Compacting threats equals improving (reading) quality

Folks,

it is very difficult to read long threads here - let alone catch up with an active thread. There are two main reasons I see: firstly every post in a thread has a minimum length that is dictated by the logo and other information about the posting member, resulting in large chunks of whitespace between individual posts. Secondly many members quote entire posts just to add a few (often meaningless) notes or even just a "cheers" logo. The effect of all this is that it is almost impossible to read more than just a few pages before getting tired of all the useless whitespace and fillings. You simply get tired from filtering the chaff out and often either you simply skip 20 pages of comments and bluntly add your opinion at the bottom - or you are a decent chap (gall) and as you don't want to pollute the thread, you simply do not add anything at all but simply call it a day.

This means that many threads are full of repeating statements, whitespace and member logos, where they could be full of meaningful and non-repetitative discussions. I am a fan of the latter.

So, some suggestions.

• Ditch the avatars/banners we now have to the left of every posting, and do the same for the signatures. If members need to advertise their personal beliefs it's allright with me, but I don't need to see it in every post, sometimes ten times per page. It's tiresome and does not add anything to the discussion.
  
• to satsify the egos of members here, you could allow a smalller version of the avatar (thumbnail), say 20x20 or 30x30 pixels and make it so that a popup appears when I hover over these thumbnails. In that popup I could still find the useless statistics, banners and signatures that now riddle my reading space. But I simply would not be forced to scroll through them every time.
  
• make it impossible to post messages that contain mostly quotes. This can be checked when the member tries to post: a warning could be given that the user has overquoted and he could be returned to the editor to correct the matter.
  
  
  
  edit on 9-6-2017 by ForteanOrg because: he discovered that the numbered list does not work as he expected, hence he replaced them with a series of bullets..
  

a reply to: ForteanOrg

What the hell is white space .

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: ForteanOrg

What the hell is white space .

Ah, sorry. It's an IT term, also widely used outside the IT world, and denotes empty space, e.g.:















^^^ that is whitespace

And thanks, yes, we should perhaps also check postings for large chunks of empty space (and so, this one would never have made it in the first place)

Picky Picky

The format is fine the way it is.

Set your mouse wheel better.

I cannot imagine the agony you must be going through.

First world problems.

originally posted by: FauxMulder
First world problems.

I'm thinking what a Developing World internet issue would be....

...oh, yeah, they don't have any.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

My thumb hurts from scrolling past your comment.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

I cannot imagine the agony you must be going through.

Indeed, you can't.

BTW: I can easily solve the problem for myself, as I am fairly well skilled in client-side manipulation of content inside my browser. But most of the membership here can't.

I must say I'm encouraged by the positive and constructive atmosphere of the postings in this thread

a reply to: ForteanOrg

But my avatar is what makes me special... If you take that away I'll have nothing left to contribute to this site.

You basically want to get rid of features that have been standard for forums since the late 90s.

No thanks.

What threats ???

originally posted by: FauxMulder
My thumb hurts from scrolling past your comment.

It's gonna hurt even more when I snap it off Misery style.

originally posted by: ForteanOrg
Indeed, you can't.

I hear you.

The only truly painful issue I had in my own life that may have potentially rivaled yours was solved when some genius invented Velcro laces.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

You see, without avatars, one could potentially miss the genius of some posters.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

I agree. I may have cruised right past Mr. Mulder's post if I didn't see his bang-bang.

a reply to: Ohanka

Keeping features that have been used since the 1990's is what made the Microsoft suite of operating systems a bonanza for hackers. That something is old does not necessarily mean it is good.

And you're also very wrong if you're assuming these features have been on forums like these from the beginning: the early forums did not even HAVE Avatars. I was there. We had Usenet, text only. Or what was called "bulletin boards" (remember FidoNet?). No avatars.

Anyway - I'm suggesting what I see as improvements to this forum. It's up to the owners to do something with it or not.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: ForteanOrg
Indeed, you can't.

I hear you.

The only truly painful issue I had in my own life that may have potentially rivaled yours was solved when some genius invented Velcro laces.

I've been trained to ensure that the jewels are safely in the locker before I slam the door.

Folks,

it is very difficult to read long threads here - let alone catch up with an active thread. There are two main reasons I see: firstly every post in a thread has a minimum length that is dictated by the logo and other information about the posting member, resulting in large chunks of whitespace between individual posts. Secondly many members quote entire posts just to add a few (often meaningless) notes or even just a "cheers" logo. The effect of all this is that it is almost impossible to read more than just a few pages before getting tired of all the useless whitespace and fillings. You simply get tired from filtering the chaff out and often either you simply skip 20 pages of comments and bluntly add your opinion at the bottom - or you are a decent chap (gall) and as you don't want to pollute the thread, you simply do not add anything at all but simply call it a day.

This means that many threads are full of repeating statements, whitespace and member logos, where they could be full of meaningful and non-repetitative discussions. I am a fan of the latter.

So, some suggestions.


Ditch the avatars/banners we now have to the left of every posting, and do the same for the signatures. If members need to advertise their personal beliefs it's allright with me, but I don't need to see it in every post, sometimes ten times per page. It's tiresome and does not add anything to the discussion.
to satsify the egos of members here, you could allow a smalller version of the avatar (thumbnail), say 20x20 or 30x30 pixels and make it so that a popup appears when I hover over these thumbnails. In that popup I could still find the useless statistics, banners and signatures that now riddle my reading space. But I simply would not be forced to scroll through them every time.
make it impossible to post messages that contain mostly quotes. This can be checked when the member tries to post: a warning could be given that the user has overquoted and he could be returned to the editor to correct the matter.


edit on 9-6-2017 by ForteanOrg because: he discovered that the numbered list does not work as he expected, hence he replaced them with a series of bullets..

I couldn't agree more. Cheers

a reply to: ForteanOrg

Usenet was not the current internet, and the lack of an Avatar in the earlier forums were to do with lack of bandwidth, and the users internet connection (dialup).

None of what you suggest will happen, and for an expert, you should be aware that in the Board Settings here on ATS there are options to disable everything you have recommended.

We are not going back to the late 80s to suit a time you prefer when there are options on this forum to disable what you wan done.