Some simple suggestions for ATS 5.x.x ...

So... You've probably seen me around; and if not - I'm here mostly to play devils advocate on controversial topics, and offer technical support where appropriate - with a sprinkling of two-cents worth of opinion at a topic here and there.

Today, I felt like dropping some suggestions ( mostly at the administration ) that I partially submitted to ATS via email, but never heard back about. I figure community feedback is good for the suggestions anyway, and I ought to hear back from the admins sooner this way.

BTW... [email protected] comes back invalid? Might look into that.

Anyway:

Subject 1: Signature Punctuation:

I've not tested every piece of punctuation - but I note that at least apostrophes in signatures are stored with a preceding \ that effectively tells the database query that 'this apostrophe is not the end of a quote, but a piece of it', when the data is being saved. This is very important to the sites security, and a necessary evil - however(!), this 'safety feature' is not accounted for on the output side of the equation, and therefore leaves the slashes in signatures. The simple fix for this, us using a PHP method called 'stripslashes' ( convenient, right? ) to remove any 'escaping slashes' from the content of the signature before displaying it to the user...


Subject 2: Post HTML - Either take it or don't you fluffs!

It seems to me that ATS doesn't allow for use of HTML in posts - as any time I insert any HTML, it gets stripped out and either replaced, or simply negated entirely. This being said - do the kind folks at ATS believe it is necessary to strip or replace 'HTML-Like' characters ( for instance the '<' symbol ), when it's just as simple ( if not simpler ) to run 'htmlspecialchars()' against the text on presentation? This would remove the potential for security flaws, and allows users to use cute little hearts and stuff.


I'm sure I've got more; but this is what comes to mind at the moment - and as it's been bothering me for some time - I felt I should make a write-up. If I'm in the wrong board, my apologies. I hope this makes it to someone that can have an effect; and that the community agrees.

<3

a reply to: DigitalJedi805

Allowing unchecked html could let malicious srcipts into the site: ie virus, maleware, trojans, worms...you name it.

And as far as ways to do it...that is up to the site's owners

So glad you started this thread. I have no idea about half of what you said, not speaking computer. I do however have a request for if and when the site gets tweaked.

I love the floating reply dealy, it is nice to be able to check back in the thread to correctly spell someones user name or check a point within the thread. I was wondering if you could do the same thing for Personal messages. As it is now if there are several points with in a message, I must put up a separate screen or copy/paste to my desktop notepad. I have no idea what I am asking for in terms of codes needed to make it happen. I apologize in advance if it is a ridiculous idea.

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: DigitalJedi805

Allowing unchecked html could let malicious srcipts into the site: ie virus, maleware, trojans, worms...you name it.

And as far as ways to do it...that is up to the site's owners

Well as stated; I'm not proposing that these checks get removed - I'm simply proposing that anything that resembles HTML get formatted into HTML Compliant text - so that even if I post raw HTML, it comes out like this:

<script type="text/_javascript" "somejs.js"> - which has no potential to be malicious.

It's common practice, really - and if done properly does not compromise security.

( I've actually been prevented from even providing HTML special characters to show the above example - which is really unnecessary )

originally posted by: Iamschist
So glad you started this thread. I have no idea about half of what you said, not speaking computer. I do however have a request for if and when the site gets tweaked.

I love the floating reply dealy, it is nice to be able to check back in the thread to correctly spell someones user name or check a point within the thread. I was wondering if you could do the same thing for Personal messages. As it is now if there are several points with in a message, I must put up a separate screen or copy/paste to my desktop notepad. I have no idea what I am asking for in terms of codes needed to make it happen. I apologize in advance if it is a ridiculous idea.

What it sounds like you're talking about is something I was actually thinking about at another moment in time --

The example would be that you 'quote' one person, it opens the floating reply screen, and then you 'quote' someone again, and it appends the second 'source's text to the end of what you've already typed, I assume?

If that's the case it's entirely feasible, just based on what I know about the engine running ATS - and I'm sure if the development team is reading this thread at all, they might consider it. It's definitely a good suggestion.

i can't pretend to understand any of this techie stuff, but it's worth me saying i thought that the last batch of changes to site design and function were all very positive from a regular user's point of view.

Yesterday though, it occurred to me that i'd kinda like to know how much i've misbehaved here - we no longer have our points total to keep track of mod slaps that we've received and it's not an uncommon experience to log on, read a bit and then notice that a member we know fairly well has been banned for whatever reason. Perhaps if we had a count of how many posts we've had removed for off topic, serious t+c violation, trolling and baiting etc would help a few folk reflect on their posting, improved quality here retain folk in their "original" form and so forth. Besides that i'd just find it pretty interesting.

a reply to: skalla

I prefer to nurse my shame in private. Getting applause feels so good, getting in trouble, equally bad. I think it would just be embarrassing to have it out there for everyone to see. Just my 2 cents.

a reply to: Iamschist

Totally, i didn't make it clear that i just wanted to see my own info and i'm not interested in knowing other's tally of miscreance.

originally posted by: DigitalJedi805
So... You've probably seen me around;
... I felt like dropping some suggestions ( mostly at the administration ) that I ...never heard back about.... I ought to hear back from the admins sooner this way.
...
BTW...Might look into that.
...
the slashes in signatures.
...
cute little hearts and stuff.
...
it's been bothering me for some time - I felt I should make a write-up.

Well I, for one, am with you, brother. I am flabbergasted and alarmed that the site administration have ignored your incessant demands they turn their attention to the urgent and pressing matters of both unwelcome signature slashes, and the lack of cute little hearts and stuff.

But be not dismayed! For united as one, I believe we can force them to listen to the will of the membership. We shall storm their virtual castle, break down their firewalls, and seize their restrictive and flawed code! And once it is in our grasp, we will make it open source, and by all that is good and just in this world wide web, we shall HAVE...OUR...CUTE LITTLE HEARTS AND STUFF!!! ....Right, now who's with me?

Hello...? Uh, guys...? Anyone...?

originally posted by: wecomeinpeace

originally posted by: DigitalJedi805
So... You've probably seen me around;
... I felt like dropping some suggestions ( mostly at the administration ) that I ...never heard back about.... I ought to hear back from the admins sooner this way.
...
BTW...Might look into that.
...
the slashes in signatures.
...
cute little hearts and stuff.
...
it's been bothering me for some time - I felt I should make a write-up.

Well I, for one, am with you, brother. I am flabbergasted and alarmed that the site administration have ignored your incessant demands they turn their attention to the urgent and pressing matters of both unwelcome signature slashes, and the lack of cute little hearts and stuff.

But be not dismayed! For united as one, I believe we can force them to listen to the will of the membership. We shall storm their virtual castle, break down their firewalls, and seize their restrictive and flawed code! And once it is in our grasp, we will make it open source, and by all that is good and just in this world wide web, we shall HAVE...OUR...CUTE LITTLE HEARTS AND STUFF!!! ....Right, now who's with me?

Hello...? Uh, guys...? Anyone...?

You see... What gets me about this is your complete disrespect for the point, and me in general... But...

I understand that there are 'more pressing' matters at hand, but if not expressed, are these requests ever considered? I don't believe so. Incessant requests? Not really.

Who's storming anything? I'm just making a thought public... If that's your idea of high treason, you might as well get a job with the NSA - you'd fit in well...

Now... I don't particularly understand your angst over the proposal in general - there must be a development team, and there must be a suggestions box - and if not, why does it hurt that I threw this out there? The intention isn't to detract from the 'more pressing' matters that you seem to be very upset about - but to chalk it up as something to think about in the future. Not to mention that this conversation also sparked at least one more valid improvement for the sites end user.

I think you went a little overboard there bud... Just sayin... Nobody's pokin' at You, why are you freaking out?

And what 'dramatic site inability' are you so concerned about that you think development is solely focusing on?


P.S. - I'll refrain from using any more sarcastic comments about hearts and stuff for your reading pleasure. <3

a reply to: DigitalJedi805

Understood...I am one who can write html script, so I get it. Its a question posed before here.

Hey. We could always use some opinions and ideas to make this place better!

originally posted by: DigitalJedi805
...disrespect...
...storming
...angst
...hurt
...upset
...sparked ...
...freaking out
...sarcastic

Well shucks. I guess all I can say is..." ♥ "

Maybe add a Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality to this site .

Well I know the OP is more talking about glitches in the coding.. What I miss in the overall experience (lol) is that when I'm logged off and reading a thread I see on the right side of the thread ~new topics ~active topics etc.

When I'm logged in I don't see that. So got to be honest. On my Illuminati~Mark of the beast phone I'm logged in always (besides when I cleared my cookies) on PC I'm 96% of the time Logged off because of convience. Why not add that to Logged in users?

a reply to: DigitalJedi805

I agree for the punctuation.

I disagree for the html.

And I would add that edits marks, such as this:
are kind of annoying.