as someone who believes in a voting system?

It's not that I stand against it, it's just of all things to worry about that seems low. It's nice to know people agree with you and stroke the ego, I confess that if there wasn't something I'd be dissappointed. To further give credence to your argument, I created a new account simply because it wouldn't regester flags. Funny, I don't really create many threads now and it'd be nice to have my member date back to 2004 but what you going to do? Doesn't really change the experience.

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance
The star system works fine. Adding other symbols or whatever to the mix wouldn't do anything to increase the quality of quantity of content, it would just confuse people and turn into a pissing match.

The existing star system is irrelevant.
Increasing quality & quantity of member generated content is irrelevant.

The system is self balancing; you, as a registered member, get to give one Sun a week. You will naturally show discretion in awarding it, & won't be able to help but feel pride at the # of Suns you have under your name, not to mention it will add to your karma/lightning score.

The give & take of points by Mods is probably more fun & interactive than they even realize because they're so used to it. It's obviously considered an integral part of the forum, but isnt being promoted. Adding more interaction to the forum can do nothing but increase your sense of investment in the forum.

Deny it all you want, but plenty of people will feel pushed to create an account to 1) Post something itching at their soul, & 2) Secretly wondering if anyone will grant you stars or maybe even the elusive & beautiful Sun.

Right now the members are limited to a single option of showing their acknowledgment of a post, barely understanding why the icon #s under their name change.

The lack of desire to grow the site, admittedly in a mostly aesthetic way, boggles me.

"The star system is fine, that's not why I use ATS" blah blah blah
Heck, why don't we just remove the option of having an avatar or background colors. & signatures? Useless trash wasting space getting in the way of my post reading.

Try not to have such a small perspective, & try to have a wider understanding of applied psychology.

By all means, don't participate.
& I beg you, start a rant thread every single time you get a Sun & rage about how much you despise them.

a reply to: kosmicjack

I was trying to click ur sweetheart
but I don't think it worked?!

a reply to: Eunuchorn

I'm not against it, it works just fine.

But if you open the can of worms to change stuff why not implement all aspects at the same time.

I don't care about the stars or flags, join dates or how many posts one made.

I just read the posts, some good, some bad. Stars or suns doesn't say anything about the content in the post only how many people thought it was star worthy. And as there is no guideline on how or why to star and nobody could get banned for wrongly starring a post. You will never know why it is starred that much.

Is it for you ruining your ATS experience you can not give some one a sticker for a well written informative post but you actually have to reply to express your position on that? Or do you want the Suns unlike the stars be out of anonymity? Something like Dumbass gave you a sun?

a reply to: kosmicjack

HEY!! I DO I DO !!! LOL!!! This is My Second Home!
And easily so!! It is messy, a bit unorganized, and out of order!

Just How I Like it!!!

a reply to: kosmicjack

So Can We HAve Dragons Too!! Please Please Please???!?!? LMAO!!!

I wish I could award babies... cuddly little births for injecting critical thinking into ATS.

Thing is, though, if we did that, it would keep good posters really busy for the next 25 years.

a reply to: Eunuchorn

here my sweetheart
this will solve all ur problems
havetoremember.files.wordpress.com...

originally posted by: Ksihkehe
a reply to: Eunuchorn

If you're pushing for the option of giving a sun I think it's only fair that we can also moon people.

And that there, I would definitely award a Sun to.

But then maybe create an eclipse by mooning it?