Is this new hotness here to stay this time?

reply to post by MattC


Dude I think that the present "hot" link may be the link you are talking about?
Might I also suggest a real, true cache clean, of all related ATS cookies and webpage throwbacks? It works for many people. Hope this helps in some way.

In case anyone missed it:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

SkepticOverlord
The Primary Goal

What you are testing is not "change for the sake of change." Two massively important factors have been the driving force behind such a significant re-think of what a discussion board platform should be.

1) While the number of in-bound new users (roughly 85% of all daily traffic) has remained relatively flat, the user-engagement (content/thread pages viewed) has been falling off for months.

2) Across the Internet, nearly all discussion boards are experiencing a very similar phenomena. The decline in engagement is seen everywhere, even in large long-established video game forums.

The reason, is relatively simple: the audience has changed. The percentage of people comfortable with the rigid/tight discussion board format is decreasing, while the percentage of people accustomed to the more open sensibilities of contemporary flat design is increasing. It's a clearly quantified (and has been) fact of life for online operators.


Our mandate at AboveTopSecret.com, for more than ten years, has been to create and maintain a venue that showcases the quality content created by our members. A big part of that mandate has been consistent attention to search engine optimization. Another big part has been the delicate balance of advertising to provide the revenue needed to support big traffic, our own advertising, and growth. But the biggest part of that balance has always been finding ways to push the boundaries of a discussion board platform so that new users have the best possible chance to discover your content.

Right now, discovery is falling. Action is needed.

So every decision from font-size to color to mobile responsiveness has been from the vantage point of "what best highlights the content." The content is first. The content is second. And the content is third.



I'm not saying your input isn't important

That's why this is the third time we've opened the development site up to members. But if we didn't place a high priority on ensuring your content is both discovered and lingered-over, all we'd be doing is talking amongst ourselves and no one would have encountered the long-list of content that you created, that became important on thousands of other websites and hundreds of news sources.

This IS for you.

SO has made it very clear that he is open to member feedback.

We can't work out all of the kinks and tweaks without switching over and using it in real time. This isn't the end all, be all. It is a work in progress.

There is a thread in the staff forum where all of the questions raised are being logged in order that they can be fixed, addressed, etc.

So, if we can keep the editorials to a minimum and leave the thread open for questions and bug reports, that would hasten the process of making it the best it can be.

Sharingan
reply to post by TrueBrit

 

I really dont like it.
This "look" may do what the whiners and trolls couldnt do, drive me away from ATS

Yeah, it was one thing to have to scroll down, but now I have to scroll right and left too? I'll try my best over the weekend, but it's feeling like a little more trouble than it's worth. I'd put a sad face here, but I don't like them.

reply to post by jonjonj


Thanks for replying, jonjonj, but the page I meant was better described by QUANTUMGR4V17Y:

QUANTUMGR4V17Y
Well, though my lurking here has declined as of the past 6 months, I did enjoy easily navigating the "Top, Hot, and New" topics being on their joined, easily viewed page. Everything just seems cluttered.

IMO, this seems much too complex for what this site is. And I'm

reply to post by jiggerj


MORE CONTRAST in the BACKGROUND WOULD BE FREAKIN' NICE TOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why "new topics" not autoUpdate like we use Before? i must press Refresh to see new Thread from New topic..

Well Until recently I had no clue that there was a light and dark. The light was definately bleh... But, the dark is fine. Although the emoticons could use some work.

Oh oh... I keep hitting quote vs. edit...

Hey where are my points? I had a bajillion of them.

reply to post by MattC

My apologies for misunderstanding mate. However, I have found, after some poking around, that the arrow function leads to sub menus that show basically all there used to be on here. I hope you find the stuff you are looking for, and as I said, I am sure if you ask, other, more proficient users than myself will be able to point you in the right direction

reply to post by thedoctorswife


It's like being in elementary school again. very simplistic, but we'll have to wait and see if I can get used to it.

cannot get my timezone to stick. It keeps resetting itself to Canberra!

I am trying to get it to Adelaide. Tried twice, hit the submit button, does not take!

Known issue or bug?

Not a biggie!

P

Just so it's clear for everybody, the staff are currently logging all of your functionality complaints to a master list in a staff only forum for SO to review.

If you want to make sure your issue gets added, please PM me with a link to your post here in this thread, or the other BTS thread for the beta and I will make sure it gets added.

~Tenth

reply to post by Zanti Misfit

There is a contrast button that changes from light to dark, it is like the old contrast button on B/w tv's, far right at the top, that might help.

1. You can't star in This forum, always been that way. You can star in the regular forums.

2. Any Moderator, Once again, Is there a reason that my meteorite in my background image is repeated in the bottom of it? Any advice?

Website looks great. Dark option should be the default though if you hope to lure new members. ~$heopleNation

cheesy
why "new topics" not autoUpdate like we use Before?

I thought you saw the explanation in the release candidate test thread -- not every member had browsers that were compatible with the feature.

reply to post by SheopleNation

2. Any Moderator, Once again, Is there a reason that my meteorite in my background image is repeated in the bottom of it? Any advice?

Dimensions for avatars has slightly changed.

The default avatar dimensions are the same.

The mini-profile is indeed 200 pixels wide, 580 pixels tall is a safe height for backgrounds.

Kilobyte recommendations have not changed.

That's from SO's posting earlier.

~Tenth

reply to post by SheopleNation

2. Any Moderator, Once again, Is there a reason that my meteorite in my background image is repeated in the bottom of it? Any advice?

Click on my signature and post a link in that thread... someone will help you out. If it's still not done after my soak in the spa and a beer or two, I might even help you out.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Thanks Tenth. ~$heopleNation

I apologize for not participating in the beta, but also would like to voice my opinion of displeasure to the spaced out content. While reading SO's reasoning, it appears the whole design change is contrary to how I personally like to view forums.

I'd rather have more content on the page, such as thread titles in "recent" view or be able to read more than one response by a user on the screen at a time. This endless scrolling to view content is annoying. But, I guess, lots of big icons and overly spaced out responses is what's "trending."

Personally, I'd rather have the ability to read as much as possible with less scrolling as opposed to reading a little and scrolling a lot. I'm not going to quit visiting, but will with less frequency as it's tiring on the eyes adjusting to the constant scrolling.

theabsolutetruth

yourmaker
How can I make the font and everything smaller?

Press ctrl and - at the same time.

I tried it, it made the text too small.

The most annoying thing about the new style is that it's like reading books made for kids, or some school learning page for under 5's.

Apart from that, it's smoother in some ways and faster.

thank you, that is so much better.

reply to post by Zarniwoop


Hey I appreciate that Zarni. I am going to finish watching the game, but I'll be on later.

Yep, Even I am another victim of sports herdism. Only the NFL & UFC though buddy. ~$heopleNation