The will of the ATS contributors, ignored.

reply to post by Shugo


Yep, well I cannot tell the grey color's apart. So I feel isolated here. Yes ignored, because some people cant differientiate with this color scheme well at all , thus missing most of the website.

But as they said who cares about members needs . And eye balls. Who cares.....

After all we are whingey moaners right. We don't have genuine concerns...

Well one day they will realise a good percentage of members genuinely cannot navigate the website and have been left out.

The new layout is fine. It loads better and is more user friendly.

My only gripes are the sub fora weren't update and re-jigged to included topics like 'China' and 'Population Growth' etc and that sometimes when you search your own posts it only links you to the thread you posted in, not necessarily your post per se.

reply to post by FreedomEntered


Did you survey all of the members on ATS and supply feedback when it was requested? Unless you have done both you do not reserve the right to speak on behalf of the body of ATS to the head of ATS. You do not speak for many of us.

FreedomEntered
But as they said who cares about members needs
--- remainder of misplaced assumptions removed ---

I posted this in another thread, but it seems you need to be hit over the head with the fact that we involved members during every step of the process. Here's just three of the dozens of pre-launch threads that involved members (not including the posts in the forum specific to the member beta testers).




The rationale...
Open Member Testing: ATS.5/3 Final Release Candidate

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.

The preview...
ATS.5/3 Preview Video: see the big changes coming soon to ATS!

Great design is more about reduction than anything else. What we're striving to do is to reduce the site "chrome" to the essence of what's needed, and places focus on member content in the best possible way.

The heads-up...
Creating a cleaner and faster AboveTopSecret.com -- member input requested.

Also, with our new approach at a modern CSS3/HTML5 web app execution, all of those screen shots combined use only two image files -- we're greatly reducing the "weight" of ATS pages for faster loading, especially on mobile devices.

As the daunting task of propagating the new clean user experience into deeper pages such as threads, I need to know how much of ATS legacy features will break your heart if we loose or otherwise alter them. These include:

Not only have we involved our members, every step of the way, we've also explained the reasons in exceptional detail.

So maybe I am an odd ball I need a greater " contrast " in coloring to be able to differienciate between what I am reading. This is the definition of " user friendly" that it takes into consideration users needs.

Yes, I understand its slightly improved than when it was first tested. At least there is some coloring of the symbols. But its still tough for some users here, literally. No bs.

Its not asthetics I would complain about , yes it isn't to my taste but as someone said - big deal.

Its the lack of contrast. Its grey on grey.

For example if you had a lightish pink on a medium pink, it would have the same effect for some, it would be impossible to read.

Hence, why often font coloring is made black.

reply to post by Shugo


Oh my goodness I am NOT speaking on the behalf of ATS. But I have noted other members have had the same difficulties that I have had.

Okay, it may be a minority but I speak for myself.
And hope you speak for yourself too.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


Stop being a dafty... ATS is a tool and in that respect it functions just fine. You can see read, share information and discuss stuff. That is why you come here. If you are reading a good book you would not stop reading it because someone changes the cover to a colour you do not like.

I joined this website a few days before the new change took place and to be honest, it's kinda hard to navigate. It's obvious it was designed for phones, and that for some reason those people are more important than those that actually contribute rather than simply browse. I guess the people that post here and make the content that others browse are taken for granted.

What truly amazes me about this whole I don't like thread, is that for a site like ATS, that has for the most part shown some level of intellect amongst the members, one of the biggest complaints seems to revolve around the emotincons.

Does anyone find that ironic as I do? Really people, think about that.

So since when cant members express opinions?

reply to post by horselessheadsman


Yes, I also cannot see most of the website. I've explained my reasons " contrast" . The layout navigation can be learnt. But my eyes cannot change. So I understand your point.

FreedomEntered
So since when cant members express opinions?

First off, you had a chance to voice your opinion on it a while ago - and obviously didn't. That's not the problem of the owners. They didn't ask for opinions and they did request feedback. That's what they've been trying to tell people who haven't been paying attention. It's not their problem, they notified the community of the changes coming - that point on it's in the community's court.

Secondly, no one is saying you can't voice your opinions. But don't sit there and make it seem like you're talking on behalf of ATS. Contrary to what you said in your previous post, your comments are coming across like it.

reply to post by Shugo


Had my chance? Yes and I did express my opinion when they were testing the new website.

That's the point me and the Ops opinions were ignored. Hence the thread title.

I am NOT speaking on behalf of ATS members. I am sure a good 90% can adapt to this layout and that's good for them.

I am speaking as I believe the OP is of the ignored minority.

Minority because physically we cannot adapt. It isn't just a case of the site isn't as " pretty" anymore.

please make the default dark style mobile reading through translator tired eyes and the battery is discharged

FreedomEntered
Yes and I did express my opinion when they were testing the new website.

That's not true.

You have NO POSTS in the feedback thread for the open member testing of the release candidate, or the forum dedicated to beta testers.

That's the point me and the Ops opinions were ignored. Hence the thread title.

Your title is misleading then since you never offered any feedback during the time all were open to do so.


Why are you lying about this?

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Okay I wasn't lying. I believe I did give feedback.
I do recall the owner and admin/moderators coming to one thread and listening to the opinions there given when a test was done.

I expressed my views very clearly, as it was changed back afterwards. But I knew I would be ignored.
Clearly I was in the wrong thread.

Well that's very sad that I missed the feedback thread.

I posted feedback here to be specific . In this thread " ALL MEMBERS: We may be launching ATS.5/3 today".

And I specifically recall I wasn't the only one to not be able to navigate the website due to the coloring and lack of contrast. I hoped that there would be more than one option for coloring after it was properly launched.

The open testing lasted for a full week (didn't we already discuss this?), and the thread: Open Member Testing: ATS.5/3 Final Release Candidate provided a lot of input that result in many tweaks, including colors in both versions.

The thread you posted in was an announcement that we'd be launching the site. There were technical issues (log-in and new account problems) discovered in the multi-server environment that caused the brief return of ATS.2010.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Ah right and the final layout has two options for colors? Not more?...

I also was given a password and something and I didn't understand what it was for. It was for ATS3.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


OMG!!!! I just saw the arrow button to go back to the top!!!!! WHOOO HOOOO! Ok...

My laziness has been enabled once again and so I can honestly say that was my only issue and guess what... I was too blind to see the BIG ARROW. hahahaha

Im getting used to the change. I can actually view the site better on my phone which is a relief as I can be out and about and still browse my favorite site.

I am of course trying to get used to it.

But what bothers me is when there is colored " thread titles" these jump out at me the most. Basically I have no control of where my attention is drawn to. I don't understand why certain titles are colored, thus jumping out and others aren't. Really makes reading unpleasant.

I am not afraid to say like the Op, I preferred the old layout 10000 times more.