ATS, BTS, What would you like to see in the future?

Originally posted by Rising Against
reply to post by Esoteric Teacher

 

A return of some visual on avatars differentiating who is on our friends list and who may be on our foes list, and possibly who's friends list we may be on, and who's foes list we members may be on. Perhaps this will be phased back in, and I'm just not up to par with current info. Thanks, ET

I'd like to second the above and add that it would be a nice idea (IMHO) if we received a PM to let us know when we've been added as a friend like we do when we are foe'd.

I'd like to third my own first and second the seconding, and also second the first by Rising Against that we also get a Private Message being informed we have been added to someone's friend list.

Again, I do appreciate all the hard work going into the site, and am well aware it is a "free" subscription.

Thank you ATS,
ET

Please add your suggestions to the ongoing and monitored thread: ATS/BTS What would you like to see in the future

3rd time here.....

I would like to suggest that the Contribution Level be reverted back to what it was prior to the "code" or whatever it is now. Respectfully of course.

P2107 F909 S2753 W13

I understand what the above means but its too small font for those of us with older eyes as well as the fact that "Contribution Level" as the blue fills it up is ten fold easier to decipher.

Greeneyedleo....I just got turned around as to where to post this sorry about that.

reply to post by mikelee



hate the new version cannot navigate at all where i want to be and end up missing so much stuff - not cool.

Come here much less frequently and for much shorter time than before now, sadly.

reply to post by spacedonk


I had a couple issues with navigating thru the new layout but I like it now that I have figured it out. It actually is layed out for easier access. That is once you figure it out. But as with everything that changes not everyone will approve so its always as issue to someone. I like the drop down menus a lot. However, the new contribution level thingy is unattractive and is not user friendly at all. I give it a big thumbs down. including that if you forget to post the title of your thread, it prompts you to use the back button which erases all of your thread!

The rest of the changes I give a hearty thumbs up

I must say I really like the new way of representing contribution levels. The old way just couldn't accurately gauge someone who doesn't post a lot. Quantity isn't always quality. The new way is just better.

That's not to say it couldn't be improved. Perhaps a blend could be accomplish that would please Mikelee and I both.

I think it should include "R" (replies) "T" (threads started) and "A" (applause). The "R" should be the number of total replies of all threads started PLUS all posts made by clicking 'reply' to a user's posts.

These 3 statistics, compared against the 4 existing ones would be the most efficient way to represent EVERY poster's contributions - even ones that only post occasionally.

Now if there was a way to represent it graphically, that would be even cooler. Taking it a step further would be a way of listing members and/or recent posts by the various criteria the system could produce.

For instance I would love to read the posts by the one with the lowest thread count but most replies. The lowest count but MOST warnings. Lowest count/most applause. You see what I mean. The data is there, at could be done.

Oh, and since you asked, what ELSE would I like to see? I've seen it mentioned here plenty, so here's a ME TOO. I'd love it if I could get an email or text message whenever there was activity in threads I was participating in, or I got a message, etc.

My other gripe is the way the "no single line" posts rule is worded in the T/Cs which just causes people to add the words "2nd line". Which is CLUTTER, when left around by some douchenozzle, it says to 10 OTHERS, "that must be what I'm supposed to do derp-de-der" but I digress.

The truth is that I LOVE ATS! And one of the reasons why because of is the way it's moderated. Not just by the mods (who deserve mad props by the way) but also by the community itself. The above seems inconsistent with that kind of care, and I know NOBODY wants to compromise that quality just for high traffic. I know you guys are busy already but if standards aren't kept while membership booms, the quality will tank, and ignorance won't be denied. En masse. And then ATS will become Skynet. And Cthulu. And like Gargamel or something.

I would like to see a search tool that finds all of the posts where people have replied to a post I've made within a thread.

It would make it so much easier to be able to respond to a reply if necessary and receive feedback about my comments.

Originally posted by LazyGuy
I would like to see a search tool that finds all of the posts where people have replied to a post I've made within a thread.

It would make it so much easier to be able to respond to a reply if necessary and receive feedback about my comments.

That is found in your message box under "replies"

might sound daft, but what about a solved button? if someone posts a solution that other members deem the correct one, they press the solved button, after so many solves the thread is flagged solved and mentions which post solves it.

I find it annoying, that when someone solves " a mysterious object" in the sky photo//video//question (just an example), the thread continues and 2 pages later people are looking for answers to the OP again! lol.

...Another suggestion similar to something I saw mentioned a few pages ago, would be some kind of badges/awards for posting a thread that elicited X number of replies.

I think these kind of features would be much more well received if their display (at least in the margin 'mini-profile) were 'optional'.

The new code looking contribution level looks unfinished, sort of like someone said "to heck with it go with this". I do not think it enhances ther page's look nor the member's profile at all.

But...

How about having a button for memebrs who can choose the old "Contribution Level" graph or stay with this new code thingy?

s567 r567 f567 - Sorry but THAT just looks terrible especially when compared to all the new upgrades on ATS.

reply to post by mikelee


I'm a graphic designer with a bit of experience creating GUIs (graphic user interfaces) and I'm trying to think of a more aesthetically pleasing way of showing that. There's really no way of 'charting' it, unless you want to show something like 'stars per post'.

So what I would propose is to have the info be part of the new "member" dropdown. I'd put it like so:

Threads: 57
Posts: 632
Replies: XXX
Flags: 25
Stars: 182
Applause: 12
Warnings: 0

And perhaps clicking on them would take you to a page that sorted them, similar to the current threads/posts links in our profiles?

I also like Mikelee's idea of having a choice of displaying the old graphic representation or not. That would've been nice all along. I'm happy with my ratio of flags per post - but that's not what the thing showed. It showed zilch, because I've only started 57 threads. Not enough to get enough flags to show any blue. Post more? I'd like to, but I don't have the same kind of time as I once did, so I try to make each one matter.

Originally posted by Teratoma
...Taking it a step further would be a way of listing members and/or recent posts by the various criteria the system could produce.

For instance I would love to read the posts by the one with the lowest thread count but most replies. The lowest count but MOST warnings. Lowest count/most applause. You see what I mean. The data is there, at could be done.

I hadn't looked at the members list page since the revamp but all you'd need to do is change the labels at the top of the column to links to sort the list by the various criteria. Ok I realize "all you'd need to do" to create those links is write pages and pages of elaborate code, but that would be a great feature.

It would be an excellent tool for filtering out the chaff.

reply to post by Teratoma


Or put the previous Contribution Level back up and allow people to click on it for your concept there.

reply to post by mikelee


No, I disagree. When they put that thing up and started calling me an "apprentice" it severely affected my enthusiasm about the site - I nearly lost interest. it's just not an accurate gauge of one's participation/contributions.

If brought back at all, members should have a choice to display it or not.

reply to post by mikelee


Curious, what would you think if it was like the old way, but displayed a ratio instead? Yours would show almost 50% blue, whereas mine would show about 1/3. Of course this wouldn't make you look as good as before - but it ALSO wouldn't put someone with 10,000 posts - and the same number of flags as you - on the same level of 'contribution' as you.

With the old system, a poster with 10 threads and 1000 flags looked the same as one with 2000 threads and 1000 flags. See what I mean?

A ratio would be the way to go.

reply to post by Teratoma


Correction: mine would show about 1/24 blue (I was looking at my stars - not flags). STILL, it would show SOMETHING. As opposed to nothing at all.

A few suggestions:

Please reform the WATS system. Read this thread: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Add a "red star" to signal disapproval of a post.

Do something about the thread counts on the member profiles. I've noticed at least a few that are off. It says I've created 5 threads when I've only created 2.

reply to post by PETROLCOIN

Do something about the thread counts on the member profiles. I've noticed at least a few that are off. It says I've created 5 threads when I've only created 2.

If you send a complaint or alert a thread, it counts towards your overall "threads started" stats as a thread is started in the mod forum I believe. Maybe that's why it says 5 when it's only showing 2 on your profile? You've previously used the alert button.

reply to post by Rising Against


I've alerted two posts, not threads. That doesn't make much sense to add that to the threads or to even keep track of it. But if it's necessary to keep track of it, couldn't a separate category for the number of suggestions or complaints be created?

I don't see the logic. Oh well.

reply to post by PETROLCOIN

I've alerted two posts, not threads.

Well if you alert any one post (thread or individual post), what you're doing (as far as I'm aware) is creating a separate thread about that post in the staff forum, thus the reason it adds to the threads started statistics.